Entry 4- Reflection Writing.
Reflection
I have learned a lot through this class about
learning an additional language. One thing that really understood from this
class is the impact that a person’s L1 has on them learning a second language. I
always knew that was a very important part when it came to learning a new
language but I am now able to understand how the grammar, rules, and oral
aspects a child’s first language affect their second language. I think taking
this into consideration when teaching ELL students is what I will take into my
own classroom. I think if we as teachers can make connections to what students already
know (such as this word sounds a lot like a word in their L1) then the students
will be able to pick up on the language quicker. I think this is what I really
took from this course.
I think everything we learned in this class
was relevant and necessary to understand how a student develops an L2. I think I
would have liked to learn more about motivation in the L2. I think learning
more about how motivation takes into account when learning an L2 is something
that I would like to learn more about. I think knowing how to expand on
motivation, known and unknown, is something that I would like to learn more
about. I think motivation is something very important that will help students
learn a L2 better. I would like to learn more specific ways that can motivate
students such as actual material items or intrinsic motivation. I also think
learning about age and the different views people have about learning an L2
depending on their age is something that was very interesting. Watching videos
with different professionals talking about the subject was something that I really
enjoyed because although they had different information to share everything
tied together at the end. I think some of the video had very poor sound quality
and that would be somewhat distracting but overall I really enjoyed receiving information
in that way.
I think the blog aspect of this class had a
big impact on what I learned in the class. Interviewing different people was an
interesting way to view their perspective on learning a second language. Also,
having people our peers view each other’s videos and reflecting on them was a
really good learning process as well. I think when we would reply to each other’s
videos we would notice some things that the original publisher would miss. I think
when we would interact with each other we would make connections that were
relevant. For example, one of my classmates said that she also learned English
as her second language and she said how she would speak her L1 at home. Since I
had this same experience I was able to make the connection with that. I was
also able to make out differences, such as the time difference when we both
became fluent in English, because of the different way we learned English. I think
the use of the blogs helped clear up and elaborate on the content we would
learn. In brief, I learned a lot about second language in this class and I think every assignment, reading, and video really helped me have a good understanding of that.
Hi Axa,
ReplyDeleteYou gave an interesting point that I would also like to learn more about to which is what is the motivation of the students in L2? Like you mention it is important as future teachers that we know the students’ motivation and what they do or do not know so we can provide them more additional support. I thought this was interesting. According to Gass, “Nevertheless, an investigation of the role of motivation in second language learning faces a hurdle just beyond the starting block: the exact nature of motivation is not so clear (2008, pg. 426). I believe that once the student finds their motivation to learn a new language then they would want to truly learn not because they are forced to. It is important that teachers get the chance to know the students to find the motivation and provide the support for them. Thank you for sharing!
Hey Katherine,
DeleteI completely agree with you and I think when Gass mentioned that motivation is not clear was the best way to word it. It is very difficult to figure what exactly motivates every child, but I think you are right that as teachers we must at least try to figure it out. Like you said, once we get an understanding of students’ motivation it we will be able to provide them with the support they need!
Hey Axa,
DeleteNow that this class is almost coming to an end, it would be amazing to see what we had learned within our classrooms and be able to help ELLs since we understand their way of learning. According to Ortega, “…capturing L2 proficiency ‘is in many ways similar to painting a chameleon. Because the animal’s colors depend on its physical surroundings, any one representation becomes inaccurate as soon as that background changes’… Thus, the chameleon metaphor is a doubly meaningful reminder of the inseparability of agent and environment as well as of the centrality of the social in understanding all living agents” (2013, pg. 217). I thought this is a great metaphor of L2’s proficiency in the classroom. I want to wish you the best in the near future!
Axa, I also feel like the blogs have impacted my learning process for the better. I learned so much from interacting with my cooperating teachers or mentors, as well from all of our classmates. I have surprisingly learned a lot from just reading the comments our peers have posted on different blogs. Thank you for commenting on my blogs and taking the time to watch my videos. I have enjoyed your blogs throughout the semester, good luck to you!
ReplyDeleteHey Maisa,
DeleteI feel the same way when it comes to the blogs. I think our classmates had many different perspectives on topics and I think that is what let me understand some subjects. I also think incorporating different authors and resources when it came to creating blog posts also help deepen my understanding of topics.
I agree with you about motivation and how it is important. It is the role of us teachers to provide motivation for our students so that they want to learn. In Snow’s work, differential aptitude cannot be fully explained unless motivational and affective influences are taken into account (Ortega, 2011. Pg 162. We need to first be able to explain specifically why some learners are better than others and need to be able to close the gap. That is where our motivation comes into play. Motivation is usually associated with commitment, enthusiasm, and persistence to accomplish learning a second language. However, the simple intercultural contact with the L2 community is only the first step in this learning process. Being part of this environment allows the learner to interact with L2 speakers and provides the learner with the necessary input for the learning to take place.
ReplyDeleteOrtega, Lourdes. Second Language Acquisition. London: Routledge, 2011. Print
Hey Jessica,
DeleteI am glad that you agree with me when it comes to the importance of motivation. I liked how Ortega mentioned that motivational influences must be taken into account when explaining differential aptitude. I think many teachers do not take motivation into account just because it is something that is not brought up very often.
Axa,
DeleteYour correct, many teachers do not take motivation into account, which is crazy to me. If the students are not motivated to learn, then the teacher is not being productive and wasting their time as well as the students. Also, if the students are not learning, it makes the teacher look bad. Ortega explains that the desire to learn, which can generally understood as how much personal investment in succeeding in the language people claim for themselves (Ortega, 2011. pg 170). If the students do not want to learn, there is nothing forcing them to.
Ortega, Lourdes. Second Language Acquisition. London: Routledge, 2011. Print
Hi Axa,
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that a part of this course that really stood out to me was when we read about how a person’s L1 has an impact on their learning of a second, or additional language. Not only do I have personal experience with this, I also see this first-hand with my English language learners at my student teaching field. I think you make a great point about being able to make connections to what students already know. Not only is this useful for ELLs, but it is also useful for students from diverse backgrounds. Another thing that really stood out to me that I will DEFINITELY use in my classroom is the use of visuals in my future classroom. In all of the interviews that I administered, as well as all of the interviews I watched, most of the teachers mentioned how visuals are extremely helpful in learning a second, or additional language. I hope that you will utilize the strategies you learned in this class in your future classroom!
Hey Jenny,
DeleteI agree with you completely that using visuals is very helpful in supporting students understanding of an L2. Rowland mentioned how children and adults both use pictures and other visuals to help understand what a word is. This is something that I will also use in my own classroom especially when it comes to ELL students.
Axa,
DeleteI too would want to know how to expand on motivation. According to Ortega, motivation is indeed central in explaining L2 learning, but it cannot be reduced to a few variables, nor can it be exhausted with just a few questionnaires and group data." (Ortega, 2011, Pg. 189). I understand that motivation fluctuates, and it is challenging to keep language learners motivation at a high level all the time. I know I must take into consideration that each learner has different interests and expectations. As such, I want to know of the many tools to effectively lift up a student’s spirits.