Hello Everyone,
Today I have for you my last entry, in which I will discuss with you how this course has reshaped my knowledge in Second Language Acquisition. Enjoy!
Coming into this course, I thought
I had a pretty good understanding of what Second Language Acquisition was all
about. Towards the beginning of the semester I had this idea we would be
learning methods in which can help teachers guide and assist their students who
are English language learners. However, that was not the case. My peers and I
soon came to realize that what we had in mind, was actually Second Language Methodology,
not Acquisition. It was actually not until this last blog (vblog 3) when it was
finally a major eye opener on what exactly this course really meant. This
course is actually the foundationally piece and first step into eventually
being able to know as educators what we can do in our power to best assist our
English Language Learners. Second Language Acquisition is a course meant for future
teachers to gain knowledge on how English language learners develop and what exactly
hinders their development in a second language. Or as Ortega directly describes
as “SLA being a field of inquiry that investigates the human capacity to learn languages
other than the first, during late childhood, adolescence or adulthood, and once
the first language or languages have been acquired (Ortega, 2013, p. 2).” As an
educator we have to understand how exactly our students develop cognitively and
emotionally, before we can implement any necessary resources (Second Language Methodology).
Furthermore, by taking this course and creating those vblogs, it has definitely
broaden my understanding on knowledge in Second language acquisition and the
impact it will make on my professional practice.
Throughout this course, I benefited
greatly on when we reviewed about how age can make an impact on a student’s
second language development. That chapter
actually intrigued me the most because we also got to create a vlog with it, in
which we were able interview an individual whose L2 was English. The knowledge
I was able to gain was that depending on a student’s age, speech can play a
factor on when the student starts to develop their L2. For instance, a student
who begins to develop their L2 around the age of four will benefit greatly in
developing that native like pronunciation. However, as for a student who begins
to develop their L2 later in life, they end up developing that foreign like
accent. According to Ortega, evidence
shows that foreign sounding accents are likely to develop when the L2 is first learned
later in life (Ortega, 2013, p. 22).” I can agree with this myself, because during
my vblog 2 interview, my interviewee stated she began to learn English at the
age of 19 and sure enough, I could definitely hear her accent blended within
her L2. However, what I enjoyed the most from that interview was when she said
that instead of trying to build that native like accent, she instead embraced
it in every way, because it is a part of who she was and where she came from. Another thing I can add on to on how age
impacts a student’s second language development is surprisingly, how adult
learners and older children actually learn at a faster pace than younger
children (Ortega, 2013, p. 16).” This is due to those individuals being able to
focus on only their L1’s vocabulary and language structures, rather than trying
to balance two languages simultaneously. For younger children who are learning
two languages simultaneously, it can hinder the rate in which they develop their
L2 because they are continuously having to jump back and forth between two
languages. They are constantly having to make those distinctions in language
structures between the two languages, and for a young child that can make it
very confusing and above all, frustrating.
Adding on
to the paragraph above, frustration can directly link and impact motivation.
According to the Ortega book, motivation can play a vital role on a ELL’s
second language development. As an educator, it is extremely important to know
what level your ELL’s are at, those being beginner, intermediate, advanced, and
advanced high. By knowing what stage your ELL is at it will allow you differentiate
their work in which will be developmentally appropriate for level of L2
development. However, if the educator does not have a good base of knowledge on
where their student is at cognitively and emotionally, then the educator could
implement coursework that is just developmentally inappropriate for them. This
in turn, will make the child feel discouraged and lower their own
self-motivation and above all hinder their rate and progress in their development
of their L2 (Ortega, 2013, p. 34). By knowing where you
child is at cognitively, you are helping the child by not feeling discouraged
and overall creating opportunities for that child to build their intrinsic
motivation.
With all
this mind, and everything else I have been able to gain from this course, I
have been able to grow in knowledge as an educator on how exactly second language
acquisition will impact my professional practice. In particular, by taking that
French course, it has allowed me to go through the same process of what an English
language learner goes through as they are trying to develop their L2. It gave
me idea on what they may be thinking or feeling, and what areas could be the
most difficult for them. In conclusion, it allowed me to create a great
foundation on how ELL’s develop and give me an idea on how to structure my
lessons in a way where they are engaging, in which will eventually lead to high
participation and communication among my ELL’s.
As for the vblogs we created
throughout this course, I can honestly say, they were definitely much of help. By
reading the textbooks provided in this class, it is easy for them to state
facts such as “Age impacts the rate and progress of an ELL because…” However,
by getting to interview actual ELL’s and ELL educators, it allows future educators
to get a genuine analysis of these theories and ideas being exhibited. It allows
educators to see for themselves if age really makes an impact on speech, or if motivation
plays a role in a student’s L2 development coming from ELL’s themselves and
certified ESL educators.
In conclusion, this course has reshaped
what I know about second language acquisition. I have been able to identify how
age, cognition, cross linguistics influences, and motivation plays an impact on
an ELL’s development. By taking that French course, it has also allowed me to
get a thorough understanding on what ELL’s actually go through as they are
trying to acquire their L2. I was able to definitely feel the frustration that
my ELL’s go through on an everyday basis. For us, it was only required to learn
the French language for a couple of weeks, and that being just a few hours a
day. As for our ELL’s they have to experience that L2 frustration on a 24-hour,
7 day a week basis and that there makes them the true heroes. Knowing how our nation
is becoming more diverse each and every day, taking a course in Second language
acquisition I would have to say is vital for any educator going into the field
of education. Second language acquisition will not only teach you what there is
to know about an ELL’s development, but it will give you a great foundation on where
exactly your ELL’s are coming in cognitively and emotionally. If I had to take
this course all over again, I would, because it has definitely prepared me as a
future ELL educator.
References
Ortega, Lourdes. Second Language Acquisition. London: Routledge, 2013. Print.
Priscilla,
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree that many of us believed this course would be about the different methods we could implement into our student teaching classroom and future classrooms and not the "...inquiry that investigates the human capacity to learn languages..." (Ortega, 2013, p. 1). I feel that now that we have a better understanding what SLA is, it will definitely help us in our future methodology course. As teachers, we are always looking for ways to help our students. I am sure that many of us are excited to take on the knowledge that we have learned from this course, and take it into our classroom to not only become better educators, but to help ELL's.
References: Ortega, Lourdes. Second Language Acquisition. London: Routledge, 2013. Print.
Reply to Kenia under Priscilla S
DeleteI definitely have a better understanding of SLA from this class. I enjoyed learning about the skill acquisition theory that explains how learning is first intentional and in that through practice becomes automatic. Ortega says that in this process, “… the learning of skills is assumed to start with the explicit permission of relevant declarative knowledge,” (Ortega, 2011, p. 84). He continues to explain that through practice this knowledge becomes implicit and is automatic. So, learning and practice leads to knowing.
Ortega, Lourdes. Second Language Acquisition. London: Routledge, 2011. Print.
Hi Kenia,
DeleteExactly! I thought this course was more along the lines of learning strategies and methods in which will help our ELL's succeed on our classrooms. However, that was not the case. I think it was not until our third blog where realized the true definition of SLA which was, "the scholarly field of inquiry that investigates the human capacity to learn languages other than the first (Ortega, 2013, p.1)." Nowhere did it mention learning methods in which will help our ELL's succeed. I have to say I am very grateful for taking this course because when we take the methodology course, it will all make sense. What I mean by that is, I will already understand the "Why?" and the reasoning to let's say "wait-time," and how it is essential for our ELL's. Before this course, I had a general understanding that wait-time was essential for our ELL's. However, I did not have much knowledge on the theory behind the necessity of providing that extra-wait time. I just knew it was necessary, but I had no idea why. This course has definitely helped with providing that necessary information and now I feel ready to enter the methodology course.
Thank you,
Priscilla Sambrano
Reference: Ortega, Lourdes. Second Language Acquisition. London: Routledge, 2013. Print.
Priscilla,
ReplyDeleteI also thought we would be learning how to help teach L2 learners specifics about language. I guess I did not read the class overview very well. The concept of age of acquisition was very interesting to me. The information I got from my Vblog interviewees has helped me to see how age affects acquisition. My older bilingual interviewee explained her difficulty learning English in her teens, while her younger sister seemed to have less trouble. Their ages also affected their accents. The younger sister has very little of her L1 accent while her older sister has a very heavy L1 accent that comes through in her L2. Ortega refers to this in chapter 2, when he says, “The more fully developed the L1 system is when learning commences, the more strongly the L1 will influence the L2,” (Ortega, 2001, p. 24). So, I guess this is why the teenage learner had more difficulty acquiring the L2 than did her much younger sister.
Ortega, Lourdes. Second Language Acquisition. London: Routledge, 2001. Print.
During my interview 3 my MT also stated she noticed ELLs who started learning L2 at early age had no trouble using the additional language learned. It's the older ELLs who have a harder time transitioning in the L2. "Interlingual identifications, however, do not always involve a conscious judgement, as transfer will often occur at the subconscious level as well." (Ortega, 2013, pg 33) The younger ELLs give no thought in learning . and speaking L2 due to this.
DeleteHi Stacey,
DeleteJust like you, I can definitely relate to the vlogs as well. I believed they were very helpful in understanding the theories and concepts mentioned in this course. I think what helped us the most is seeing these theories and concepts being practiced in real life, by the people around us. It gave us that opportunity to extend our knowledge and create those connections with adult ELL's and ESL teachers. I would have to say, out of all the vblogs, I enjoyed the third vblog the most, which was when we had to interview a ESL teacher on how motivation impacts an ELL's L2 development. I enjoyed that vblog the most because the interviewee was my mentor and everything she mentioned, I actually have been able to witness it all first-hand, since that is my placement for student teaching. She mentioned how intrinsic motivation, which is best described as the desire to want to learn a second language with little to no outside influence, has been the biggest struggle amongst her ELL's (Ortega, 2013, p. 176). That I can support, since I'm with those students all day, every-day. Being able apply what I am learning in this course in the classroom, has allowed me to understand the root of my ELL's struggles. That itself has made it more exciting to start the methodology course. Once I do, I will be able to share the methods and strategies, in which will help my ELL's succeed, with my mentor teacher.
Thank you,
Priscilla Sambrano
Reference: Ortega, Lourdes. Second Language Acquisition. London: Routledge, 2013. Print.
I wish everyone in this course could read your outstanding entry. Your writing skills are great and it is a pleasure to read your work and see how much you have learned about SLA. I am really glad that you realized that this class is a piece of another part that will come later. Many people fail to do that and they judge the class based on what they think it should be. I think I am the one who learns the most, particularly from dedicated students like you. I can see how great your grasp of the class content is. I wonder if we should get rid of traditional testing as just have a blog and no tests and maybe only a final exam, or a midterm and a final exam or what other ways can be used to assess students' learning in this course. What are your thoughts as a future teacher? Again, thank you for an amazing entry.
ReplyDeleteHello Priscilla,
ReplyDeleteI liked that you reflected on the fact that our ELL students will be coming to us teachers at different levels. We may get ELL's who are beginner's, intermediate, advanced, or advanced high as you mentioned.
“Bilingualism is a broad term and, like heritage language acquisition, has many forms and configurations” (Gass & Selinker, 2013, p. 24). Bilingualism is extremely broad because not only are there different level bilinguals, but there are also ELL's who know more than 2 languages and ELL's who learned their L2 at different stages of life which has an impact on what type of bilingual they are. It is important for us as future educators to realize that because bilingualism is such a broad concept, we will need to have different strategies in mind that would accommodate each individual student if needed.
Gass, S., & Selinker, L. (2013). Second Language Acquisition: An Introductory Course. New York: Routledge.
Hi Torri,
DeleteThank you for your comment. I definitely felt it was necessary to include that as future educators, we should be aware of and acknowledgeable on what level our ELL's are at. Not for the purpose of knowing what methods or strategies we should implement or provide them, but more to understand how they are developing, based on theory. For instance, for a student who is at the beginner/intermediate level, they will probably struggle more than an advanced ELL student. These instances can be shown through requiring work that is having those beginner and intermediate level students doing more than they can even do, based on their level of L2 development. This alone can hinder the child's development because they are having to do work that is beyond what they are capable, hence it is not developmentally appropriate. This can than lead to high amounts of frustration in which will lower the ELL's level of motivation. Ortega describes motivation as being "the desire to initiate L2 learning and the effort employed to sustain it (Ortega, 2013, p. 168)." That being said, without being aware of an ELL'S level of development, you are putting the child at risk by causing them frustration, in which will lead to low motivation and eventually, long-term struggles with the development of their L2 language. So as future educators, taking a course like Second Language Acquisition, provides the first stepping stone into providing the best educational L2 learning experience for our ELL's.
Thank you,
Priscilla Sambrano
Reference: Ortega, Lourdes. Second Language Acquisition. London: Routledge, 2013. Print.
Hi Priscilla,
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading your reflection. I agree with you that frustration can impact motivation. Ortega (2013) states, “some individuals report experiencing intense feelings of apprehension, tension, and even fear, when they think of foreign languages” (pg. 200). With that being said, it is understandable that all of those feelings will negatively impact their motivation to learn a L2. I also agree with you that understanding what level they are at, whether it is beginning or intermediate, knowing how to create accommodations for them in your classroom is important to make sure that they are given opportunities to show their knowledge in an appropriate way to avoid any frustration or fear.
Ortega, Lourdes. Second Language Acquisition. London: Routledge, 2013. Print.
Hi Mackenzie,
DeleteThank you for your comment. Yes! Frustration is highly exhibited amongst our students who are ELL's, with just the thought of learning a foreign language. Even ourselves, when we had to take that language learning experience" just the thought of it, created fear and overall panic amongst all of us. I cannot imagine how our ELL's do it on an everyday basis. That's why it is so important that as future educators, we take it upon ourselves to learn the theories and practices behind the development of a second language, and what exactly are the hindering factors that could affect their progress in their L2. I think we can both agree that motivation is definitely a hindering factor and that with verbal praise alone, we can help reshape our students outlook on having that willingness to learn their second language. As educators, we not only want our students to develop that instrumental type of motivation, in which Ortega describes as "when pragmatic and utilitarian reasons are important, such as getting a better job or pursuing a higher level of education in the L2," but we also want them to go beyond that (Ortega, 2013, p. 173). We want our ELL's to have that desire to learn their L2 for the purpose of knowledge, travel, friendship, and integrative reasons (Ortega, 2013, p. 173). In conclusion, I am glad to see we have both been able to take away a lot of beneficial information from this course. I cannot wait to see how the methodology course will also benefit our careers as future educators.
Thank you,
Priscilla Sambrano
Reference: Ortega, Lourdes. Second Language Acquisition. London: Routledge, 2013. Print.
Hello Priscilla,
ReplyDeleteI am a strong believer that interactions are extremely important for second language learners. I got a better understanding of how big of a difference interactions make for nonnative speakers during my third blog interview. The teacher that I interviewed told me about a nonnative speaking kindergartner that excelled in learning English because the native speakers in the class made friends with him and interacted with him. When the native speaking students did not understand him, they used what Ortega refers to as a “clarification request” (Ortega, 2015, pg. 71). Clarification requests showed him that they did not understand him, so he would have to correct himself. This helped with the nonnative speaking kindergartner learning English.
Reference:
Ortega, L. (2015). Understanding second language acquisition. Routledge.