The basic concept in chapter for is that practice is necessary in order to acquire any skill, or that we "learn by doing." We read from countless theorists and their interactive learning ideas. Freire and Mao "saw that teh oppressed must liberate themselves in the context of a world that is changing. Learning takes place through pracitce in transforming the world." Continual adjustment and adaptations must be made for dialouge to be understood, and this can only be done through practice.
Later, Wong continues on page 143 to say "In general, the field of English as a second language is committed to the importance of practice in language learning and integrating hands-on experiences with speaking and writing." I could not agree with her more completely. What good is any information or skill one possesses without practice? It must be utilized in order to be effective. I can testify from personal experience that I did not get better at my Spanish until I really practiced it and was forced out of my comfort zone to use it. I'm not perfect at it, but in the long run it was worth it. We need to do the same for our students. Give the real life, applicable situations so that they can PRACTICE our language.
Monday, March 21, 2011
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Sources
Broaddus, Karen, and Gay Ivey. "A Formative Experiment Investigating Literacy Engagement among Adolescent Latina/o Students Just Beginning to Read, Write, and Speak English." Reading Research Quarterly 42.4 (2007): 512-45. EBSCO. Web. 15 Mar. 2011.
This article does not study motivation of Spanish speakers learning English. However, it looks at the literacy skills of middle school native Spanish speakers using their English in the classroom. They created an instructional plan to help these ESL students improve their literacy skills. I think this would be interesting to look at the methods and activities the teachers used. In order to understand motivation, I need to look at how students learn and will use their English in a classroom setting as well as in the real world.
Cordero, Iris, and Alicia Pousada. "Until I Learn English, I Will Always Live in a Prison": Teaching E.S.L. to Hispanic Women Inmates." (1995): ERIC. EBSCO. Web. 15 Mar. 2011.
These researchers were looking to create a substantial ESL program for Spanish speaking women in prison learning English. Major factors that contributed to the success of language acquisition include high self-esteem, great motivation, and a more positive attitude toward the program. I hope to analyze all three of these factors in the report because they deal with intrinsic factors and use them towards my article.
Miño-Garcés, Fernando. "Learning for Life, a Structured and Motivational Process of Knowledge Construction in the Acquisition/learning of English as a Foreign Language in Native Spanish Speakers." International Journal of English Studies 9.1 (2009): 81-89. EBSCO. Web. 14 Mar. 2011.
This article is an interesting find because it talks about the motivation that teachers could instill in their students to learn English and lists these different factors along with a simple explanation. I thought that this article could possibly be useful because it gives the other side’s perspective. Therefore, I can see what the motivation behind the students is as well as the motivation behind the teachers teaching these Latino SLA students.
"Parental Motivation, Attitudes, Support, and Commitment in a Southern Californian Two-Way Immersion Program." Journals of Latinos and Education 5.1 (2006): 5-28. EBSCO. Web. 14 Mar. 2011.
This article looks at a 2 year English immersion program for immigrant Spanish speaking children and the motivation and attitudes of their parents. Through this article, I am able to look at parents as a support system and why they choose to have their children learn English in the United States, even when they, themselves, do not speak English fluently.
This article does not study motivation of Spanish speakers learning English. However, it looks at the literacy skills of middle school native Spanish speakers using their English in the classroom. They created an instructional plan to help these ESL students improve their literacy skills. I think this would be interesting to look at the methods and activities the teachers used. In order to understand motivation, I need to look at how students learn and will use their English in a classroom setting as well as in the real world.
Cordero, Iris, and Alicia Pousada. "Until I Learn English, I Will Always Live in a Prison": Teaching E.S.L. to Hispanic Women Inmates." (1995): ERIC. EBSCO. Web. 15 Mar. 2011.
These researchers were looking to create a substantial ESL program for Spanish speaking women in prison learning English. Major factors that contributed to the success of language acquisition include high self-esteem, great motivation, and a more positive attitude toward the program. I hope to analyze all three of these factors in the report because they deal with intrinsic factors and use them towards my article.
Miño-Garcés, Fernando. "Learning for Life, a Structured and Motivational Process of Knowledge Construction in the Acquisition/learning of English as a Foreign Language in Native Spanish Speakers." International Journal of English Studies 9.1 (2009): 81-89. EBSCO. Web. 14 Mar. 2011.
This article is an interesting find because it talks about the motivation that teachers could instill in their students to learn English and lists these different factors along with a simple explanation. I thought that this article could possibly be useful because it gives the other side’s perspective. Therefore, I can see what the motivation behind the students is as well as the motivation behind the teachers teaching these Latino SLA students.
"Parental Motivation, Attitudes, Support, and Commitment in a Southern Californian Two-Way Immersion Program." Journals of Latinos and Education 5.1 (2006): 5-28. EBSCO. Web. 14 Mar. 2011.
This article looks at a 2 year English immersion program for immigrant Spanish speaking children and the motivation and attitudes of their parents. Through this article, I am able to look at parents as a support system and why they choose to have their children learn English in the United States, even when they, themselves, do not speak English fluently.
Monday, March 14, 2011
Problem Posing
Last semester, in my EAF 228 class, we spent a lot of time focusing on Freire and the banking system. Whenever I think of the banking system, I picture a gumball machine. You put your money in, you watch the ball spiral down the tube, then it spits out at the end. It does this over and over again.
This proposed method of problem posing seems a lot more logical when it comes to teaching, especially learning a foreign language. A major focus of this chapter as well as these 2 teaching methods is testing. I like that problem posing allows for students to compare their own achievements to their own personal pasts rather than to that of a state score. I found myself both agreeing and disagreeing with the paragraphs Wong wrote about high stakes testing. I do not feel that test skills will always present themselves spontaneously. The students may be engaging in some sort of activity to bring them to certain skills, but they will not be aware that they are test taking skills unless the teacher tells them or guides them to that point. They need to simply be made available and relevant. Secondly, Wong says rather than teaching to the test, teach beyond it. I was thinking about cross country in high school. Every race was 3 miles long, but we were always told to train three times the distance! In the beginning, it makes the unattainable goal seem much more achievable.
While memorization is a usual tool and skill that one can possess, it is useless unless utilized properly. Wong stresses that learning a language is more than memorization. It is comprehension and active participation on the student's part. The chapter later addresses ZPD again. The same issue and concept arise. A teacher cannot force their ESL student to comprehend a language; they can guide them to reach their maximum potentinal but cannot essentially instill it in their brains.
This proposed method of problem posing seems a lot more logical when it comes to teaching, especially learning a foreign language. A major focus of this chapter as well as these 2 teaching methods is testing. I like that problem posing allows for students to compare their own achievements to their own personal pasts rather than to that of a state score. I found myself both agreeing and disagreeing with the paragraphs Wong wrote about high stakes testing. I do not feel that test skills will always present themselves spontaneously. The students may be engaging in some sort of activity to bring them to certain skills, but they will not be aware that they are test taking skills unless the teacher tells them or guides them to that point. They need to simply be made available and relevant. Secondly, Wong says rather than teaching to the test, teach beyond it. I was thinking about cross country in high school. Every race was 3 miles long, but we were always told to train three times the distance! In the beginning, it makes the unattainable goal seem much more achievable.
While memorization is a usual tool and skill that one can possess, it is useless unless utilized properly. Wong stresses that learning a language is more than memorization. It is comprehension and active participation on the student's part. The chapter later addresses ZPD again. The same issue and concept arise. A teacher cannot force their ESL student to comprehend a language; they can guide them to reach their maximum potentinal but cannot essentially instill it in their brains.
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Communication is a key factor in culture. No matter where you are from, it is understand that you must be able to communicate in order to succeed in a community. I would like to point out that in Ms. Jones' classroom, the students were required to be independent. They all had their own materials to work from, books that they didn't share with others during silent reading time, create their own ideas, and their desks pushed apart from each other. Simply put, everything was structuralized. Was this form of classroom management completely beneficial to the L2 learners? In the Toohey's article it states, "Lave and Wenger (1991) write that “learning is an integral and inseparable aspect of social practice” (p. 31)." (80.) I feel the emphasis on individuality is in fact, the complete opposite of what this statement is making. Ms. Jones' intentions are well, but when children collaborate and share, they are not burning language bridges, but rather building them. Acquistion comes with practice and from others. Yes, other factors such as culture play a role, but it all wraps back to the idea of how community and communication are vital in SLA.
I would just like to also make a rather obvious statement and say that in foreign language classrooms, teachers do not emphasis individuality. They encourage group work, talking about your weekend, sharing books and notes, and sitting together to practice and internalize the language.
I would just like to also make a rather obvious statement and say that in foreign language classrooms, teachers do not emphasis individuality. They encourage group work, talking about your weekend, sharing books and notes, and sitting together to practice and internalize the language.
Monday, February 21, 2011
Week 7
This week's reading covered multiple interesting topics. One issue that was addressed was that of dialogic pedagogy. Looking a little past the reading, I found that according to Vygotsky that this type of pedagogy is "a teacher-student relationship that stresses mutual respect, sharing, and learning in community." With this being said, Dialogic pedagogy requies students to express themselves and also, even more importantly in my opinion, be self-aware of their thought processes and their own L2 language acquisition. I think that sort of addesses the question, "What is the nature of the learner or student?" To determine the nature, the student must have a certain self-awareness.
The history of TESOL methods was also interesting. I enjoyed reading about the Audiolingual approach, along with the cognitive revolution, and the communicative and natural approaches to TESOL. I found it particularly interesting how, in the communicative approach, they defined usage and use. This makes a big difference in language acquisition. We, as teachers, should have our students USE the language rather than limit it to a certain usage.
I noticed quite a few similarities to LightBrown and Seville with Wong's reading. It readdessed Krashen's notion of i+1 along with ZPD and scaffolding. However, there was a lack of stereotyping mentioned, particularly towards Americans who put their noses in the air when it comes to learning an L2. I'd like to share nteresting comment thought that I heard on the radio today, and that was that a recently survey showed that attitudes towards America from other cultures is bettering. That's a nice relief.To be the best possible TESOL teacher, we have to be aware of other cultures' attitudes, beliefs, perception, recpetion to things, and learning styles.
The history of TESOL methods was also interesting. I enjoyed reading about the Audiolingual approach, along with the cognitive revolution, and the communicative and natural approaches to TESOL. I found it particularly interesting how, in the communicative approach, they defined usage and use. This makes a big difference in language acquisition. We, as teachers, should have our students USE the language rather than limit it to a certain usage.
I noticed quite a few similarities to LightBrown and Seville with Wong's reading. It readdessed Krashen's notion of i+1 along with ZPD and scaffolding. However, there was a lack of stereotyping mentioned, particularly towards Americans who put their noses in the air when it comes to learning an L2. I'd like to share nteresting comment thought that I heard on the radio today, and that was that a recently survey showed that attitudes towards America from other cultures is bettering. That's a nice relief.To be the best possible TESOL teacher, we have to be aware of other cultures' attitudes, beliefs, perception, recpetion to things, and learning styles.
Monday, February 14, 2011
That's unfair.
Reading about how some immigrants do not feel welcome in new surroundings was really very saddening. It's unfair that Americans have a certain perconceived notion towards them. It's unfortunate that they do not feel like they can learn in our society. Why don't we have patience? Where has this intolerance come from? To learn a language, practice is absolutely necessary. I know this from my experience in Spain. I wouldn't have learned half as much as I did if it hadn't been for my Spanish friends who patiently listened to me talk and corrected my fragmented sentences. Gracias a ellos por su paciencia!
Monday, February 7, 2011
ZPD - I'm in the zone
Oh yes, ZPD - the Zone of Proximal Development.
It almost sounds like something eerie from the Twilight Zone, doesn't it?
For a learner, there is the area of knowledge which they clearly already possess. Beyond that, there's a foggy gray area, then there's their maximum potential. The ZPD is that middle part, where we, as teachers, are to guide our students so that they DO reach their goals/ maximum potential.
There are 2 misconceptions associated with ZPD according to the article we read. One being that it is the same thing as scaffolding, and the other that it is similiar to Krashen's notion of i + 1.
What are your thoughts? The article argues that scaffolding is assisted performance, while in ZPD, you only help the child achieve a goal rather than aid in their development. But, isn't achieving a goal aiding in development?
It almost sounds like something eerie from the Twilight Zone, doesn't it?
For a learner, there is the area of knowledge which they clearly already possess. Beyond that, there's a foggy gray area, then there's their maximum potential. The ZPD is that middle part, where we, as teachers, are to guide our students so that they DO reach their goals/ maximum potential.
There are 2 misconceptions associated with ZPD according to the article we read. One being that it is the same thing as scaffolding, and the other that it is similiar to Krashen's notion of i + 1.
What are your thoughts? The article argues that scaffolding is assisted performance, while in ZPD, you only help the child achieve a goal rather than aid in their development. But, isn't achieving a goal aiding in development?
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