Blog 4: Reflection Writing

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