Blog Entry #4
Reflection Writing
My understanding of second language acquisition has
definitely improved and the questions or concerns I had about learning a second
or additional language have been clarified due to what I have learned in this
class. I knew that learning a new language can be challenging and frustrating,
in general, but I was not quite sure about why or how people found language
learning to be like this. There are numerous factors that influence the way an
individual approaches and learns a new language such as the learner’s
motivation, their age of acquiring the language, and the linguistic environment
that he or she is in. This course focused on these factors and was so specific
that it helped me expand my knowledge and understanding of language learning.
As a future educator, I will definitely implement what I
have learned from this class such as the various types of comprehensible input
techniques like visual aids (photos, charts, videos, etc.), hands-on activities
and manipulatives, and modeling. This is crucial since “the
single most important source of L2 learning is comprehensible input, or
language which learners process for meaning and which contains something to be
learned, that is, linguistic data slightly above their current level” (Ortega,
2013, Section 4.3, para. 2). I am really glad that I learned about the
various types of instructional support for my future students, especially since
I find differentiated instruction to be very important and respectful for the
students. As mentioned earlier, this class helped me become more understanding
of how individuals approach and learn a new language other than their first or
native language. I have ideas on what type of support they need, their way of
thinking, prior experiences or exposures to language learning, and how their
first language may be different or similar than their second or additional
language.
If this class had a concept or topic to focus more on, I
think it should be transferability so that students can comprehend and
familiarize themselves with how languages can sound so similar like cognates
and grammatical structures. Transferability “is about
tendencies and probabilities. Consciously or unconsciously, learners seem to
operate on the basis of two complementary principles: ‘what works in the L1 may
work in the L2 because human languages are fundamentally alike’ but ‘if it
sounds too L1-like, it will probably not work in the L2’.”
(Section 3.14, para. 7). That way, students can see how a language
learner can make connections to their own language and the language they are
learning. Educators can also learn more about the language learner’s background
and help strengthen the student’s second language acquisition process.
The work that I have been doing in this class has
contributed to my learning of SLA theory. As mentioned before, I have learned
several types of factors that influence how a language learner understands and
develops such as the age, sociocultural factors, and crosslinguistic
influences. I had a broad understanding that there are factors to language
learning, but I didn’t know the details. The assignments in this class helped
me understand the material at a deeper level, connect with English language
learners, and learn about their experiences and thoughts about learning a
second or additional language. The interviews and discussions were very
personal, which made my SLA learning experience more meaningful! The changes I
would make to contribute more to the learning process would be to interview
more English language learners or bilingual teachers or ask them more questions.
I enjoyed listening and learning about their feelings and thoughts towards
language learning.
You make great points and I am glad to know that this blog was a good learning experience for you. You mention the interviews and your work but there is no reference to the interactions with your classmates. Did their comments on your blog contribute to your learning? If so, how? What about your having to write comments to them? Did you at ever feel like what your classmates wrote contradicted your own ideas or those of scholars?
ReplyDeleteHello, Dr. Avellaneda! Thank you for your comment! The interaction I had with my classmates did contribute to my learning due to their interesting yet encouraging comments! Their suggestions helped me come up with and expand on my ideas regarding second language acquisition. Commenting on the works of my fellow classmates helped me think critically about a particular topic as well. Their ideas and comments were quite similar to mine and even when they did mention different viewpoints, it was still constructive and helped me discover more ideas or reasonings.
DeleteHello Alora, thank you for sharing your reflection writing us! I agree with so many things that you stated. This class has really helped me see a different perspective into what second language acquisition is. I am so glad it is helping prepare for what is coming. Something I found interesting that you said was focusing more on transferability. Everything you said about transferability is true and I think it is vital that we put focus on it because I think it could really make a difference in the students lives. Ortega (2013 states “transfer to somewhere, suggesting that not only the L1, but also the L2 must have some feature that invites the (mis) perception of a similarity (pg. 33).” Transferability can help teachers address misconceptions while also making connections from L1 to L2. There are so many factors that we must consider within teaching ELLs, including transferability. I also think we should focus on motivation too! Thank you for sharing!
ReplyDeleteHello, Genesis! I agree with you that there are many factors to consider when teaching English language learners. You mentioned a great point that, as educators, addressing misconceptions that students have with their first language and the second language can really benefit them. This clarifies any confusion and can help them make connections early rather than at a later age.
DeleteHello Alora,
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your reflection with us I really enjoyed it! I also feel that I am more confident now than prior to taking this class. Also, based on this reflection I think you’re going to be a great teacher. Students learning a new language need to have visual aids such as photos, charts, videos, and more in order to better understand the message of the word or sentence we are trying to communicate. As far as the blogs go, I also think that it was a great way for all students taking this course to communicate and learn from each other as well. I also think that the interviews were very personal and informative. I mean, I learned so much from the individuals I interviewed for the assignments and plan on keeping the notes I took and take the advice they gave me. I enjoyed reading your entries in the blog, thank you for sharing with the rest of us.
-Laura Hernandez
Hi, Laura! Thank you so much for the encouraging comment! I have learned so much as well from the interaction I had with bilingual teachers, the videos, readings, and the other students in this course. Everyone contributed to my learning in a positive manner and made me discover new ideas and strategies out there that I would have never thought of prior to taking this class!
DeleteYou're welcome Alora!
DeleteI'm so glad you had such a great experience during student teaching, and learned just as much as I did during the semester. We're definitely a lot more prepared and although it's going to be a touch first year of teaching I think that our professors at UH as well as our CT and students have helped us with our confidence and overcome any challenges that might come our way.
-Laura Hernandez
As I was reflecting on the different concepts covered throughout this course, the idea behind comprehensible input completely slipped my mind. When I specifically look back at the first video we watched in this course titled Stephen Krashen on Language Acquisition, Krashen states that “We acquire language in one way and only one way – when we understand messages. We acquire language when we understand what people tell us, not how they say it but what they say or when we understand what we read” (4:56). To add to your statement about differentiated instruction, from what I have been learning about this semester, it is important to be able to present content through multiple modes/medias, so that you are meeting the diverse needs of all your students. Moreover, as we have been learning in this course, motivation is a key element that relates to success in language acquisition. Thus, it is the teachers job to get that input into the language acquisition device of our students, which is somewhere in their brain. However, I think it would be important to note here that a block known as the affective filter exists. According to Krashen, “If a student isn’t motivated and thinks the language class is a place where his weakness will be revealed, he may understand the input but it won’t reach those parts of the brain that do language acquisition” (14:22). What would your strategies be to break down this block or ways around the affective filter?
ReplyDeleteHi, Maggie! I enjoyed reading your comment! Differentiated instruction is very important and beneficial for the students as this respects and considers the various learning styles and needs of the students. Comprehensible input techniques help make this possible due to the multiple types of resources available like visual aids and hands-on activities. Additionally, I agree that motivation is another important element in second language acquisition. Understanding how the student feels and views language learning helps not only the learning process, but even the connection between you and the student!
DeleteHello Alora! I agree with many of the things you stated in regards to this course! This class has offered me more information on how to help my future second language learners in the classroom. I especially agree with what you said about the importance of comprehensible input techniques for students in the classroom. There are many ways to support our students in their learning by providing videos, photos, or charts that help them make sense of the new language they are learning. According to Ortega, “Learners obtain comprehensible input mostly through listening to oral messages that interlocutors direct to them and via reading written texts that surround them, such as street signs, personal letters, books and so on (Ortega, 2012, p. 59). This is important to remember because keeping learning personal and meaningful to students goes hand in hand with motivation! There are so many things to consider when thinking of what benefits our students!
ReplyDeleteHello, Emerald! Thank you for your response! Comprehensible input techniques definitely provide a variety of resources that the teacher and students can utilize to improve and support their learning. These include visual aids like photos and videos as well as manipulatives and activities involving the interaction with others! It is great to offer multiple options that the students can participate in and use rather than sticking to one activity or resource this whole time. If this was the case, the students would lose the motivation to learn and participate.
DeleteHello Alora, Once again you have shared with us a well-produced blog entry. This time you mentioned the main topic you found more interesting throughout our class was transferability. I think this is a powerful section of SLA where the L1 has the power to impact and alter the acquisition process. Most definitely, “negative transfer will occur and what errors will be produced by particular L1 background” (Ortega, 2013). This and other significant sections from the book have thought us important theories of SLA in which we are better prepared to access the assistance for ELL students.
ReplyDeleteHello, Mary! I found your comment to be very interesting! Transferability is a powerful and fascinating topic since this can ultimately affect how an English language learner views and make connections with their first language and the additional language that they are learning. There may be some misunderstandings that the learner may have with the second language. Addressing these issues and helping them understand what is correct and incorrect can benefit their learning!
DeleteI find it interesting how you are choosing to incorporate technology in your classroom. It seems that with the growing generation, more future teachers are embracing technology. This was not always the case with veteran teachers, who seem to stick to the same methods every year. It is always great to see future educators embracing change.
ReplyDeleteHi, David! Thank you for your response! I agree that overtime, more and more educators are embracing a change in the classroom and the way that they teach. The use of technology is a great example of incorporating comprehensible input techniques. For example, if a teacher needs more examples to clarify and show how certain words and phrases are pronounced, he or she can play a quick video or audio recording for the students to get a variety of options of pronunciation. Technology can actually benefit a student’s SLA process!
DeleteYou have some great ideas! I think its great that you want include technology within your classroom. There are so many many different types of technology out there that you can incorporate in your class to promote differentiated instruction. Videos and visual aids will definitely benefit your ELL students. They can definitely be used to reinforce what they are learning because although a student may not yet understand much English, pictures are universal and more easily comprehensible.
ReplyDelete