Entry 4
Second Language Acquisition has been very impactful for me. I used to think that second language was for students who spoke only Spanish. It’s more than just speaking a second language; it’s studying the process of learning a second language and viewing it from a different perspective. This class is very personal to me because I read about things that affected me a second language learner. Everything I have learned will benefit me in my future classrooms. I will be able to accommodate my second language students. I will meet their needs and requirements so that they can be very successful in the future. Unfortunately, I was not able to get assistance like they way I should have. I lived in a town where my ethnicity was the minority. None of the teachers in my elementary spoke fluent Spanish. My eldest brother was the one who translated for my parents and learned English the quickest. We learned by being surrounded by the most common spoken language, English and watching American TV.
Making the VLOGS was very different for me. I thought it would be easy to record my self but I was very tough on myself because my accent would come out and I would mispronounce words so I would have to start over again. Creating the VLOG was very fun because I got to personalize my VLOG and actually learn how to make one. Learning how to make a VLOG is very valuable as a future teacher for sharing ideas and sharing experiencing’s. There has been a lot of content when interviewing friends and young professionals because they share their experiences and knowledge that is very relevant to second language studies. Sharing ideas and new teaching strategies are very important to share because we can always continue to grow and learn from others. Sharing our experiences is also very important because other maybe struggling and you might have a story to share that can help others. As stated, learning to make a VLOG and constantly being active we’ve learning how to manage one.
If I did not learn or become knowledgeable of second language acquisition, I would not know how to manage my class and help students become successful in learning a second language and still being able to maintain their first language while not losing contact. When I learned my second language, English, my native language started fazing out slowly and I did not continue my education in Spanish and the only contact I had with Spanish was with my parents and they constantly had to correct me. All the information gathered throughout the semester will be applied to my current and future classes. I plan to gain more knowledge as I gain my own experiences as a teacher. I want to be there for those students who are to shy to raise their hand because of a language barrier. I plan to create a safe place for my future students by accommodating them in any way that I can.
Hi Damaris!
ReplyDeleteI wanted to start off by saying how moved I am by your reflection. Although I am glad you were still speaking Spanish at home, I believe that your teachers should have let you continue speaking your native language at school. I see how your personal experience leads you to believe that students should not be forced to forget their native language. In my student teaching experience currently, we have two ELLs. We are very considerate of them and their learning experience in the classroom. We provide many visuals and movements that can help them. According to Gass and Selinker (2007), "Visual learners are those who take in information visually. Thus, reading is preferred to listening. Blackboard use or PowerPoint presentations are preferred to straight lectures. They might rewrite lecture notes using color codings or other visual organizational schema. ". We also encourage them to continue writing and submitting work in their native language (Spanish) because we believe that is the most appropriate way to treat them. This course has indeed been beneficial and i am sure all of us and more equipped with knowledge and skills that will make a significant difference in our future classroom.
I completely agree with Anicia! I think that it is important to keep a student’s home language in play in the classroom, and allow them to grow in both languages. In order to teach English as a second language, it should not be necessary for students to completely cut out their first language and almost forget it in most cases. I love that you were able to recognize this in your classroom and within yourself and I am excited to see the amazing ways that you can implement your ideas in your future classroom!
DeleteHi Damaris!
ReplyDeleteFirst and foremost I want to say that I appreciate how honest and open you were in your final reflection of this course. Getting a chance to read your personal story and how in some ways you could relate a lot to some of things we discussed in this course. Sharing your experience is so important because it helps put so much into perspective. I agree that being able to do that can help us grow in our field as educators. I am so happy to hear that everything you have learned from this past course is going to be applied to your future students. I as well intend on doing the same! I feel this course was such an important course for us to take in our college career for the benefit of our future ELL students. This class has taught me so much. Especially when discussing motivation in ELL students. Ortega made a point to express that, "motivation is crucial for students to learn because they will not become invested in their learning if they are not enjoying the learning process (Ortega, 2013, p. 176)." I could not agree more! Overall this class was super eye opening and I can not wait to use this information in my future classroom just as you intend on doing as well.