My Reflections of
Second Language Acquisition…..
Upon taking this course, I must admit I not only learned a
lot from a teaching point but also from different students perspectives who
learned English as their second language. Being in this class has given me a
completely new insight on teaching, and career goals for myself.
Learning
Process within this class
Within this class,
I have truly learned the difference between a bilingual learner and a second
language learner. At first, I would have never known there was a difference between
the two. Honestly, with the names being so closely related to one another I
thought it meant the same thing. According to Ortega, bilingual learners are
children who start to learn one language first and then learn a second language
later in life. (Ortega, 2011, Pg. 6) On the other hand, a second language
learner is one who learned one language (L1) then another language (L2)
depending on their age. I have also
learned how demanding and critical the need for Foreign Language/ Bilingual
Teachers are in the education field. There are so many different methods of
teaching and with taking this class, I have received the opportunity to see and
witness quite a few ways to teach a foreign language. Earlier this semester I
had the opportunity to sit and meet with Dr. Blake who used role-playing as a
way to help motivate and teach his teach students. To witness how excited and
encouraged these students were gave me such hope that there are “good” teachers
and some students really want to learn when given the proper tools and the
encouragement they desperately need. What I have learned most about is how students
learn a second language through motivation. According to Ortega, motivation is
extremely and very important because motivating them causes them to feel comfortable
speaking a new language. Many of the problems with learning a new language
steams from teachers and parents not being properly educated on how to teach
these students as well patience with these students. Not only did I interview a
teacher but I also spoke with a student, a young man named Thaddeus Walker III
who was learning English as a second language coming from Nigeria. Thaddeus
needed to take special classes in order to help with his speech and writing
while learning English. He explained the challenges he faced and hardships
dealing with his accent as well as having teachers who didn’t take the time
needed in order to make sure he succeed. I understand that Foreign language teachers are low staffed,
and with having so many students, there isn’t a way for these teachers to
provide every student with his/her own individual help, but I honestly think if
there isn’t something done soon there will be more students like Thaddeus and
less teachers like Dr. Blake.
My
Understanding of a Second Language/ Additional Language
I cannot say I fully understand everything that goes into
teaching a foreign language however; I can see the progress that has happened
especially since I have been in school. Although, there is still a huge need
for more foreign language/ bilingual teachers I see the hard work given by both
the teachers and students in trying to learn. I appreciate the change because
there are so many different job opportunities out in the world and the majority
of them need bilingual speakers. By taking this course my understanding has
deepen and my thoughts have changed about my own life. I hope to get back
learning Spanish and continue learning ASL (American Sign Language) to help
students out there who need it.
How has
This Class Impacted My Professional Practice
Within this class I
have observed, and been given the opportunity to take what I have learned in
the future and teach in a classroom. I
found much of what we discussed in our blogs would truly help me in the future
dealing with different students of different backgrounds and upbringings. This
class has created a platform for me; it has set a pathway for my future career
as a teacher and business owner. I would like not only like to teacher but I
want to become an owner of a school one day. I hope not only to become ESL
certified but also I would like to continue learning Spanish and embark on my
culture. I hope to change the way students feel about second language learning
and truly make a difference one day.
What
Aspects Should the Class Receive More or Less Attention to
Overall, the class was good. I really enjoyed and appreciated
the open discussion between the professor and the students. I found that taking
this course compared to taking second language methodology was a lot easier and
face-paced. I really appreciated the time given in between submissions of the
comments, replies, and rubrics when pertaining to our blogs. I still do not
think all the replies back and forth are necessary but I understand the concept
behind them. I appreciate hearing from my classmates their viewpoints as well
as things they are experiencing. I think the blogs are a good way to connect
with our classmates and learn through their experiences. My only suggestion would be pertaining to the
tests; I found them to be harder and information on the test to be a bit
confusing at times with the answer choices. I did not like the timed tests
especially with so many different questions coming from many different sources.
When taking these tests especially with 2 sometimes 3 different books and
sources it was hard to cover all the information and retain the information for
the tests, as well as so many questions coming from all over. I would suggest to
minimize the questions or the information needed per test. However, I do like
the chance to make corrections in order to improve your grade. Overall, this
class is a good class to take to learn about different students entering my
future classroom.
Ortega,
Lourdes. Second Language Acquisition. London: Routledge, 2011. Print
