Entry 2
Being able to conduct this interview with this subject was
very interesting because the interviewee, Ismail, began learning English as a
second language in the public school system here in Houston when he was in
Kindergarten through first grade. He then moved overseas to continue his
education and then returned back to Houston for university. He then again took
ESL classes at the university level, so I was able to assess both levels of
education. It was interesting that Ismail noted that he did not learn any
specific academic language that could help him in the classroom for specific
classes such as Biology, Chemistry, etc. In the text, academic language is
specifically touched on stating that academic language refers to words such as
persuade, solve problems, synthesize, evaluate, classify, and analyze (Wright,
2015, p.42). These are some words that Ismail might have struggled with
throughout his education because he felt as though he should have spent more
time in the ESL classroom. I also noticed the behaviorist perspective (Wright,
2015, p.49) in what Ismail was saying about his elementary ESL education. He
stated that the teacher would allow them to speak comfortably, and then help to
correct and model the proper way to say certain words. Ismail found that this
was very helpful throughout his life. He said in his first grade ESL class, his
language development was scaffolded (Wright, 2015, p.57) and that students
language development was based on what they already know and grew from there.
It was so interesting to be able to see the different way that someone who is
ESL has developed their English language, especially at such different levels
in their life.
Click here to watch my interview!
Noor, I really enjoyed watching your interview with Ismail! You noted some really good points in your reflection! Ismail sharing his experiences helps me gain perspective on the experiences of our ELLs. He talked about his ESL experience when in Kindergarten but then also commented regarding picking up English from his older siblings. Every time I hear this as a beneficial factor, I think of language on a broader spectrum. Over the years, from working with children and having my own children, regardless of the language being learned, there seems to be some benefits in learning. The more exposure children have to a language, the more they "pick up." I am glad his sisters were there to assist him in his language development. Wright talks about how learners need opportunities to interact with other speakers for SLA to occur (Wright, 2015, p. 53). However, this interaction with his teachers, siblings, etc., alone is not enough. What really popped out was when Ismail stated that he learned best through practice. He talked about his ESL experience as a child. He stated that he was prohibited to speak his native language and was "forced" to speak in English, regardless if there were other students in his class who spoke his native language. He describes this being beneficial. That it helped him learn. He stated that when he did not know what to say to describe what he was trying to say, he googled it or used a dictionary. Then he stated that this would help him "next time." In our text, Wright discusses Swains' comprehensible output hypothesis. In this hypothesis, Swain argues that "when learners are in conversation, making an effort to produce language that the person with whom they are conversing can understand, they are most likely to see the limits of their second language ability and the need to find better ways to get their meaning across" (Wright, 2015, p.53). Ismail was unable to produce the L2 needed for him to communicate what he wanted to. Therefore, he took initiative (looking up words) to successfully get his meaning across in future conversations. It is important for comprehensible input, but it is also important to be able to have comprehensible output in order to facilitate language acquisition.
ReplyDeleteWright, Wayne (2015). Foundations for Teaching English Language Learners: Research, Theory, Policy, and Practice. Philadelphia, PA: Caslon, Second Edition.
Hi Amanda! Thanks for all of your insights. I also found that one of the most beneficial things to Ismail when he was growing up was his sisters being able to assist him, because interactions are so important when it comes to second language acquisition (Wright, 2015, p. 53). I also found that the “forcing” to speak English was helpful to his language development because if he did not have to speak it, he probably wouldn’t have and that would have interfered with his overall development.
DeleteHey Noor! I enjoyed watching your interview with Ismail! It was eye-opening for me to hear that he was exposed to English when he was in elementary and then again in University. As an ELL student myself, I can agree that teachers play a big role in an ELL’s academic life. Just by being patient and modeling the correct pronunciation, the teacher not only helps the student pronounce the words correctly, but also makes them feel comfortable when speaking English. I can see how Ismail learned best through practicing and interaction. Long (2015), who developed the interaction hypothesis, “agrees that comprehensible input is needed, but he focuses on how input can be made comprehensible through modified interaction, arguing that learners need opportunities to interact with other speakers and reach mutual comprehension” (Wright 2015, p.53). Interactions are helpful when learning any language and it is most beneficial when teachers allow time in the class for students to engage in conversations.
ReplyDeleteWright, Wayne (2015). Foundations for Teaching English Language Learners: Research, Theory, Policy, and Practice. Philadelphia, PA: Caslon, Second Edition.
HI Kani! Thanks for taking the time to give me your feedback and insight. I like the connection that you were able to make to Ismail’s situation. I also like that you cited the textbook in the fact that interaction is SO important for second language acquisition (Wright, 2015, p.53) because without interaction, it would be much harder for ELL’s to learn the language and be able to use it regularly. I found throughout the interview that regular interaction was the most beneficial thing for Ismail’s language development.
DeleteIn my classroom, I see this interaction all the time! As students discuss with each other, they are learning how to speak from English speakers. I think it is so amazing when the English Language Learner says something, but the native speaker corrects them in such a kid-friendly and encouraging way. Sometimes, we as adults cannot find the right words to help our students understand concepts but kids can explain it to each other in "kid language". ELLs and native speakers alike need social interaction to learn all together. ELLs can learn a great amount from social interaction with other students.
DeleteThank you for sharing your interview with an ELL. It is so important that as future educators, we value the stories and experiences from our ELLs. One of my favorite languages to listen to is Arabic and that is because my father can communicate with others that speak it, even though it is not my native language. I loved that your interviewee stated that he spoke Arabic as his first language but learned English quickly because his sisters went to English speaking schools before him. Although he learned English as a young child, him moving to the middle east for twelve years stopped him from developing his acquisition in the English language.
ReplyDeleteFortunately, his teacher accommodated his learning by speaking slower or speaking nicely so he could understand whatever she was sharing or asking of him. As an educator, I hope that I can support my students well enough so that10 years later they can still remember feeling valued in the classroom.
As an adult, he has mastered what the text calls “additive bilingualism” This occurs when a student develops proficiency in a new language without losing his or her home language (Wright, 2015, p. 18). It is amazing that he was encouraged to maintain his home language, Arabic, while developing proficiency in English. This interviewed inspired me to encourage my students to retain their native language while learning English. Good luck in teaching! ☺
Hey Noor! Your interview was so interesting to me! Hearing about Ismail and how he learned the English language at two completely different times in his life is so cool and interesting. It sounds as if his language proficiency construct must have been extremely complex, because he did not learn specific words for each subject that he was learning in University. His learning was very basic, and did not move beyond that in a sense, so how he was assessed must have been confusing when going into these monolingual courses (Wright, 2015, p. 133). I really enjoyed listening to him speak about his experience in the younger grades, because it is so important for students to feel comfortable and excited to learn.
ReplyDeleteWright, Wayne. Foundations for Teaching English Language Learners: Research, Theory, Policy, and Practice. Philadelphia, PA: Caslon, 2015. Print. Second Edition
Noor, I really enjoyed watching your interview. It’s so inspiring hearing others stories about learning a second language because it encourages us as teachers to give it our Allen hen helping our students learn English. I loved hearing Ismalis story and listening to him speak about learning English even while traveling out of the county in the middle of his English learning process. He was similar to my friend who I interviewed in the sense that he had family support when learning English. I think this can always serve as a helpful tool in learning a second language, as it’s important for there to be interaction with the language that is being learned. (Wright, 2015, p.53)
ReplyDelete