Internship Experiences of Pre-Service Teachers: A Case Study of EFL Korean Students in the Philippines

Various studies on the different experiences of pre-service teachers who are non-native speakers of English emerged to strengthen the teaching curriculum and empower them to be equipped as they take the role of classroom teachers. Some foreign students even study abroad to strengthen their proficiency in the English language; more so, other teacher education programs offer internships abroad. Studies support that teaching internship experiences impact shaping novice teachers’ identity (Borg, 2003; Kim & Cho, 2014; Ulla, 2016). This case study describes the teaching experiences of eight Korean pre-service teachers during their internship. The participants were students under the program of Bachelor of Secondary Education major in English from a private university in the Philippines. This study reports the qualitative results of individual interviews and weekly reflections. The common themes of their teaching experiences were (a) perceived low language proficiency, (b) fear of committing mistakes, (c) lack of teaching preparation, (d) inadequate classroom management, (e) fear of being observed and evaluated, (f) individual personality, and (g) cultural differences.