For my former ELL student interview, I decided to talk with a friend
and current student teacher, Ana. Ana grew up in Mexico and did not move to the
United States until she was 4 years old. Ana grew up in a Spanish speaking
family and didn’t learn English until she was enrolled in school in the U. S.
In my interview, I speak with Ana about what school was like for her in terms
of learning a second language, certain things that she struggled with in
school, and some of the positive influences she experienced while in school.
Ana also touched on some of the obstacles she faced while developing her
language, how she overcame them, and how learning a second language has
influenced her outlook on learning a second language.
Since Ana did not have any schooling to compare to that of which she
experienced in the United States, it seemed like she had a very positive view
of her education. Although this may be true, she did mention some parts the new
language she struggled with. Ana mentioned grammar, or what Wright formally
calls “Syntax” which is “the study of the rules of governing that way words are
combined to form sentences and the rules governing the arrangement of sentences
in sequences” (2015). This was not surprising to hear, because it is something
that I have seen and watched many students struggle with in the field. After
defining the word “syntax”, Wright goes on to state that, “For ELLs, producing
grammatically correct phrases can be a major challenge because the rules for
syntax vary across languages” (2015). Ana went on to say that switching between
her native language and her second language can be difficult because of this.
Overall, Ana has excelled in her second language and is studying to become a
teacher. I have every bit of confidence that she will have the same influence
on her students as her bilingual teachers did on her.
Wright,
Wayne. Foundations for Teaching
English Language Learners: Research,
Theory, Policy,
and Practice.
Philadelphia, PA: Caslon, 2015. Print. Second Edition.
Hello, Danielle!
ReplyDeleteIt was so interesting to learn about your friend’s experience. While I don’t share everything like her, I remember entering kindergarten in a bilingual program. The bilingual program she described reminded me of the home language instruction. This program uses the students’ home language to develop and teach lessons in both English and the home language (Wright, 2015). While I was only in the bilingual program for the fall semester of kindergarten, I remember feeling comfortable and at home as all the students and my teacher could speak English and Spanish. Moving to an English-only classroom, it took me a lot longer to become comfortable as up to that point, I had never had prolonged exposure to having to communicate in just English for long periods of time. I’m glad your friend, Ana, and I were able to have supportive teachers that helped us in our English learning journey.
Hello Erika,
DeleteYou may have mentioned some of this information in your introduction post, but I feel like I am just learning that you only spent a semester in a bilingual program. Was it typical for young students to only spend a semester in the bilingual program, or did the teachers feel that you were ready to be in an English classroom? Wright (2015) says ELL students often struggle as they learn and adjust to a new language and culture that may be vastly different from the language and culture of their home. I can imagine that moving into an English-only speaking classroom made you uncomfortable, as you were no longer surrounded by those who you could relate to. However, I am sure that adapting to change at a young age has led you to being an easily adaptable adult!
Hello Danielle,
ReplyDeleteSince I know Ana, I thought it was interesting how she moved to the United States when she was four, and it was here that she was first exposed to English. Wright (2015) says most ELLs are born in the United States and grow up in homes where English may not be the dominant language. In Ana’s case, she moved to the United States but Spanish remained the dominant language in her home. She said that is was challenging for her when she was learning English, to speak Spanish at home. However, according to Wright (2015), additive bilingualism occurs when a student develops proficiency in a new language without losing their home language. I believe, by learning English at school and continuing to speak Spanish at home, Ana became fluent in both languages. Through her experiences, it is clear that she has an understanding and patience for students that are going through the same process.
Hi Claire! I also think that is interesting, my older sister was actually 3 years old when my parents came to the United States. Neither of my parents spoke English at the time. When my sister started school was when she was first exposed to English. Like Ana, additive bilingualism occurred to my sister. She learned her second language, English, while maintaining her home language. Wright (2015) states the United States needs bilingual citizen to fulfill jobs that require bilingual skills to interact with others (page 23). There's so many programs in the school system now for students to learn a second language. Students that native language is English can be in a program where they can learn a second language. This program is also know as Dual Language. This program consists of English speakers and ELLs in the same classroom where they receive content-area instruction in both languages (Wright, 2015, page 100). These students are able to interact with one another and learn from which other as well. They are getting the opportunity to learn a second language that will benefit them in the future.
DeleteWright, W. E. (2015). Foundations for Teaching English Language Learners: Research, Theory, Policy, and Practice (Second ed.). Philadelphia, PA: Caslon.
Hi Claire,
DeleteThank you for your response. I think that Ana does have a first-hand understanding and patience for students who are going through what she did also, which makes her a perfect candidate to be an ELL teacher. I think that since Ana mentioned struggling with syntax, or "what most teachers think of as grammar" (Wright, 2015), it would be a great goal for her to help students in this specific area. I've heard from numerous ELLs (current and former) that grammar is particularly difficult for them so any extra help or knowledge from someone who experienced what the struggle was like would be comforting and appreciated.
Danielle
ReplyDeleteHi, Danielle!
I enjoyed watching your interview video and thought it was so funny that I recognized the voice on the phone because it belongs to a fellow student that I have my classes with.
I like how you made the connection from your interview with Ana and her struggle with learning English grammar and the rules of how words are combined to form sentences and their sequences because it is common for ELL learners to have issues with due to the fact that syntax of other languages vary and you see your ELL students struggle with it regularly.
As Ana mentions in your interview, the sentence structures are very different in English as compared to Spanish.
Ana said that she was in a bilingual/dual-language classroom, in which the goal is for students to become bilingual and biliterate, to achieve academically in both languages, and to develop cross cultural understanding. (Wright, 2015) She was also able 2 become friends with English speaking as well as minority language students, which is another benefit of dual language programs. Programs like this are at the forefront of resolving many of the social inequities that our past generations have failed to solve according to our textbook (Wright, 2015). Based on the answers that Ana gave during your interview, it is safe to say that she was successfully able to achieve this goal as well as help peers along the way.
Wright, Wayne. Foundations for Teaching English Language Learners: Research, Theory, Policy, and Practice. Philadelphia, PA: Caslon, 2015, Print. Second Edition
Hi Ami,
ReplyDeleteThank you for noticing that Ana was in a bilingual/dual language classroom. In addition to that and her becoming friends with students who spoke both English and Spanish, I think that it’s safe to say she was taught through communicative language teaching, or CLT. Wright describes the following principles of CLT that I think match with how Ana learned: “Learners learn a language through using it to communicate. Authentic and meaningful communication should be the goal of classroom activities. Fluency is an important dimension of communication. Communication involved the integration of different language skills. Learning is a process of creative construction and involved trial and error” (2015).
Wright, Wayne. Foundations for Teaching English Language Learners: Research, Theory, Policy, and Practice. Philadelphia, PA: Caslon, 2015, Print. Second Edition