Wednesday, January 19, 2011
BlogSpot Question 10
Has your language learning experience changed your perceptions of what it means to learn a language? Can you discuss this learning in the context of English learners that you work with or will work with in the future? What are some "aha" moments or lessons you will take with you and apply to your work with English learners?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
My online language learning experience has taught me that I need to be in a classroom environment and have cultural activities to be able to successfully acquire a second language. I don't think I am going to remember anything from my Italian lessons other key phrases and vocabulary. I wasn't able to learn as much as I wanted because the language learning program I used lacked meaningful activities and interactions. The next time I try to learn a new language, I am going to commit to a class and try to take a trip to the country so I can immerse myself in the culture. I now understand the many factors that impede or support a ELL here in the US.
ReplyDeleteSome "AHA" lessons I will take with me are using a humanistic pedagogy and constructivist approach to TESOL. I will remember to create a “classroom culture’ that is determined by the cultures brought forth by my students in addition to the expectations and values of the classroom. Also, I will remember that classroom curriculum should reflect:
-diversity of population in the surrounding community
-diversity of perspectives
-questioning and problem-solving around divergent views.
I will also remember that there will be students with unidentified disabilities in your classes and it is important to find out the learner’s experiences, motivations, and goals. Moreover, I will try to include activities that allow the students to share each other's cultures and experience the varying aspects of American culture(via technology and field trips if possible).
Lastly, I will always provide support and understanding for my ELLs because I know what the language learning process is like and I can relate to their struggles and dilemmas.
An “aha” moment of the semester for me was discovering Ausubel’s differentiation between rote vs. meaningful learning. According to Brown, “Ausubel notes that people of all ages have little need for rote, mechanistic learning that is not related to existing knowledge and experience. Rather, most items are acquired by meaningful learning, by anchoring and relating new items and experiences to knowledge that exists (emphasis added) in the cognitive framework” (2007, p. 68). In contrast to the type of learning that Ausubel champions, my experience with learning Portuguese on livemocha.com felt anchorless. Each lesson drifted to the screen unrelated to the one before or after it and I had a difficult time mapping concepts together in my mind. In one lesson, I would be introduced to sentences like “The coin is gold. The coin is not silver.” In another lesson I would be introduced to sentences like “She is a woman. They are girls.” After the presentation of each new sentence I would be drilled. Though I could remember what I learned for a short period of time after the lesson, I find that now most of what I learned is lost. In addition, because of this lack of contextual presentation I feel that the little I have retained of Portuguese, I wouldn’t have the confidence to use in actual speaking situations because I wouldn’t feel confident stringing it together.
ReplyDeleteThe emphasis on meaningful over rote learning, and the consistent emphasis on meaningful contexts in language learning championed by cognitive approaches to language acquisition have really stuck with me this semester. I am constantly reminded how important it is to ground my own adult ESL lessons in a meaningful context. What this means for my teaching is that I need to focus on preparation and organization. Though I have never attempted to teach by drilling and repetition of rote items alone, I can see that I have sometimes organized my lessons haphazardly, which lead to the lack of a coherent link between one lesson and the next. In my future teaching I will focus on bringing coherence to my lessons and finding meaningful ties to help segue from one topic to the next. This will hopefully help my students build a meaningful map of the English language with each lesson building on the one before it.
My language learning experience has illustrated just how important it is to learn not only the language, but the culture of a target language. The Worfian Hypothesis pushes us to consider if language influences culture or if culture influences language; throughout my language learning experience I am gaining a new understanding of exactly what the hypothesis is suggesting. Which came first and how can we distinguish which influences the other. The reality is that language and culture due influence each other in some way; therefore, how can we learn one without the other? Throughout this semester I have learned that in order to truly know and understand a language, one needs to understand the culture as well. They do not exist outside one another. This realization will obviously affect my teaching because it will require me to immerse students in language and culture simultaneously. I will also have to be educated about the many different cultures of my students so I can gain a true appreciation of their language and culture and how that affects their learning and interactions in the classroom.
ReplyDeleteOne of my biggest “aha” moments through using livemocha was realizing how essential interaction and authentic communication is when learning a language. As stated in the standards for successful ELD instruction, language learning must focus around oral proficiency and have oral proficiency as its goal. I obviously knew that oral proficiency is key and that students need to participate in authentic conversations and use the language in order to successfully acquire it, but experiencing it first hand is completely different. Since I am not immersed in conversation and using the language on a daily basis, my learning is not being solidified. I feel like this was a lesson in theory and practice. I knew in theory and I believed that authentic conversations were key for language learning success, but in practice I saw just how essential it truly was and how my experience was lacking because authentic communication was not available. This realization will affect my future teaching of ELLs because it will remind me to always encourage and supply time for authentic communication within my classroom. My constructivist beliefs will be illustrated through students’ authentic communication and their use of language in real situations. By having students create their own knowledge and understanding through communication their learning will be more permanent and more meaningful.
Another “aha” moment I experienced this semester was Ausubel’s clear distinction between rote versus meaningful learning. I feel like every assignment I have been given since then has involved discussing this distinction in one way or another. In addition, I feel this is the one theory that will greatly influence my teaching of ELLs from day one. Rote versus meaningful learning has changed how I think about effective instruction and how I will approach the learning environment with my students. I feel the question, ‘is this meaningful’ will always be in the back of my mind as I plan, implement, and interact in lessons with my ELLs.
This language learning experience has reminded me that learning a language is not easy at all. I think that for a while I forgot how hard it was to learn some aspects of French and I definitely forgot how hard it was to learn English. After this language lesson I truly see how much effort a student must make in order to learn a new language, especially when it is not taught to their learning strengths. The lessons also showed me the importance of a routine, it makes it easier for learners to try out new language. Along with this I learned the importance of changing up the routine every once in a while. I did the same four types of exercises for my language lessons, it allowed to feel comfortable with what I was going to do, but it also made it very boring and tedious for me.
ReplyDeleteI have worked and will work with students who are English learners and after these language lessons I feel more in touch with their experience and the experience that I had forgotten about. Because of these lessons I know that I will want to make my classroom very interactive when it comes to language learning. I will make sure to incorporate culture and native speakers. Most importantly, though, I will speak with my students and try to get an understanding of why they are learning English, if they want to learn it at all, and how they could best immediately apply it in their lives. I believe that as a teacher you should know your students view on English so that you can better accommodate your lessons to their needs. If you accommodate your lessons, I believe that students will be more engaged in learning and have better outcomes in their English acquisition.
An “aha” moment that I had was when I realized that I wanted to practice my Catalan with somebody, I was tired of speaking to my computer screen. This really brought to light the importance of classroom interaction and the social aspect of language. The oral output, which I didn’t do much of, became very important to me. I remember in high school, my French teacher had us record our voice as we answered questions, although embarrassing and awkward (even though she was the only one to listen to it), I feel that it was a great way to have some oral output without pressure from others. I know I will do this with my students, this would also be a great way for them (and I) to measure their progress, which works well to motivate students when they’re feeling like they‘re not progressing.
For me I noticed a sense of vulnerability that I'm sure my EL students feel very frequently. My affective filter is high and I want to protect my "language ego" frequently. It has helped me be very conscious of how and when I correct students. I feel especially vulnerable when writing because I feel completely unequipped for the writing. I also hear my own accent and am overly aware of how I sound. My students often protest when I ask them to write and I can understand why. It is a scary experience to be asked to do something that requires so many language skills. You have to have the vocabulary, you have to understand the grammar rules, you need to know how to spell words, and you need to be able to translate your thoughts in a logical way while all of those other concerns are in your mind.
ReplyDeleteI have also noticed that I need to be in an environment where I am communicating with real people. I need to feel that the task is authentic. For example, if someone where to teach me Spanish, I would want them to focus on how to communicate with parents and explain scholastic needs. I think that because this is where I am most interested in I would be much more motivated to complete the assignments. When I am learning about clothes and food, I am less interested because I am mostly concerned with communicating academic needs. This illustrates the importance of linking lessons to the interests of students.
I always thought that if I was dedicated enough to learning a language, I could make it happen. However the want is really not enough. When there's no one around to practice with, no threat of graded tests or presentations, no forced social interaction, then there's no other drive to learn. Especially with a language like Lithuania, it just doesn't make sense to me no matter how much I try to make it. My original motivation was the fact that I'd be going back to visit over the summer. However that trip was cancelled so my motivation has dropped significantly. This was probably my biggest "aha" moment when realizing that social interaction and a little bit of real pressure are the most essential ways for me to learn.
ReplyDeleteWhen it comes to my own students, the majority of native Spanish speakers, so they are all in the process of becoming fluent English speakers. I definitely understand more than ever how important it is for them to practice. I can't always just be nice and let them slip back into Spanish and have other students translate for them. It will never push them to use their skills. I don't want to embarass them or make frustration levels too high, but I have to enforce the practice and the consistent language use within my classroom.
When I think back to my time in high school learning another language, I may not have had the choice in having to learn one, but at least I was able to decide which language I was interested in. My students don't get this luxury. Of course English is an essential language for them to interact effectively in our society, but when you have no choice, it can greatly affect someone's attitude. I want to always make sure they know their first language is important and that they can teach me about what they know. That way it's more of a reciprocal nature when they practice their English skills and come to know more about the differences in culture.
My prior belief of learning a new language was to be able to listen, speak, read and write in the new language. Although the approach that I used while learning English in China, no matter at school or at home, was mainly behaviorist approaches, I was able to read, write and communicate in English after years of dogged practice. However, the oral language proficiency gained from such kind of practice is limited. After learning the theories on second language acquisition, I see that language learning is such a complex process which is influenced by cognitive, affective, socio-cultural factors. Providing the optimal context for learning and the opportunity for interaction are crucial. Unfortunately, there is neither an authentic context nor the opportunity for authentic interaction while I was learning Spanish from Livemocha, thus, I felt the approach I used was still behaviorist approaches, although I tried to incorporate Nativist approaches, too. After I finished ten Spanish lessons online, the only two sentences that I could remember and utter were “Thank you” and “Nice to meet you”. It is impossible to communicate with a Spanish speaker with those learning outcomes. Therefore, I think creating an optimal environment for interaction is going to be my focus in teaching in the future.
ReplyDeleteI would like to share my experience of learning English, both in China and in America, as well as, learning Spanish online, with my students in the future. I think I am able to provide some tips for effective learning. However, due to the different situation that I am going to face in the future, I think I will make some modifications of the strategies and structures that we have learned this semester.
One thing for sure is that I am going to create comfortable environments for my students to communicate in the target language. The opportunity for interaction is crucial.
The “aha” moment I experienced while learning English was to immerse yourself into the English culture. I felt that I have learned more authentic English during this year in America than what I had learned in the past ten years. However, it is obviously that we cannot send every English learner to native English speaking countries to improve their English, I think watching more videos from those countries is a possible compensation.
My online language learning experience did not completely change my perception of what it means to learn language because I have had a couple language learning experiences to relate it to. I do however not consider this a true language learning experience, because I did not interact and use the language with people outside of the lessons I took. I was able to see more of what a person learning a language would feel like when they were learning something so foreign to them. I was always looking for familiar sounding words and sentence structure to choose the correct answers on the review assessments. I hope to give the English Learners I work with and will work with in the future more opportunities to use and interact with the language. Although I think grammar, phonemic awareness, syntax, etc. are critical, I do think learners need the social aspect and be able to relate it to their life to truly acquire the language. It will not only get the learners more enthused about learning, but it will increase their language learning. I noticed I would get more enthused and excited the better I got at the language. I would feel encouraged to do more as I saw successful results. I would hope to set up a learning environment that my learners could do the same. It should be productive and enjoyable.
ReplyDeleteMy language learning experience throughout this semester has been somewhat stressful and frustrating especially as I am concurrently learning about best teaching practices for language learners. As I sit in my car everyday listening and repeating after this CD, I can't help but think it is going against everything that I am learning about effective methods of teaching and learning a new language. I am keenly aware that my language learning is purely rote learning, and therefore I will not retain it in my long term memory. I am constantly thinking of Ausubel while robotically repeating phrases and sentences and how he would easily label this learning as rote. Because I think it doesn't have meaning for me, I become easily frustrated and thus have an elevated affective filter. So my metacognition and my cognitve awareness of these process are working SO against me in this process!
ReplyDeleteIn relation to my own practices, I tihnk I will take this learning experience as a key example of why it is so important to implement these research-based best practices that promote cooperative learning, multiple modes of communication, input, output and feedback. More than anything throuhgout this process I have craved for the Italian culture and environment if only just for someone to converse with in a meaningful context. For my language learners, I am committed therefore to provide meaningful and authentic contexts for them to learn in.
I had forgotten what it was like to learn a new language. I learned French as a child, and it has been a long time since I studied other languages: Latin, Italian, German and Spanish. In the case of French, I was still very young and did not question my ability to acquire a second language. When I studied other foreign languages, I was motivated by a desire and sometimes a need to be able to communicate with speakers of that language. When I studied Latin, I thought it was fun to see the relationship between that language and English and French. My orientation in approaching Portuguese has been more of an instrumental nature and extrinsically motivated, due to the fact that I have been taking it as a requirement for a class. My orientation in studying other languages was more integrative and intrinsically motivated because I was motivated by social and cultural factors, as well as personal interest.
ReplyDeleteThis has helped me to see how important it is to address motivation in my classroom. Most of the students are there because their parents decided it would be good for them to learn French. Those few who have family members who are French are motivated by the desire to communicate with them and by an appreciation for French culture. The rest of the students need to have a context for their language learning. As Brown says, on page 173 of Principles of Language Learning and Teaching, “Our growing stockpile of research on motivation . . . strongly favors intrinsic orientations, especially for long term retention.” My own experience as a student of Portuguese has opened my eyes to this aspect of language teaching that I have overlooked.
I need to find more ways to help my students become motivated and excited to learn French. Exposure to French holidays and culture is certainly one way to do this. For instance, on April 1, we celebrated the French version of April Fools--“Poisson d’avril”. I need to integrate more experiences like this into their learning. I would like to invite French speakers to come in and talk about their childhood in France – what school was like, what games they played, etc. The students also would benefit from seeing how their language can be used. I have wanted to start communicating with a classroom in France. Now I see how this would be valuable in ways that go beyond the fact that it would be fun. It would provide my students with a reason to excel at their second language.
I feel my language learning experience has influenced my opinions of how language is learned. I think not only has the experience of learning a new language influenced this, but the content we have learned thus far in class. Learning a language isn't just tangible, there are a lot of other factors that contribute and mold the experience. Personality factors for me, influenced my learning experience and would be different to a student who came over to the states to learn English. The motivation factors that influenced me were more intrinsic. My anticipation to learn the language was fueled by no other desire than just to accomplish something new. This could be the same for a student here learning English, or it could also be extrinsic for that student as perhaps the reward may be for grade purposes or to go to University.
ReplyDeleteI think intrinsic motivation in the classroom is essential and is something I will strive to achieve for my students.
What I have experienced with the observations I have had so far is the motivation as well as the sociocultural factors involved with students learning a language. At the language school I have observed that the students are very much intrinsicly motivated, they are here because they want to learn English and they are very dedicated and diligent. Thats not true for all students that come here to study, but what I have observed they are. I have also noticed their inquisitive questions in regard to the American culture. They are truly interested in the culture that is part of states. I noticed this in class, when in one of the conversation classes the students were talking and inquiring about cities and things to do in certain cities in California. Not only was it materialistic inquiries but it was also inquiries about how to say certain things and whats the appropriate manner to address an issue. This type of discussion that I experienced in the classroom, just emphasized how much learning a second language is also about learning a second culture. I think that makes the experience even more exceptional.
My perspective on learning languages has change quite a bit. I feel a deeper understanding of how I am processing language learning. Thus far in my experience with English language learners, the older students use transference, and error correction to impact their learning. As I hear some of the students talking themselves, they correct mistakes and compare English to their native language. Some of the students would tell me the difference between English and their language. I notice that once the students venture into practicing usage with the instructor, then they really grasp the lesson. It seems to become meaningful. The lessons I notice which make a big impact with all the ELLs I've worked with, is that they want to practice the language in as natural a setting/conversation as possible. As a teacher I hope to create teaching scenarios which will be useful for the students in their daily lives.
ReplyDeleteThis language learning experience proved to me that context is very important to language learning. While I think that the live mocha lessons were a nice introduction to new words and structures and a reinforcing review of others, I believe that to actually learn a language, more time and atmosphere is required than ten minute online lessons. I see these lessons more as a complement to learning than actually learning a language. There is no one road to learning a language. I believe that the practice I got repeating to spoken lessons after hearing the native pronunciation was helpful. I believe that the visuals help to. As far as apply what I have learned through live mocha to lessons for my students, I think the most valuable thing that I have learned is that learnign a lanugage or learning anything at all must be done through a holistic approach incorporating many styles and processes. Although i would never suggest to someone that they could become fluent in a language by studying through an online program like live mocha, I think that I might encourage my future students to incorporate this type of practice into their learning because of the unique benefits of studying at home alone with the computer. This style of learning certainly lowers affective filters and can help build confidence in insecure learners. If you are given the opportunity to be successful at home alone without the stress and pressure of performing in front of or competing with classmates, or embarrassing yourself in front of native speakers, then you will have more confidence in more public language settings.
ReplyDeleteI remember the time when I was young and was learning English, I did not know why I had to learn this language, but simply accepted. The only motivation for me was that by learning English I can please my parents and won some prizes which can make me feel proud. However, it changed when I got my first chance to talk to an English native speaker. At that time I realized that learning another language helped communication and provide chance for me to learn another culture. After that, I was more motivated and had more eager to learn. Motivation and chance to communicate with native speakers are very important to learn a second language for me, because language is a tool of communication and a gate to get in touch to another culture.
ReplyDeleteIn my future English classes, I would like to provide my students as many chances as possible to practice with lovely native speakers who have passion to help international students and help them to involve into the new culture. This can motivate students to learn because they will feel that what they have learned is useful. And the learning should be carefully scaffold especially for the lower middle and starters. Ausubel’s meaningful learning theory inspired me a lot so that I would like to try my best to implement this theory into my future classroom. After introducing something new to my students, perhaps they may be confused for a while. Then I would like to provide them chances to practice what they learned in a given circumstances to help them realize what and why they have to learn that. After the practice, I would like to explain more about what I taught to help students uncover the language myths.
Throughout the course of this semester, my perceptions of learning a language have definitely changed. Whereas I first thought that language was learned through drilling, repetition, or immersion, I now see that there are so many factors that come into play. My biggest revelation or aha moment is that students need to have opportunities to socially construct knowledge. As I observed Mark Manasse's class at Miramar College, I realized that when students are in an environment where they can interact with peers and make meaning for themselves, the learning is so much more powerful than rote memorization.
ReplyDeleteWhen I have my own class, the main thing that I plan to enforce is the importance of students having the opportunity to speak in and practice using their second language. Also, as we've learned, the affective filter must be considered in any classroom, particularly the second language class. I have seen how beneficial it is when Mark kept his students feeling comfortable and safe to take risks. When the affective filter is low, student learning can take place. I want to create a classroom environment where students feel safe to speak, comfortable to be themselves, and open to learning new things.
My perception through learning a second language is definitely different from when I started the program. Originally, I thought that through constant repetition or actually being immersed in the country, language was learned. I discovered that I really need to ask a lot of questions. ItalianPodCast101 did not allow me to do this. It was also really hard, because I could not get feedback from anyone. Being motivated is another issue. Since I knew that I was not going to Italy during this class, I do not believe I was properly motivated to learn Italian. I mean, I don't no anyone who speaks the language here, so it is hard.
ReplyDeleteI think that my aha moments were that I need to be immersed in the culture of Italy, properly motivated or can be given feedback in order to understand or care about it more. I would also say that the teacher is crucial. Doing our journal responses I found that students need someone who is more than just a person that feeds you information. I believe the environment should be comfortable, but at the same time structured. Also, having a teacher that is energetic, unlike some that I have observed.
In the future, I would like to apply what I've learned to my own classroom by really trying to get to know my students on a personal level and learn about their heritage so I can better implement ideas that will be relevant to them. Also, I want to create an environment that is very organized, but very fun. I hope to really inspire my students to become more autonomous and feel that they are capable of success.
My language learning experience on livemocha.com has truly changed my perceptions of what it means to learn a language. Prior to this online learning experience I was thrilled at the thought of learning a new language online as a class requirement. I began my language learning at full speed, enjoying and engaged in the first few lessons on livemocha.com. What I came to realize through class discussions and my online learning experience however, is how important interaction and authentic communication are to learning a language. This realization was definitely my biggest “aha” moment. After a few lessons I became increasingly frustrated during my language lessons. Though I was doing a few lessons per day I felt very distant from the language. Without interaction with natives or classmates and authentic communication I found that it was almost impossible to learn Spanish. I am sure there are some who find learning a language online effective, but this experience has taught me that I absolutely need interaction while learning a second language to learn effectively.
ReplyDeleteThe discovery of Ausubel’s meaningful learning theory was also another “aha” moment for me. In Ausubel’s eyes, “the most important single factor influencing learning is what the learner already knows” (Ausubel, 1968). In other words, students will learn when what they are learning is meaningful to them. This requires new material to relate to relevant ideas in a students cognitive structure (past experiences.) This type of meaningful learning is vastly different from the type of learning I experienced on livemocha.com. Language learning on livemocha.com is all about repetition and rote memorization. It lacks both authentic communication and meaning, and it is because of this, that I had a very difficult time.
Though I do not work with ELL’s currently, in the future I will. I now know how difficult it is to learn a language if 1. There is no interaction and 2. When learning is based on rote memorization. With this, in my future classroom I will be sure to incorporate activities into the classroom that are both meaningful to students and involve a surplus of interaction and authentic communication.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteLearning Spanish on Livemocha has definitely changed my perception of learning a language. I always knew that taking an online class was not the most feasible way to learn a language, but now I understand why. I believe that in the early stages of learning a lesson such behavioristic techniques found on Livemocha can be useful for learning basic vocabulary and grammar. However, as you advance in a language social interaction is needed. I think that English learners can use online courses like Livemocha as a supplement to their in class English courses. Perhaps using certain lessons as homework assignments can help English learners to review certain grammar or vocabulary contents on their own. This will allow for more social interaction in the classroom. My “aha” moments include always making the same mistake in my online classes. I never remember to put the article “el” or “la” in front of a word. This often happened to my English learners in Korea with “the” and “a.” I now understand how difficult such articles are to remember in everyday conversation, and I was only taking an online course. I believe that by sharing some of these mistakes or the problems that I have while learning a language with my students we can build a stronger student-teacher relationship. Because I had no teacher relationship on Livemocha I feel that I was less motivated to succeed. I believe that a strong relationship with students is important, and I will always take the time in my future classes to focus on such humanistic approaches in my teaching.
ReplyDeleteFirst, my learning experience does change my perceptions of meaning of learning a language. I was believe learning a language is just remember pronunciation and spelling. However, by learning with Mocha. Com, I found learning a language means not only remember words and structures, but also using them in daily life. I like learning sentence by dialogs, so I will understand the whole structure and their meanings. Compared with that, what I was believe the meaning of learning a language, is too simple. What is more, I never consider about how to learning language effective. When I prepare exams, I cannot find out ways to improve my scores. When I learning a language, I need from “using” angle to study. Hence I will use different strategies to meet my different needs. Last, motivation is another important factor in learning language which I never think about. When I leaning English, my motivation is pass exam, so I focus on reading and writing. But this time when I learning Japanese, I want to communicate with native speakers, so I do more practice on coal speak and listening. So I should consider language learning by different motivation.
ReplyDeleteJust as what I said in the first catalog, I should consider about the learners motivation, therefore I will design my classes to meet their needs. What is more, I should also consider about the learners’ personalities. For example, if some students do not like to talk, I will try my best to design all kinds of activities which can engage all students to take part in.
I learn a lot about immersion. I really like to use that in my teaching to combine content and language. Even if I can use immersion program, I will design my classes by using all kind of activities with have different content. After I learning Japanese, it is recall me how to learning a language as beginning level. I believe to remember a word should not only read it, repeat it, write it, but also use it in dialog. So I consider the main 3 theories again. I think at beginning not one can avoid using behaviorism to repeat and imitate. But when if I reach higher level, I prefer to using constructivism to help my study. Because learning a language, using it and learning meaningful will help learners to grasp the structures faster.
Of course, this experience has reminded me of how hard it really is to learn language and how it is not a simple process. Learning a language requires hard work, commitment and the adequate processes and practices in place for the best learning experience and outcome.
ReplyDeleteAn “aha” moment was to really understand and deconstruct the theories in place that have influence in teaching a second language. I was a psychology minor in my bachelors and was not able to truly understand the implications of knowing and applying these theories and perspectives to teaching and learning. Personally, Roger’s Humanistic theory struck me most the course in understanding this novel tendency there is to bring the student into the classroom, rather than have student solely as part of the audience. Additionaly, I agree with Christina and Alecia once again in that Ausubel’s theory was a big part of my semester experience. Integrating topics that are meaningful to student’s is key for learning success… I am passionate about teaching and integrating content into a meaningful teaching experience.
As is known to all that we learn English through drilling, repetition, or immersion in China. In my previous mind, L2 acquisition is just repetition and stimuli—response. All I did is just for examination. But now I think the main function of language is communication. When I was learning English, I found that watching videos and pictures could help me to improve my study efficiency. So I think my learning style is visual, auditory, and kinesthetic styles. So in the future I will be a teacher who can easily distinguish students’ learning styles and than depend on their different styles to make my teaching plan. As is mentioned above, in my opinion, the main function of language is communication. So in the future, I will use dialogue, teamwork and discussion to teach my students.
ReplyDeleteThe “aha” moment is that when I know the whole process of second language acquisition. I think, “Aha, that’s how I learn the second language.” It calls up my memory of second language acquisition at school. I t was almost the worst memory I have, because all my memory about English learning is just reading, reciting, and examination. However, one year, I had an opportunity to go to summer camp. In this camp, we could just speak in English. At that time I found that spoken-English was so important. What if I learn English just to get high marks in examination? So in the future I want to provide opportunities for my students to have summer camp like this. I want them know the importance of spoken-English.
My perception of what is learning a language has changed a lot during my language learning. Before I have the Second Language Acquisition class, I only had an obscure understanding of language learning. I thought language should be learned step by step. It was a skill development of listening, reading, speaking and writing. But after a semester’s theory learning and the practice of learning another language I realize that there are more factors that influence second language acquisition and there are many theories and strategies that I applied in my language learning but I didn’t realized until now.
ReplyDeleteFor my future class, firstly, I would love to apply more interaction activities in my classroom. I knew interaction is important before I learn the theories. However, I did not know the way to organize an interaction session in the English class. After I read Piaget and Vygotsky’s theory and observed in ELS classes I have learned many great strategies and I also have learned that I should apply different strategies according to my students’ English proficiency, personality, and cultural background. Besides I find that Ausubel’s meaningful learning works greatly for me. For example, when I had my Japanese course on Livemocha, I always connected the Japanese grammar, pronunciation or idiom to Chinese or English. I memorize the Japanese words “library” because it sounds like the same word in Chinese while I remember “hotel” since it pronounce like the same English words. So as an English teacher, I would love to help my students make such connections and learning a new language on the foundation of their cognitive system.
The “aha” moment I have these days is when I learned the Chapter 5: Style and Strategies. When I read the strategies such as avoidance strategies or compensatory strategies I realize that I was using them all the time but I have not realized until I learned the theory. For example, since I am only a beginner in Japanese, when I try to communicate in Japanese I memorize chunks of language (prefabricated patterns) and I avoid the words that I am not familiar with or even the whole topic if I know few words about it (Phonological avoidance and topic avoidance). As I realize it now, I would love to learn more and acknowledge my students about the style and strategies so that they can better understanding their language learning process and find the best way for them to learn.
Nihao! Oops, I forgot the "aha" moment and lesson which I will apply to teaching ESL students. I believe it came during Webinar 4 when the researcher used the phrase "give the language miles on the students' tongues." The Pimsleur Method (audio-lingual) language learning uses stimuli and response for teaching language. After weeks of hearing and repeating Chinese phrases, I started to have dreams where I was greeting people speaking my new Chinese phrases. I have literally repeated some of the phrases a hundred times. I can hear the voices of the man and woman who were the teachers on the audio. I can't guarantee I sound like they do, but to some extend the method worked in teaching me some key phrases. It was a great launching pad to a more formal class which will include more aspects of language arts skills. On the recording the speakers do a little conversation which they teach the learner. Over time and with much repetition, I've learned to understand the conversation. My aha moment involves the idea of getting students to engage in using the content/ academic language daily in the classroom. The more familiar and practice they are in speaking the words the more ingrained the words will be in their vocabulary. i think it could be fun for kids. I noticed that certain manners of speaking are attractive to kids. TV shows, for instance, which use a certain register of language can become popular to kids who will then try on the style. What a great way to learn and grow vocabulary, especially if the students make meaningful connections with the terms.
ReplyDelete