I can honestly say that I learned quite a lot about second language acquisition in this course. One of the things that I found most interesting as a bilingual student myself was how children go about learning their second language. Ortega states that one of the ways as that children go about learning their second language is though a naturalistic way, that is listening to and being around the native speakers and acquiring the language by being around them. The other way that children learn their second language is formally thought some type of class or formal schooling (Ortega, 2013, p. 6).
What I took out of this class the most is how this class will impact my professional practice. I have always been hyper aware of the importance of catering and differentiating English Language Learners so that they may have the best chances of learning English. This is especially true because of my own experience of being an ELL. However, after taking this class I now feel more equip with the knowledge and tools necessary to help all of the students in my class. I now understand more deeply than ever before the ways that my own behavior can have an influence on my students including those who are ELL’s. I also now understand the implications that my classroom climate, and classroom management will have on my student’s education. Such things as demanding that there be respect for all cultures and believes will undoubtedly communicate to my students that they are important as individuals and there for are a vital part of our classroom.
Although I found this class very informative and eye opening, I would have liked there to be more emphases on bilingual students. I think this is a topic that is often overlooked and I for one would have liked to have learned more about these types of students. I think the reason for this is because I myself am a bilingual student who still sometimes struggles with my L2, English, especially when it comes to spelling. That being said the chapters I did read were interesting to say the least. I would have also liked to have learned about what we as teachers can do to assist parents of ELL’s in helping their own children learn the L2. Besides these two points I believe this class did a good job at focusing on the most important and thought-provoking aspects of second language acquisition. Not to mention that the textbooks used provided a realistic and accurate description of what it is like to learn a second language.
To be honest when I first read that we would have to create a blog and upload videos I was not too excited. However, I actually enjoyed creating the videos because it allowed me to step out of my comfort zone and interact in a new way with the people around me. From my friend Kenia to my mentor teacher Mrs. Patel, I learned so much from their experience and expertise in relation to learning English. I also gain a lot of insight from the conversations I had with my fellow classmates in the comment section of my vblogs. Overall, the vblogs have allowed me to interact with others who have a similar and sometimes different points of view to mine which in turn helps me grow as a person and future educator.
Hi Karen, I also thought it was interesting to learn that second language learners acquire their second language through naturalistic and instructed contexts. According to Ortega (2013, p. 6), "most people learn additional languages from a mixture of both naturalistic and instructed experiences." By learning through different contexts, the children are able to make connections between what they learned through informal opportunities and formal study. In doing so, they can get a better understanding of their second language. I enjoyed reading your reflection and wish the best for you as a future educator.
ReplyDeleteHi Angela! I agree it is easy to see how children are able to attain a second language, naturally, though their everyday experiences. I also find it interesting how age plays a part in whether ELL will sound like a native speaker. Ortega states that the age in which an ELL is phonetically stable happens between the ages of 5 and 7 (2013, p. 23). Because of this I think it is important for ELL’s to experience both naturalistic and formal instruction in the desired L2.
DeleteHey Karen! I bet it was a super fun experience for you taking this class. You kind of got a behind the scenes experience since you were a second language learner yourself. I also found it interesting that second language learners can acquire the language in a variety of ways. I also thought that it was only gained through instructed but then it made sense that students learn through naturalistic contexts. I also feared the fact that we would have to create vlogs but I found it extremely rewarding. I learned a lot of information from friends and other teachers. It actually ended up being one of my favorite parts of this class.
ReplyDeleteHi Lesley! It was a very fun and interesting experience taking this class. I was able to get a lot out of it because of my personal experiences. In fact, if I had not taken this class, I would not have known how much impact motivation had on my success as an ELL. Ortega (2013) describes Integrativeness is an attitude were the ELL finds learning a second language genuinely interesting (p.170). This, to me, is exactly the type of motivation I had when learning English and it is the type of motivation I want to instill in my future students.
DeleteHi Leslie! As I was reading Karen's post, I also thought about how she probably had an interesting experience in this class for she could kind of relate since she was a second language learner. I too acquired a second language when I was a child, and it was more or less in a naturalistic context. Naturalistic learners learn "the L2 through informal opportunities in multicultural neighbourhoods, schools and workplaces, without ever receiving any organized instruction on the workings of the language they are learning" (Ortega, 2013, p. 6). This is exactly how I learned Kiswahili!
DeleteHello Karen, I think that this class has provided us with many tools that will help us tremendously as we go on to teach because we now know how much of affect we have on our students’ L2 learning. I also would like to know how we can effectively assist parents of ELL’s in helping their own children. This is something that I would have liked, for my parents, when I was younger. There were times when I would have homework that I wouldn’t understand but they were unable to help me because of the language difference.
ReplyDeleteHi Gabriela! I can totally relate to the homework debacle. Though out my elementary years my parents were never able to help me in anything other than math, because of the language barrier. However, their desire to help me not only on things like my homework but also by getting a higher paying job helped pushed them towards learning English. Ortega calls this type of motivation extrinsic motivation, where in a person is motivated by actions outside of one’s genuine desire to learn the second language (2013, p. 176). I think that if give parents the tools necessary to help their ELL we can instill the same motivation my patents had.
DeleteHey Karen!
ReplyDeleteI never even thought about helping our English Language Learner's parents. That thought completely slipped my mind! But it is very important for us to be able to communicate and help our students as well as their parents. This is a great point you bring up. Ortega does state that, "late starters studying a second language actually maintained an advantage that persisted well after five years of instruction" (2013, pg. 17). So, maybe our parents could be taught just as well as out students!
Hi Kelly, I am glad you also agree! I think it would have been very beneficial to have learned some insight on giving parents the necessary tools to help their ELL student be successful. A great tool that I would give my ELL parents would be a digital album with the pronunciation of the vocabulary we will be learning in the upcoming unit. I would do this because Glass states if the ELL is able to hear the vocabulary ahead of time the ELL student is able to hear the correct pronunciation which will help the student when he/she needs to say those words (2008, p.43). While it may not be the most efficient this is a great way to help the parents of an ELL.
DeleteHI Karen!
ReplyDeleteI loved being able to read your reflection of this course and see how this is something you related to from your childhood experiences. I too felt this class was super helpful and eye opening for us especially a piece of knowledge for us to take with us when getting our own classroom and future students. You made a point to discuss how your behavior can influence the success of your students and I couldn't agree more. I feel the same as well. I also feel that planting motivation to our students is extremely important for their success. Ortega mentioned that a lot throughout his book and the positive effects it has on ELL students. Ortega talks about how motivation is used to be more successful in the second language, more motivation is gained and how this cycle will be continuous (Ortega, 2013). Motivation I feel is something that can continuously help students and their success in the classroom.
Hola Karen, I enjoyed reading your reflection and I related to it as well. I agree with you that I struggled with spelling for my L2 also. This class allowed us as future educators to realize our own upbringing and learning that I think will allow us to see the similarities with our own students. If we continue to motivate our students like we were motivated by our parents to continue to learn English, then it can help our students. Ortega states, "motivation can be more successful in the second language. and more motivation is gained (Ortega pg176)
ReplyDelete