I feel I was very fortunate to have learned English and Spanish at such a young age. In my blog, I mention that I first learned Spanish and later learned English. I was also born in the United States, making me a native U.S. born English language learner (ELL). According to Wright (2015), a native U.S. born ELL is someone who is an English language learner who was born in the United States which helped them become native English speakers. While I did not have another physical being to communicate with, I was able to inadvertently use the characters from the movies and shows I watched as a toddler to pick up everyday communication skills that I was later able to implement in my everyday life both in and out of the classroom. Furthermore, when my sisters were born, I talked to them in English and Spanish, helping reinfornce whatever language they needed help with as they grew. I believe it worked out rather well for us as all three of us are fluent in both English and Spanish. Because of this, all three of us would be considered native U.S. born ELLs.
This semester, I was placed in a fifth grade bilingual class. The district I am placed in is made up of predominantly hispanic students and a majority of the students being English language learners (ELLs). According to Wright (2015), the United States has in the past done poorly in helping properly educate ELLs. As a future educator, I hope to help support my future student's native language with simultaneously helping them learn/reinforce the English language while also helping them with their academics.
Wright, Wayne. Foundations for Teaching English Language Learners: Research, Theory, Policy, and Practice. Philadelphia, PA: Caslon, 2015. Print. Second Edition.
Hi Erika, I enjoyed watching your vblog and reading your entry. I think it so amazing how you are learning sign language. This is my first semester of student teaching and the school I am placed in actually just started a new program for students that are hard at hearing. The students are now in public school and get to got to classes just like any other kid their age. Theres four students in my homeroom and math class. With these four students there's an interpreter that go with them to all of their classes. I find it amazing how these students are getting the chance to learn and have interactions with the other students. According to Wright (2015), in order to help students succeed in school teachers need to think linguistically. In other words, teacher must understand the language in how the teach the content and how they can engage students to participate in the classroom. As future educators one way we can help support ELLs is by making sure the students are participating in the classroom during the lesson, group work/partner work, and individual work.
ReplyDeleteWright, W.E. (2015). Foundations for teaching English Language Learners: research, theory, policy, and practice. (2nd ed.). Philadelphia, PA: Calson
Hello, April.
DeleteI think it is amazing that the school you are placed in has such an awesome program. I think it would be so awesome to be able to communcate with your studnents even if it's only a few phrases just to be able to communicate with the student in the language they are most comfortable in. I used to work at Starbucks, and there was this guy who is deaf that would go every once in a while. It took me a few times to get the courage to sign the little bit that I knew whenever I saw him. The fact that he was so excited to see someone make an effort to communicate with him after he had been there so many times is something that keeps me motivated to continue learning. If I ever have a student who is deaf or hard of hearing, I hope to know enough to help them feel comfortable.
The fact that you are bilingual will make you already better prepared to help ELLs that most teachers. Both your experience and your academic preparation will allow to understand the stages your students are going through. Me pregunto por qué no hizo el programa bilingüe par obtener una certificación y poder trabajar en un área que tiene tanta necesidad y que require de profesores muy bien preparados.
ReplyDeleteGood afternoon.
DeletePrior to taking the CUIN courses (acquisition and methodology), I did not feel that simply because I was bilingual, I would be better suited to become a bilingual education teacher. What first led me to pursuing a degree in education, was my desire to help students with disabilities. I have had the privilege of doing my student teaching semesters in two very different classrooms. Last semester I was placed in an SLC special education classroom, and this semester, I am in a bilingual education setting. While I have enjoyed both, I feel if I was a general education teacher, I would not do very well. According to Freire (1993), there is a belief that many teachers act as if education is a banking system where information is dumped into a student’s brain (as cited by Wright, 2015). I do not believe I will be a “banking” teacher, but I feel I would not be much better than an educator who does as general education is not my passion. Mi deseo es ayudar a estudiantes con discapacidades, pero me gustaria despues recibir una certificación bilingüe si es que trabajo en educacion general.
Hello Erika,
ReplyDeleteI have been in class with you for almost a year and never knew this about you, so thank you for sharing! I really enjoyed learning about your language development. I am also a big sister and know that our younger sisters are like our own children, so I think it is incredible of you to have taught your sisters two separate languages. Wright (2015) says that knowing a language means being able to use it to communicate effectively and appropriately with other speakers of the language. I imagine you learned a lot as kid, using television shows to help build your English vocabulary. Children’s shows especially do a good job introducing basic everyday vocabulary, that eventually allowed you to communicate with other English speakers.
Wright, W.E. (2015). Foundations for teaching English Language Learners: research, theory, policy, and practice. (2nd ed.). Philadelphia, PA: Calson
Hello, Claire!
DeleteNot many people know as I don’t talk about it much since I don’t actually know much ASL!
It looks like we have something in common: we’re both big sisters! It definitely is no easy task as sometimes you get along perfectly and other times you fight over the strangest things (unless you were fortunate to have siblings who do not try to pick verbal- and sometimes physical!- altercations with you in which case, must be nice). I would not say that I taught them, so much as I helped them grow in and expand both languages. Fortunately, our native language- Spanish- is very popular in the United States. According to Wright (2015), there are over 3.5 million ELLs who are native Spanish speakers. Suffice to say, we are very fortunate that our schools had programs that helped provide support in our native language.
Hey Erika! I enjoyed reading your blog. The last part of your blog really stood out to me. When you mentioned how according to Wright (2015), the United States has done poorly in helping educate ELLs properly, I remembered an experience I had in my student teaching observations. From what I could tell, the ELL's were not receiving the kind of support I had expected, and some in fact were being neglected completely by the school. This point reminds me how important classroom teachers are, and that many things are under our control. If we try, we can provide these students the necessary support they need to succeed.
ReplyDeleteHey, Aleena!
DeleteI was very surprised to learn that as well since this country is full of ELLs! I feel that this country is too diverse not to be able to provide proper help to students who are not only trying to learn the skills and materials, but also the language.
This semester is the first time I am in a bilingual classroom. Fortunately, almost all of students have been in the district/school long enough to move on to a mostly English classroom setting with some support in their native language, but there are still a few students who are either new to the country or a bilingual program that is not focused on teaching both languages (I think one of the students was in a mostly Spanish classroom with some English). It has definitely been an interesting experience, and it is so humbling to know how hard all of these students work to learn the material and the language simultaneously.
Hey Erika!
ReplyDeleteWow, my mind was absolutely blown when I clicked on your video and it started off with you signing to us using ASL!
Given that we both have known each other for the past couple years, I had no idea that you were teaching yourself how to sign! That is so cool and inspiring.
I know you enjoy working with students who have special needs, so it makes me happy to know that you will be able to communicate with students who might have hearing disabilities in the near future.
As mentioned on our textbook, language plays a major role in the development of identity, because students' identities are socially constructed through their language-mediated interactions and relationships. (Wright, 2015)
It makes me happy to know that you're desire to help students achieve academic success includes teaching yourself a way of communication that is not very common and can someday help students who communicate through it build connections with their educational surroundings.
Wright, Wayne. Foundations for Teaching English Language Learners: Research, Theory, Policy, and Practice. Philadelphia, PA: Caslon, 2015. Print. Second Edition.
Hey, Fatima!
DeleteYes, I have been trying (rather unsuccessfully) to teach myself ASL. I hope to take actual courses or find ways to immerse myself in a setting full of ASL culture in hopes to learn more than the few basic words and phrases I know right now. I am very excited to learn it even if I never become good enough to hold a casual conversation with someone with more knowledge than me. I definitely hope it is something that will prove beneficial not only in an academic setting, but also in an everyday setting. I do want to at least learn the structure and grammatical rules of ASL as they differ from English and Spanish rules. According to Wright (2015), a teacher has a role as a communicator, and it is important for them to know the rules of the language in order to ensure the student will be able to understand and communicate.
Hello Erika! I remember taking a special education course with you in my past semester at the University of Houston. I really enjoyed learning that you are taking the time to learn a completely new mode of communication--American Sign Language. I think it's awesome and I am astonished at how much people can learn hen it comes to languages--especially as children. I thought it was very interesting that you say you don't remember exactly how the fluency of English came to you but you are glad your parents instilled the Spanish into your vocabulary because it is what you have brought with you along the years. This is similar to Wrights (2015) concept of acculturation, where you add another culture and language to your sphere of knowledge as opposed to ridding yourself of it and replacing it with English as many of times is forced upon English language learners.
ReplyDeleteWright, Wayne. Foundations for Teaching English Language Learners: Research, Theory, Policy, and Practice. Philadelphia, PA: Caslon, 2015. Print. Second Edition.