Hi Noor, I really enjoyed your video and found your experience with second languages very interesting. I especially liked that you shared with us about the two students in your current class who speak almost no English and how you can notice their frequent frustration with learning a second language like English. It can be very challenging as a 10 yer old, as you pointed out, to be learning something so difficult and trying to understand what is going on around you, especially in a 5th grade classroom where all your peers and teachers speak English fluently. Those ELL students may be comparing themselves to those around them, but still pushing to stay resilient in the classroom. I agree with the idea of immersion as the best strategy when learning new languages and I have always thought placing students in an environment where they are pushed to listen, understand, and communicate each day will help them learn the most. I think it's also important to remember that additive bilingualism "should be the goal of all school language programs [and] as ELLs work diligently to learn their new language, English should be viewed as an additional language rather than as a replacement for their home language" (Wright, 2015, p. 21-22). As teachers, we should challenge the ELLs to have new and beneficial experiences while learning the new language, but also appreciate and respect where they came from and what they know.
Wright, Wayne. Foundations for Teaching English Language Learners: Research, Theory, Policy, and Practice. Philadelphia, PA: Caslon, 2015. Print. Second Edition
I really liked your comment discussing how the new language should not replace the home language. I think it is important that the families and the school administration understand this because often, I have seen English replacing the cultural language that is spoken at home. This is because the students want to learn and practice English as much as possible and then ultimately, they are able to replace their first language when possible. My little brother mostly speaks English and does not speak proper Urdu because of the pressure to learn a new language in such a short time.
Hi Megan! I like the comments you and Kanwal left in regards to home language. I agree that it’s so important to have that, and then develop a second language on top of it in order to maintain both languages. In helping English Language Learners succeed academically it is also important to be able to adjust them to the classroom and school culture (Wright, 2015, p.19) which I find is important in this cause because you should make the culture something that they can relate to, based on their home experiences.
Hi Noor! I agree with your experiences regarding how you learned Arabic and English. Because you have gone through the experience of being spoken to in Arabic but replying in English, I can see why you believe that immersion is extremely important. As Wright writes, “The emergent bilingual label also reflects the reality that many ELLs – the majority of whom are born in United States – have grown up in homes where varieties of English and one or more other languages are used” (2015, pg. 5), it is evident that often students are learning/speak more than one language at one time. I remember learning English at the age of 7 and looking back, I can say that trying to participate in classroom activities and attempting homework were huge challenges for me which is the situation the situations in your class are facing now. I wish you the best in helping them understand English!
Wright, Wayne (2015). Foundations for Teaching English Language Learners: Research, Theory, Policy, and Practice. Philadelphia, PA: Caslon, Second Edition.
Hey Kani! I’m glad that you relate with my experiences. I’m also very impressed that you learned English at the age of seven and have acquired it so well. The older that a student learns a language, the harder it is for the student to learn the language with ease! A huge factor that comes into play with that is being able to be comfortable learning and growing within your class, and that has a lot to do with the classroom culture according to Wright (2015, p. 20). It is important to not take away their identity of their first language, but instead integrate both languages into the classroom.
Thank you for sharing your experiences with us, Noor. You spoke about your comfortability with English versus Arabic and stated that you recently visited your parents’ home country but did not mention the country by name. Would you mind sharing where your family is from? I can understand how growing up in the United States can cause people to learn and become most familiar with English, regardless of the other language or languages spoken at home. According to Wright (2015), you would still be considered a heritage or community language speaker, due to the fact that you can understand Arabic. However, I am curious know if your first language or L1 was Arabic, and if through subtractive bilingualism, English replaced your home language (Wright, 2015). I wonder about this, because if your parents and family only speak Arabic, was that the language you initial were taught and used to communicate? Did you learn English and Arabic simultaneously? Or did you begin to learn and understand Arabic, after you already knew English? I ask these questions, because from what you said, it seems like you have established discourse competence, or “The ability to connect a series of utterances, written words, or phrases to form a meaningful whole” (Wright, 2015, p. 36). Although you said your parents do not have a firm grasp of the English language, when you began to respond to your parents in English did it affect the communication between you? Or like your understanding of Arabic, do they comprehend the spoken language and just have difficulties speaking it, themselves? Another important piece of information you introduced in your video stemmed from your experiences in student teaching, communicating with native, Spanish speaking parents whom do not possess expertise in English. Although this scenario is mirrored by parents who speak other native tongues, Spanish is a populous language in Texas. Some might say that children needing to be a translator between their parents and a second party is a role of necessity. Do you think this interaction is beneficial or innocuous for the student? Or that with the prevalence of Spanish, there should be an employed translator on standby for convenience?
HI Audrey! My family is originally from the country of Lebanon. My first language was definitely English, and I have learned Arabic as a second language through casual conversational practices with my parents and family members. I learned English and Arabic simultaneously, but the English became my dominant language throughout life. When it comes to my students, I definitely think that the best way that they are learning is between their peers. They are able to gain that necessary social interaction that all kids need, and they are learning from their peers and friends the basics of language.
I enjoyed watching your video and hearing about your story of learning English. I relate to your experience about speaking to your parents in English, I speak to my family in English even though they speak in English. I think students should be encouraged to speak their native language, "English should be viewed as an additional language rather than a replacement for their home language" (Wright, 2015, 22), if schools to the approach that their native language should be kept intact instead of erased than a lot more people would have their native languages.
Wright, Wayne (2015). Foundations for Teaching English Language Learners: Research, Theory, Policy, and Practice. Philadelphia, PA: Caslon, Second Edition.
Hi Laura, I agree with what you commented to Noor. If learning English was viewed as an additional language, many individuals would still be speaking their first learned language. Instead, the statement that Wright says is true, “when ESL and content instruction in English pressure students to replace or demote the home language, subtractive bilingualism may occur” (Wright, 2015, p. 22). As future educators, we need to watch and try to make it to where this does not happen for the children, them swapping their home language.
Wright, Wayne. Foundations for Teaching English Language Learners: Research, Theory, Policy, and Practice. Philadelphia, PA: Caslon, 2015. Print. Second Edition.
Hi Laura! I do like the view that you took as English being the additional language rather than a replacement for home language (Wright, 2015, p. 22). If I had viewed language in that way at such a young age, I think that my Arabic would have been better growing up throughout my life. This also can apply to my students now because I do not want them to lose their home languages as they are learning English.
Thank you so much for sharing your story and experiences. Right off the bat I noticed a connection between us when you said you consider yourself kind of bilingual because you can understand and speak a little Arabic. My family is from Eritrea, an East African country, and they also spoke the home language around the house growing up, so that is how I learned the language as well. Like you had mentioned, as we grew up our interactions became them speaking to us in their native language and us getting by, by responding in English. Do you ever look back and wish they would have encouraged you to respond in Arabic so you could be fluent in your language now? I think it is so important that even though you aren't fluent in the language, they still encourage you instead of bash you for not knowing. In the text, it is stated that the critical period that language learning must take place in, is during early childhood where an individual is to attain native like proficiency (Wright, 2015, p.37). This relates to your conclusion about not retaining the Arabic language at a proficient level because of your late acquisition and not practicing the language over time. I'm sure you can still learn your language and become fluent in it. Good luck in teaching! :)
Hi Asmara! I love that you made that connection so quickly. I feel as though most American born with foreign born parents have shared this experience. I definitely wish I had been encouraged to reply more in Arabic so that my language acquisition would have been more simultaneous rather than having a more subtractive bilingualism (Wright, 2015, p.21) effect on my life. Thanks for your warm wishes and I hope that you are able to practice more in your home language as well!
Hi Noor, I really enjoyed your video and found your experience with second languages very interesting. I especially liked that you shared with us about the two students in your current class who speak almost no English and how you can notice their frequent frustration with learning a second language like English. It can be very challenging as a 10 yer old, as you pointed out, to be learning something so difficult and trying to understand what is going on around you, especially in a 5th grade classroom where all your peers and teachers speak English fluently. Those ELL students may be comparing themselves to those around them, but still pushing to stay resilient in the classroom. I agree with the idea of immersion as the best strategy when learning new languages and I have always thought placing students in an environment where they are pushed to listen, understand, and communicate each day will help them learn the most. I think it's also important to remember that additive bilingualism "should be the goal of all school language programs [and] as ELLs work diligently to learn their new language, English should be viewed as an additional language rather than as a replacement for their home language" (Wright, 2015, p. 21-22). As teachers, we should challenge the ELLs to have new and beneficial experiences while learning the new language, but also appreciate and respect where they came from and what they know.
ReplyDeleteWright, Wayne. Foundations for Teaching English Language Learners: Research, Theory, Policy, and Practice. Philadelphia, PA: Caslon, 2015. Print. Second Edition
Hi Megan!
DeleteI really liked your comment discussing how the new language should not replace the home language. I think it is important that the families and the school administration understand this because often, I have seen English replacing the cultural language that is spoken at home. This is because the students want to learn and practice English as much as possible and then ultimately, they are able to replace their first language when possible. My little brother mostly speaks English and does not speak proper Urdu because of the pressure to learn a new language in such a short time.
Hi Megan! I like the comments you and Kanwal left in regards to home language. I agree that it’s so important to have that, and then develop a second language on top of it in order to maintain both languages. In helping English Language Learners succeed academically it is also important to be able to adjust them to the classroom and school culture (Wright, 2015, p.19) which I find is important in this cause because you should make the culture something that they can relate to, based on their home experiences.
DeleteHi Noor!
ReplyDeleteI agree with your experiences regarding how you learned Arabic and English. Because you have gone through the experience of being spoken to in Arabic but replying in English, I can see why you believe that immersion is extremely important. As Wright writes, “The emergent bilingual label also reflects the reality that many ELLs – the majority of whom are born in United States – have grown up in homes where varieties of English and one or more other languages are used” (2015, pg. 5), it is evident that often students are learning/speak more than one language at one time. I remember learning English at the age of 7 and looking back, I can say that trying to participate in classroom activities and attempting homework were huge challenges for me which is the situation the situations in your class are facing now. I wish you the best in helping them understand English!
Wright, Wayne (2015). Foundations for Teaching English Language Learners: Research, Theory, Policy, and Practice. Philadelphia, PA: Caslon, Second Edition.
Hey Kani! I’m glad that you relate with my experiences. I’m also very impressed that you learned English at the age of seven and have acquired it so well. The older that a student learns a language, the harder it is for the student to learn the language with ease! A huge factor that comes into play with that is being able to be comfortable learning and growing within your class, and that has a lot to do with the classroom culture according to Wright (2015, p. 20). It is important to not take away their identity of their first language, but instead integrate both languages into the classroom.
DeleteThank you for sharing your experiences with us, Noor. You spoke about your comfortability with English versus Arabic and stated that you recently visited your parents’ home country but did not mention the country by name. Would you mind sharing where your family is from? I can understand how growing up in the United States can cause people to learn and become most familiar with English, regardless of the other language or languages spoken at home. According to Wright (2015), you would still be considered a heritage or community language speaker, due to the fact that you can understand Arabic. However, I am curious know if your first language or L1 was Arabic, and if through subtractive bilingualism, English replaced your home language (Wright, 2015). I wonder about this, because if your parents and family only speak Arabic, was that the language you initial were taught and used to communicate? Did you learn English and Arabic simultaneously? Or did you begin to learn and understand Arabic, after you already knew English? I ask these questions, because from what you said, it seems like you have established discourse competence, or “The ability to connect a series of utterances, written words, or phrases to form a meaningful whole” (Wright, 2015, p. 36). Although you said your parents do not have a firm grasp of the English language, when you began to respond to your parents in English did it affect the communication between you? Or like your understanding of Arabic, do they comprehend the spoken language and just have difficulties speaking it, themselves? Another important piece of information you introduced in your video stemmed from your experiences in student teaching, communicating with native, Spanish speaking parents whom do not possess expertise in English. Although this scenario is mirrored by parents who speak other native tongues, Spanish is a populous language in Texas. Some might say that children needing to be a translator between their parents and a second party is a role of necessity. Do you think this interaction is beneficial or innocuous for the student? Or that with the prevalence of Spanish, there should be an employed translator on standby for convenience?
ReplyDeleteHI Audrey! My family is originally from the country of Lebanon. My first language was definitely English, and I have learned Arabic as a second language through casual conversational practices with my parents and family members. I learned English and Arabic simultaneously, but the English became my dominant language throughout life. When it comes to my students, I definitely think that the best way that they are learning is between their peers. They are able to gain that necessary social interaction that all kids need, and they are learning from their peers and friends the basics of language.
DeleteHi Noor!
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed watching your video and hearing about your story of learning English. I relate to your experience about speaking to your parents in English, I speak to my family in English even though they speak in English. I think students should be encouraged to speak their native language, "English should be viewed as an additional language rather than a replacement for their home language" (Wright, 2015, 22), if schools to the approach that their native language should be kept intact instead of erased than a lot more people would have their native languages.
Wright, Wayne (2015). Foundations for Teaching English Language Learners: Research, Theory, Policy, and Practice. Philadelphia, PA: Caslon, Second Edition.
Hi Laura, I agree with what you commented to Noor. If learning English was viewed as an additional language, many individuals would still be speaking their first learned language. Instead, the statement that Wright says is true, “when ESL and content instruction in English pressure students to replace or demote the home language, subtractive bilingualism may occur” (Wright, 2015, p. 22). As future educators, we need to watch and try to make it to where this does not happen for the children, them swapping their home language.
DeleteWright, Wayne. Foundations for Teaching English Language Learners: Research, Theory, Policy, and Practice. Philadelphia, PA: Caslon, 2015. Print. Second Edition.
Hi Laura! I do like the view that you took as English being the additional language rather than a replacement for home language (Wright, 2015, p. 22). If I had viewed language in that way at such a young age, I think that my Arabic would have been better growing up throughout my life. This also can apply to my students now because I do not want them to lose their home languages as they are learning English.
DeleteHi Noor,
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for sharing your story and experiences. Right off the bat I noticed a connection between us when you said you consider yourself kind of bilingual because you can understand and speak a little Arabic. My family is from Eritrea, an East African country, and they also spoke the home language around the house growing up, so that is how I learned the language as well. Like you had mentioned, as we grew up our interactions became them speaking to us in their native language and us getting by, by responding in English. Do you ever look back and wish they would have encouraged you to respond in Arabic so you could be fluent in your language now? I think it is so important that even though you aren't fluent in the language, they still encourage you instead of bash you for not knowing.
In the text, it is stated that the critical period that language learning must take place in, is during early childhood where an individual is to attain native like proficiency (Wright, 2015, p.37). This relates to your conclusion about not retaining the Arabic language at a proficient level because of your late acquisition and not practicing the language over time. I'm sure you can still learn your language and become fluent in it. Good luck in teaching! :)
Hi Asmara! I love that you made that connection so quickly. I feel as though most American born with foreign born parents have shared this experience. I definitely wish I had been encouraged to reply more in Arabic so that my language acquisition would have been more simultaneous rather than having a more subtractive bilingualism (Wright, 2015, p.21) effect on my life. Thanks for your warm wishes and I hope that you are able to practice more in your home language as well!
Delete