Lightbown & Spada Chapter 7
I want to start off by saying that this chapter was interesting but simple. It basically summed up the book and discussed how each theory and idea plays out in the real world but here is how I stand on this particular chapter: Isn't this what we've been doing all semester? We have been discussing all of these theories and ideas in our own view and now we are given the views of Lightbown & Spada. This may be relevant to our studies but in my opinion what they are telling us we have already discussed in length in the classroom and in our blogs.
That being said... I have to agree with most of what they talked about. They seem to understand, just as we do, that most theories have some kind of validity to the individual learner depending on how the learner learns (that sounds funny). Though there are some that are less valid than others, it is hard to say that any specific theory wouldn't work because each individual learns so very differently and with that we have to accept that a learning theory that may not work for us may work perfectly for them.
Canagarajah
As far as this article is concerned (watch as I knock down another one) I felt pretty much the same way as I did about Lightbown & Spada Chapter 7 and the end of the article, after all the discussion of certain issues and current topics, as of 2006, was "inconclusive"...
What out article writer seems to be discussing is the evolution of any issue/pedagogy/idea, in this case being TESOL, and he is basically giving us the 411 on how the issues have grown, which we have also been discussing in class (sort of).
On that note, it's not like he doesn't make some good points about the growth of TESOL and how we are continuing along certain trends and laying aside others for new information in the field of teaching speakers of other languages, it just seems to be telling me that "hey, we've progressed". Well, I suppose that is what would be expected.
Maybe I'm being too harsh or not getting what is supposed to be gained but in my mind our reading just summed our course work from two different sources.
Monday, April 18, 2011
Monday, April 11, 2011
Saville-Troike and Lightbown & Spada
Saville-Troike
Our reading this week was something I, surprisingly, hadn't thought much about in my TESOL classes. We discuss the SLA theories and the different methods of teaching but, what really stuck out to me in this chapter is the discussion on how to teach an L2.
What do I mean by that? Well, it's not a discussion on strategies or games to play or academic exercises for teachers to use. It's a discussion on the different items L2 learners need to have academic competence and/or interpersonal competence. My initial thoughts on teaching have been vague at best. I suppose we all have those feelings of going out into the teaching world and having these great students that are so enthusiastic to learn and knowing exactly what to do to teach them well. Well, either way, that's how I've generally viewed things, through a thoroughly unrealistic lens. I never really thought about what these kids would actually need to learn and I didn't think much about where I would have to start to get them to the point of communicative competence.
This chapter has changed a few things for me in that respect because I am starting to see that I cannot just go into a classroom and know exactly what to do and how to teach. There are so many basic things in English that I take for granted that I never would have thought to teach. Maybe this makes me a bad teachers or way too optimistic but this chapter blew all that out of the water. See, what I find in this chapter is that it's not all about the theories we learn or the ways to create a fair and safe classroom. That's only the half of it. Outside of those things, we as teachers have to understand what our students need to be competent when they try to communicate outside of the classroom or we haven't done our jobs correctly.
What also struck me as I was reading was that all the things the students need to learn, need to be taught in a way that they can process it and use it to their advantage. I cannot, for example, teach a class of 2nd graders about the morphological differences between their native tongue and English in those terms. Each of these points of knowledge has to be morphed into something that can process at their age, grade, and level of proficiency.
This may seem like a 'oh, well, duh. How could you not have realized that' moment but, in my case, I honestly never viewed it that way. Even through my own years of learning Spanish from the bottom-up processing method, I didn't look back and wonder how I'd gotten to where I am now with the language. Moving on, since I seem to be rambling.
The final part of this chapter that I felt hit home for me was the separation that needs to be done in catering to students. What they learn depends on how they will be using the language in their future and based on what they need the language for changes everything about what they learn. For example, the different vocabulary that goes along with academic competence in comparison with interpersonal competence. Second language learners have so much variety in their needs as far as learning goes but if they have the motivation for it then so can we.
Lightbown & Spada
This chapter then delved into the different theories on how to teach in the ESL classroom and what works effectively and what doesn't. There were six different approaches, each studied and analyzed.
1. Get it right from the beginning
2. Just listen... and read
3. Let's talk
4. Two for one
5. Teach what is teachable
6. Get it right in the end
Their discussion is based on what is the most effective between the six but in my opinion I see each as having their own merit. I would say that each should be used at some point in the classroom because each gives the student something different whether that's repetition, conversation, or reading activities; each holds it own value in the classroom. Generally, what they found was that communicative approaches worked best in effectiveness, which I agree with concerning my own L2 learning of Spanish and how much I learned being abroad, but the grammar and repetition done before I left for study abroad had it's own uses concerning my precision within the language which helped make me more comfortable when I was finally placed in a setting where English was just not an option.
That is generally how i feel about that. Super long post.. oops.
Our reading this week was something I, surprisingly, hadn't thought much about in my TESOL classes. We discuss the SLA theories and the different methods of teaching but, what really stuck out to me in this chapter is the discussion on how to teach an L2.
What do I mean by that? Well, it's not a discussion on strategies or games to play or academic exercises for teachers to use. It's a discussion on the different items L2 learners need to have academic competence and/or interpersonal competence. My initial thoughts on teaching have been vague at best. I suppose we all have those feelings of going out into the teaching world and having these great students that are so enthusiastic to learn and knowing exactly what to do to teach them well. Well, either way, that's how I've generally viewed things, through a thoroughly unrealistic lens. I never really thought about what these kids would actually need to learn and I didn't think much about where I would have to start to get them to the point of communicative competence.
This chapter has changed a few things for me in that respect because I am starting to see that I cannot just go into a classroom and know exactly what to do and how to teach. There are so many basic things in English that I take for granted that I never would have thought to teach. Maybe this makes me a bad teachers or way too optimistic but this chapter blew all that out of the water. See, what I find in this chapter is that it's not all about the theories we learn or the ways to create a fair and safe classroom. That's only the half of it. Outside of those things, we as teachers have to understand what our students need to be competent when they try to communicate outside of the classroom or we haven't done our jobs correctly.
What also struck me as I was reading was that all the things the students need to learn, need to be taught in a way that they can process it and use it to their advantage. I cannot, for example, teach a class of 2nd graders about the morphological differences between their native tongue and English in those terms. Each of these points of knowledge has to be morphed into something that can process at their age, grade, and level of proficiency.
This may seem like a 'oh, well, duh. How could you not have realized that' moment but, in my case, I honestly never viewed it that way. Even through my own years of learning Spanish from the bottom-up processing method, I didn't look back and wonder how I'd gotten to where I am now with the language. Moving on, since I seem to be rambling.
The final part of this chapter that I felt hit home for me was the separation that needs to be done in catering to students. What they learn depends on how they will be using the language in their future and based on what they need the language for changes everything about what they learn. For example, the different vocabulary that goes along with academic competence in comparison with interpersonal competence. Second language learners have so much variety in their needs as far as learning goes but if they have the motivation for it then so can we.
Lightbown & Spada
This chapter then delved into the different theories on how to teach in the ESL classroom and what works effectively and what doesn't. There were six different approaches, each studied and analyzed.
1. Get it right from the beginning
2. Just listen... and read
3. Let's talk
4. Two for one
5. Teach what is teachable
6. Get it right in the end
Their discussion is based on what is the most effective between the six but in my opinion I see each as having their own merit. I would say that each should be used at some point in the classroom because each gives the student something different whether that's repetition, conversation, or reading activities; each holds it own value in the classroom. Generally, what they found was that communicative approaches worked best in effectiveness, which I agree with concerning my own L2 learning of Spanish and how much I learned being abroad, but the grammar and repetition done before I left for study abroad had it's own uses concerning my precision within the language which helped make me more comfortable when I was finally placed in a setting where English was just not an option.
That is generally how i feel about that. Super long post.. oops.
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Perspective
In general the two articles we read were very reactionary. One lead to the other. The idea in the articles was interesting but nothing superbly new to us, though it may have been new to readers who are not in TESOL classes. The idea was that SLA doesn't necessarily have to be a individualistic learning process.
The articles talk about the idea of multilingualism and how that can be accomplished by working in groups, by practicing the target language, and by supporting learners by teaching them in a dialogic manner.
I think this is an extremely important point to make because teaching SLA on individual terms and using methods such as memorization and grammar practice, thought useful, is not the only way an individual can learn a language effectively. We need to practice and become more comfortable with the language or not matter how much grammar we understand, we will be stuck stumbling over our words in embarrassment of messing up something as we speak. Believe me, I know how that works. Learning Spanish has gone about the same way for me. I was taught Spanish from the time I was in elementary school and I attended the Spanish club there but through all those years I was still extremely uncomfortable speaking the language, even though I loved it so much.
What got me out of that fear was traveling and being forced to finally practice the language with some one who couldn't, or refused to, speak English with me. It changed everything. This practice I received made me okay with the mistakes I made, even learning from them as I went along. I see this as an extremely important part of SLA and should be treated as such. Practice and working with others, as these articles point out, makes for a stronger language learner.
The articles talk about the idea of multilingualism and how that can be accomplished by working in groups, by practicing the target language, and by supporting learners by teaching them in a dialogic manner.
I think this is an extremely important point to make because teaching SLA on individual terms and using methods such as memorization and grammar practice, thought useful, is not the only way an individual can learn a language effectively. We need to practice and become more comfortable with the language or not matter how much grammar we understand, we will be stuck stumbling over our words in embarrassment of messing up something as we speak. Believe me, I know how that works. Learning Spanish has gone about the same way for me. I was taught Spanish from the time I was in elementary school and I attended the Spanish club there but through all those years I was still extremely uncomfortable speaking the language, even though I loved it so much.
What got me out of that fear was traveling and being forced to finally practice the language with some one who couldn't, or refused to, speak English with me. It changed everything. This practice I received made me okay with the mistakes I made, even learning from them as I went along. I see this as an extremely important part of SLA and should be treated as such. Practice and working with others, as these articles point out, makes for a stronger language learner.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Wong Chapter 5
For Wong in chapter 5 there was an important emphasis on the idea of double consciousness and collective memory and how we as teachers must be aware of these things as we teach. What I found most interesting in the chapter was the branch titled "We're in America, Mama, Speak English!" This constant fight between the immigrant generation and the 1.5 generation and second generation is extremely important in how we view language. So many children of immigrants are taught that English is the power language, that it is 'better' than their native tongue. We as teachers need to be able to teach that their native tongue is just as important and beautiful as the English language while still giving them the tools needed to learn English to succeed in the world of jobs and social situations they will encounter as they grow up.
For me it is hard to hear that a child refuses to speak their native tongue because English is 'better' or they are embarrassed about being different. I know, being born in the United States, I am privileged but when I started learning Spanish in 6th grade I spent all my time wishing I knew more Spanish so I could speak it all the time. I still feel that way. Spanish is one of most beautiful languages in my opinion and I wish it had been my native tongue so when I hear that a child refuses to learn something so beautiful it makes me sad, not only for them but for their futures as they give up on the advantages that being bilingual can bring to their lives.
They are also losing the cultural aspect to their native tongue when they refuse to speak it all because our educational system brainwashes them into thinking that their language is somehow unimportant or useless. I think this chapter then is extremely important for future teachers to understand that their students should be able to speak and love their native language, that just because their native tongue is different doesn't mean it's bad or worse than any other language.
That is what I find to be so important, is that message, so that we can change the way ESL students see their native tongue before it's too late.
For me it is hard to hear that a child refuses to speak their native tongue because English is 'better' or they are embarrassed about being different. I know, being born in the United States, I am privileged but when I started learning Spanish in 6th grade I spent all my time wishing I knew more Spanish so I could speak it all the time. I still feel that way. Spanish is one of most beautiful languages in my opinion and I wish it had been my native tongue so when I hear that a child refuses to learn something so beautiful it makes me sad, not only for them but for their futures as they give up on the advantages that being bilingual can bring to their lives.
They are also losing the cultural aspect to their native tongue when they refuse to speak it all because our educational system brainwashes them into thinking that their language is somehow unimportant or useless. I think this chapter then is extremely important for future teachers to understand that their students should be able to speak and love their native language, that just because their native tongue is different doesn't mean it's bad or worse than any other language.
That is what I find to be so important, is that message, so that we can change the way ESL students see their native tongue before it's too late.
Monday, March 21, 2011
Wong Chapter 4
Just to begin I wanted to bring up the quote found in the beginning of the chapter and also further in on page 128.
"'If you want knowledge, you must take part in the practice of changing reality. If you want to know the taste of a pear, you must change the pear by eating it yourself.' (Mao, "On Practice", 1971, p. 68)" (Wong 128)
This quote was not only fun to read but it hit home on the topic of learning by doing. In my case, in my own learning experiences, I find that sitting in a lecture hall, classroom, or even in a lab and listening to a teacher lecture for an hour or two or three does not keep me interested. These kinds of teaching methods hold me back and I tend to slip into boredom quickly so that, by the end of class, I can't remember a thing that was talked about.
Wong's chapter creates a historical background concerning learning by doing and discusses some of the major theories concerning learning by doing. In my mind, learning by doing has been the most effective way for me to learn. Maybe this is because I am an active learner, not so much an audio learner, but either way I have a few examples.
My sophomore year here at ISU I studied abroad in Granada, Spain to continue my practice of the Spanish language. I had been learning Spanish since 6th grade but living in a foreign country and speaking Spanish as much as I could helped me learn more than I ever had since sixth grade. I learned by doing, by speaking the language. When students are actively involved in learning anything it creates a motivation for them to learn as much as they can because it affects them, because they can become passionate about it. This is all a part of the learning by doing theory.
That doesn't mean there shouldn't be memorization and lecture times but, in my opinion, from the chapter we read, and from my own experiences in school, I see learning by doing as a very valuable asset and one that can create willing and motivated students for teachers to work with.
"'If you want knowledge, you must take part in the practice of changing reality. If you want to know the taste of a pear, you must change the pear by eating it yourself.' (Mao, "On Practice", 1971, p. 68)" (Wong 128)
This quote was not only fun to read but it hit home on the topic of learning by doing. In my case, in my own learning experiences, I find that sitting in a lecture hall, classroom, or even in a lab and listening to a teacher lecture for an hour or two or three does not keep me interested. These kinds of teaching methods hold me back and I tend to slip into boredom quickly so that, by the end of class, I can't remember a thing that was talked about.
Wong's chapter creates a historical background concerning learning by doing and discusses some of the major theories concerning learning by doing. In my mind, learning by doing has been the most effective way for me to learn. Maybe this is because I am an active learner, not so much an audio learner, but either way I have a few examples.
My sophomore year here at ISU I studied abroad in Granada, Spain to continue my practice of the Spanish language. I had been learning Spanish since 6th grade but living in a foreign country and speaking Spanish as much as I could helped me learn more than I ever had since sixth grade. I learned by doing, by speaking the language. When students are actively involved in learning anything it creates a motivation for them to learn as much as they can because it affects them, because they can become passionate about it. This is all a part of the learning by doing theory.
That doesn't mean there shouldn't be memorization and lecture times but, in my opinion, from the chapter we read, and from my own experiences in school, I see learning by doing as a very valuable asset and one that can create willing and motivated students for teachers to work with.
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
My Research Paper Resources
Here are the resources I found that will support my paper and give me the background I need to write a comprehensive essay.
Inoue, M. (2007). Language and gender in an age of neoliberalism. Gender and Language, 1(1), 79-91.
Inoue, M. (2007). Language and gender in an age of neoliberalism. Gender and Language, 1(1), 79-91.
This particular article is a discussion on how neoliberal governmentality and the mode of power that goes along with that kind of government affects women in their learning process. The article discusses the way societal pressures, including government, changes the way women learn and express themselves. The author does a specific study of a corporate office in Tokyo. This article is valid for my own research because it will help me identify some of the pressures women face when learning a language and how those pressures can hold them back or make it more difficult for them to learn. This is a starting point for all of the cultural norms in different societies that will help me branch off to discuss how women are affected by pressures and norms from government, school, and society as a whole.
Ehrlich, Susan. "Gender as Social Practice: Implications for Second Language Acquisition." Studies in Second Language Acquisition 19 (1997): 421-46. Academic Search Premier. Web. 1 Mar. 2011.
This article is a background informational piece that sums up the research that has already been done concerning gender and language acquisition. It gives an in depth description of the conclusions made about how gender affects learning and acquisition. The article then elaborates on the construct of gender and why it specifically can affect the way a person learned or acquires language. This is a good place to start for my own research because it will help me learn about the general work already done in the field while also giving me a place to start when writing my paper so I have a more in depth paper dealing with what previous research has not or has done only minimally.
Besnier, N. (2007). Language and gender research at the intersection of the global and the local. Gender and Language, 1(1), 67-78.
This article focuses on the global workings of language and how gender is constructed globally as well as locally. It creates a discussion space for language students to explore the implications of globalization on secondary language acquisition while also exploring the issue of gender in a globalized society. This article relates to my own topic in that it gives me a background on globalization and how that relates to gender and language learning. I can use it as an example of how ESL students and their own social norms and gender, affects the way they learn a language.
Pavlenko, Aneta. Multilingualism, Second Language Learning, and Gender. Berlin: Mouton De Gruyter, 2001. Print.
Pavlenko's book covers the different theories associated with language and gender with a feminist post-structuralist framework. It will lay the ground work for my paper, giving me a more specific approach to gender and language acquisition and provide an in depth explanation of how gender and intercultural communication can affect acquisition. It will also give me an insight into the pedagogy concerning gender and language acquisition and how to approach those kinds of difficult situations.
Monday, March 14, 2011
Wong Chapter 3
Just to start out I wanted to type out a quote that stuck out to me as I was reading this chapter.
"As the Zambian Proverb says, 'Start where you are, but don't stay there.'"
I felt this quote in particular summed up the chapter as Wong discusses the different ways to teach ESOL students and how to grow as a teacher and work with problem posing to help students learn. The discussion that Wong had about teachers learning along side their students was particularly important. It is difficult for any student to learn if they are not challenged or given some kind of motivation. When they are not interacting with the material it can be hard to rely on memorization alone.
For me, the section that hit home the most to me was Branch 3-2 Problem Posing and High-Stakes Testing. When I was younger, in elementary school and junior high, most of my teachers taught to the tests. They gave us the material needed for the state testing and felt that the information given would help us the long run. I appreciated Wong discussing the issues following that kind of strategy and I was surprised to find that, even though I had gone through that kind of teaching myself, I hadn't thought much on changing my own teaching strategy so that I wouldn't make the same mistakes. I have a lot to think on now concerning high-stakes testing and how to effectively teach without really teaching for the test and Only for the test.
I also felt it was extremely important to explore the facet of the way women learn and how that can change the way a teacher runs their classroom. Because of the background, or cultural norms, women face in their daily lives it is a large influence on how they react to learning and how they respond to it. It is important to understand these differences and work with these students to help them learn. It is also useful to understand that different genders see the world differently because of their social background and with this, they may answer things differently but still logically. Just because their answer differs, doesn't mean they are wrong. I particularly like this idea because it also not something I have thought on much. Yet, my thinking was somewhat the opposite. I feel that as a women, if I am teaching, I may understand where another female student is coming from better than a male student. In this case, in my own ESOL teaching I may need to open myself up to the male perspective, giving their answers credit just as I would for any female student.
It is probable, in my case, that because I'm a women, and I understand women, that I work in the opposite way of what Wong was discussing. I need to keep an open mind concerning male students where as I feel that less so when it concerns female students.
Hope that made sense. It was difficult to phrase on paper (or electronic blog).
peace & grace.
"As the Zambian Proverb says, 'Start where you are, but don't stay there.'"
I felt this quote in particular summed up the chapter as Wong discusses the different ways to teach ESOL students and how to grow as a teacher and work with problem posing to help students learn. The discussion that Wong had about teachers learning along side their students was particularly important. It is difficult for any student to learn if they are not challenged or given some kind of motivation. When they are not interacting with the material it can be hard to rely on memorization alone.
For me, the section that hit home the most to me was Branch 3-2 Problem Posing and High-Stakes Testing. When I was younger, in elementary school and junior high, most of my teachers taught to the tests. They gave us the material needed for the state testing and felt that the information given would help us the long run. I appreciated Wong discussing the issues following that kind of strategy and I was surprised to find that, even though I had gone through that kind of teaching myself, I hadn't thought much on changing my own teaching strategy so that I wouldn't make the same mistakes. I have a lot to think on now concerning high-stakes testing and how to effectively teach without really teaching for the test and Only for the test.
I also felt it was extremely important to explore the facet of the way women learn and how that can change the way a teacher runs their classroom. Because of the background, or cultural norms, women face in their daily lives it is a large influence on how they react to learning and how they respond to it. It is important to understand these differences and work with these students to help them learn. It is also useful to understand that different genders see the world differently because of their social background and with this, they may answer things differently but still logically. Just because their answer differs, doesn't mean they are wrong. I particularly like this idea because it also not something I have thought on much. Yet, my thinking was somewhat the opposite. I feel that as a women, if I am teaching, I may understand where another female student is coming from better than a male student. In this case, in my own ESOL teaching I may need to open myself up to the male perspective, giving their answers credit just as I would for any female student.
It is probable, in my case, that because I'm a women, and I understand women, that I work in the opposite way of what Wong was discussing. I need to keep an open mind concerning male students where as I feel that less so when it concerns female students.
Hope that made sense. It was difficult to phrase on paper (or electronic blog).
peace & grace.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)