Brown Chapter 23 &24

In Brown’s chapter 23 it was interesting to see his viewpoint on assessment in comparison to what we are learning in ENG 345. When he brought up the question about whether there is ever teaching without assessment since at one point or another everything that is taught is assessed, it really made me reflect on my learning experience. There is a long standing argument that is fundamentally based on whether or not grades should be given and I am constantly changing my position in this argument. I think that grades can be a very important motivator and tool to gauge the learning of students, but on the other hand students should be intrinsically motivated and want to learn for their own benefit. This directly correlates with testing because tests are often a large sum of points and they motivate students to learn the material more specifically so that they may pass the test instead of for their own learning. Also the concept of wash back comes into mind because often teachers tend to teach to the test so that their students score highly, but skip out important or beneficial material that students would need to know in order to function appropriately in a real setting.

I think that in terms of practicality, criterion referenced tests are more beneficial for the learners because it specifically tests the material that is from the curriculum and students may see where they need more help. Norm-referenced tests can prove unfair at times because instead of grading the students based on their individual performance, a teacher could compare the results as a whole without any type of helpful feedback. Validity is another important factor in testing because with its various types it shows how easily a test can go from being valid to invalid if it is not designed appropriately.

In terms of classroom based assessment, I think the concept of alternatives in assessment is really important because it shows a more authentic demonstration of student’s language ability. For example, some students find it difficult to take tests and often score poorly but may have a great understanding of all concepts of the language. It is also very important to have alternative assessment in the language classroom because some assessments tend to limit the different domain skills that are necessary to have proficiency in a language (ie. speaking, listening). Among the examples of alternative assessment, I think that portfolios and observations are the most beneficial because they are unique and authentic demonstrations of the student’s abilities and improvement is really clear when comparing work from various times throughout the semester.

Week 13: Brown ch 9-11 and Kumar ch. 13

I always tend to get somewhat overwhelmed when discussing curriculum or even unit designs so I think that Brown’s chapters were really helpful to show me how it is a manageable task as long as I take it one step at a time. Remaining optimistic is key, so when I took the first chapter section by section it made me creating curriculum much more approachable. The comparisons between both objective and subjective needs were interesting to me because I hadn’t really noticed a difference until Brown stated that subjective needs are almost more important because they focus on the needs through the eyes of the learners. Meeting the needs of the students is ultimately our main goal and it is important to remember to accommodate their attitudes, expectations, perceived purposes, learning preferences and the specific language skills students wish to focus on.

Although we all like to hope for the best for all of our future lessons, I appreciated that Brown made sure that we also are prepared for the possible problems that could come out of curriculums. I think this is especially important in a culturally diverse setting because many respect issues can come about, altering the message that was originally intended.

It was interesting to get yet another perspective on lesson planning although Brown’s seemed to be pretty spot on with the methods I have previously learned in many of my C&I courses. I think among all the aspects that go into a lesson plan, I think that the most important concept from Chapter 10 was the idea of variety, sequencing, pacing and timing. As a teacher it is extremely important to be flexible and especially when it comes to lesson plans. Not every day will they go according to plan and it is essential to learn to go with the flow and reflect on the day afterwards so that you can improve yourself for the next time.

I thought that the list of language-teaching techniques on page 185 was really helpful because it was written proof of how many different approaches teachers can take in order to accommodate the needs of each individual learner. I personally thought the list of free techniques seemed the most fun and rewarding since they were more personable and life like because for example the “role play” activity can most always be taken directly outside of the classroom and used in day to day speech.

Kumar’s concept of M&M or macrostrategies/mismatch observational scheme was unlike anything I had heard before and I thought he had some unique ideas towards the approach of monitoring teacher acts. I feel like I can really relate the ideas he mentioned (preobservation, observation and postobservation) to my experience as a student teacher because all these steps will help me improve and get to the next level in my teaching experience. I also feel that it is extremely important to constantly be reflecting on my behaviors in the classroom setting so that I can regularly be improving and thus benefitting my students and my success.

Thoughts on the progress of my final paper

After our meeting about the final paper, I have decided to change course and focus on a topic that would be more beneficial to me as a possible future adult ESL teacher. In the upcoming semester I will be volunteering at in an adult ESL community that meets twice a week from 6:30-9:30. There are levels 1-6 that the learners are placed in and I would like to better prepare myself through my research for this paper so that I can be most helpful to the learners. I would like to address how to best teach older or adult learners by incorporating integrating learning skills.

I think it is important to explore how to best support these students and I will be focusing on this for my final paper. It seems that the goal of this program is to help the learners move from each level until they have reached level 6 and through my observation over Thanksgiving break, I will be able to apply the research I do to what I see helps progress the learners in the classroom. I would like to see how advanced the learners can develop their communicative competence passed the critical period.

A similar article that would help me is “Cooperative Learning, Collaborative Learning, and Interaction: Three Communicative Strands in the Language Classroom” written by Rebecca L. Oxford. I also think it is important to read “Developing Communicative Competence: a practical model” written by Richard C. Helt among with other articles more specifically written regarding adult ESL learners so I can compare my findings with  my research in the classroom.

 

Raising cultural awareness and critical pedagogy: Brown ch. 26 & Kumar 11&12

Raising cultural awareness and critical pedagogy: Brown ch. 26 & Kumar 11&12

 

One of my favorite quotes of all time is Ghandi’s quote “You must be the change you wish to see in the world” and I really appreciated that Brown’s chapter began with this attitude. It really set the tone for how much I have grown to appreciate my choice in profession and how I actually will be having an impact on a variety of student’s lives. I am sure that in other professions many people have the opportunity to instill new ideas into the people around them, but with teaching a language it is the absolute perfect opportunity to embrace new cultures and teach how important the appreciation of each individual person because ultimately they make up the world around us.

I really enjoyed the section about “hot topics” in the classroom because it was a good eye opener and also gave pointers on how to avoid mass chaos among the students. By giving all sides of a viewpoint and ensuring everyone has the right to a different opinion is sometimes hard to foster but is ultimately the most appropriate way to avoid any type of cultural collision. I could not agree more with the idea of having a respectful and safe classroom environment and that is an aspect I will stress thoroughly from the moment I enter my room. I think that the title “agents for change” is inspiring because it really is an intrinsic motivation about having this profession because we as teachers may not be able to fight every racist battle we have in this country but we are definitely pushing ourselves and our students in the right direction.

I thought that Kumar’s chapters did a good job of summarizing everything that we learning in ENG 344 last semester. It pointed out the importance of avoiding standardization, accepting minority language speakers, ensuring social relevance to each individual, among many other things.  Also, the “Linguistic Laughs” section on page 259 made me laugh out loud because these types of situations happen all the time and it is important that students understand that everyone is growing together and it could happen to anyone but should be interpreted as a learning experience. I really look forward to learning much more about my students’ cultural backgrounds so that I may be more culturally conscious and grow to appreciate our differences.

Readings for Week 11

I think it is really important to discuss Brown’s chapter on integrating all of the language skills into one whole language approach. Although I can understand the importance of delving into each skill individually especially if one needs more help for a certain class, the best way to learn the language is integrating the skills and incorporating all of them so that the student is more prepared for any situation. Of the suggested models of skills integration, I think that my favorite was experiential learning because it is the best way to be sure to incorporate both the left and right brained learners. This type of learning is also thought to be more natural and realistic which is the best mode for ELL who are faced with language challenges daily because they are immersed in the English speaking culture.  More specifically, I think that the language experience approach is a great way to use the personal stories of the students and through these teaching both grammar points as well as vocabulary. This approach is great because students are sure to immediately be engaged because they had the experience happen to them and are most likely interested in how to have better handled a certain situation.

In Kumar chapter 9, the author stresses how important a student’s understanding of contextualized discourse and how shapes their communicative competence. I think this topic is very relevant especially for students who come to the United States because in our culture there are many topics that are considered taboo to discuss and are often discovered too late. For example, currently the debates are a hot topic in the United States but it is still considered rude to ask another person who they are voting for.  It may not be this way in certain other countries so it could start a sour relationship from the beginning if the language learner does not understand the harm in asking this question.

I think that the main importance of integrating the learning skills is that every student is likely to find their strengths and weaknesses and finally learn where it is they need the most special attention so that they can ensure a more productive learning process. More specifically, I really agreed with Kumar’s quote “the integration of learning skills has the potential to offer different opportunities for different types of learners” in Chapter 10. This is also beneficial because the students can see how their classmates get through the areas they may struggle with and begin to adapt their own learning process to be more successful. All in all, I think that learning how to integrate the four language skills in different exciting ways is one of the most important ways that a teacher can help their students.

Week Ten Readings

For week ten’s reading in Brown chapter 22, I thought the arguments brought up a variety of different viewpoints that were very interesting to discover. For example, the idea of teaching grammar was argued which reminded me that I had never even considered excluding grammar instruction. It becomes hard to ignore all previous personal experiences when considering the best option for your future student because it is easiest to refer to what you’re comfortable with. I understand the pros of just approaching language learning globally and expecting the students to learn inductively, but I don’t think this top down approach is necessary appropriate for everyone.

Since each individual learns differently and takes away certain ideas from certain lessons, I think that like we have previously discussed, it is important to approach language teaching in a variety of different styles. I think that avoiding teaching grammar all together is not the way to go especially when there is a time constraint, because students will not understand why they are saying the things that they do. I think an understanding of the principles is necessary because it ensures a more wholesome knowledge. I think that when Brown questions what environment to present grammar in, I felt strongly against teaching a separate grammar class. Cultural references and comparisons should be made to help the student learn better with grammar lessons.

Brown presented many helpful suggestions about presenting grammar and I think that the method that worked best for me during my Spanish learning process was the chart. It really helped me organize my verb translations and the idea of organization made the process much more approachable.

I liked Kumar’s point about Language Awareness of Language Teachers because I could really see many comparisons between myself and the characteristics described. I liked when he quoted Van Lier’s thoughts on that teachers shouldn’t be worried more about taking more language or grammar courses but should be more preoccupied with talking together with their students. I could not agree more with this statement because I am a strong believer of having an open and comfortable learning atmosphere in which my students can feel confident when approaching me with a question or comment.

Week 9: teaching of reading and writing

The past four chapters in Brown (Ch.18-21) have been really enlightening to me because I was able to compare my language learning experience and use the comparison to help me better relate to my future students. I am really glad that I chose to learn a language prior to pursuing a TESOL minor because I feel so much better prepared to teach and can sympathize with my students with the various aspects of language learning such as speaking, listening, writing and reading.

Brown’s chapter 20 was really helpful because I know how difficult it is for certain students to thrive in reading in their first language so it is important to learn how to teach students helpful techniques when reading in their target language. In our various discussions on top-down and bottom-up processing, I have been able to explore the benefits of each method and form my own opinion on the best method to use. In my own language learning process, I felt most comfortable using the bottom up approach because I like to have all of the required tools (such as grammar structures and a basic understanding of vocabulary) before I tackle the reading process. After taking a better look at the top down approach, I definitely see the benefits of this method as well because it reaches out to the more global learners who like to see the big picture and try to figure out the meaning on their own. I think it is important to utilize a combination of both approaches because it is helpful to see the text in its authentic form so that learner’s can figure out the meaning without it being changed into a simpler form.

I like the idea of incorporating a variety of genres when teaching a language because it previews the learners to the different types of literature that they will be exposed to during their learning process. Although in my experience I found certain literature types to be much more complicated to interpret (such as poetry and other forms of creative writing) I also appreciated the challenge because it required me to go beyond just reading because I needed to research the time period it was written and the cultural connections that could give it another meaning. It is also important to teach techniques to acquire better reading skills so that the learner doesn’t become overwhelmed and can scan, skim and analyze effectively.

In regards to writing in the second language, I always found this to be the easiest in my personal experience so it was interesting to read about how Brown felt was the best method to teaching writing. I really liked his perspective of the more important aspect of writing was the process not the product. Although it may be the easiest way to simply grade a students’ product, it should be equally as important to reflect on the process they went through when writing. As a writer myself, I think another aspect of writing that is especially important is the writer’s voice. As a teacher, I think that the voice of a writer is another aspect to take in account when grading a piece of work and should always be appreciated. In order for a student to develop their voice, a personal journal is a great tool to use so that they can write in a safe environment and try out different techniques.

Week 8: Teaching of Listening and Speaking

I thought Brown’s chapter on teaching listening was really interesting because I can really relate to how difficult it is to learn how to listen an appropriately understand the locators intentions of the conversation and I really had no idea how to teach those ideas. When he suggests the multiple ways to teach listening skills they really captured my attention because I will one day need to use these techniques in order to ensure successful communication. For example, his suggestion of considering the form of the listener’s responses caught my attention the most because the learner’s responses really are a great indicator of how well they understood the utterance in the first place. I slightly disagree with this idea to some extent because with my learning experience, I feel that I always fully understand listening portions in a conversation but occasionally it is difficult to create a response without some minor errors so I don’t think that would be the best indicator.

Thus, Brown’s chapter on teaching speaking was equally as interesting because I am struggling with proving my fluency with the OPI exam and I thought it had some good pointers for language learners. Like we previously discussed in class, I think that the concept of language ego has a big impact on language learners and it is a difficult barrier to get passed since it is really on a more personal level. I thought that Brown’s most important principle for teaching speaking skills was providing appropriate feedback and correction. Although I feel that this depends directly on the learner and how they are most comfortable with the idea of feedback, I think it is still incredibly important for a learner to advance in their proficiency.

When reading Kumar’s chapter about teaching learner autonomy I couldn’t help but reflect back on the chapters that I presented on teaching learning styles and having students continually take self tests about their most appropriate learning styles and that by realizing how each individual learner has a different learning style, will best impact how a learner is successful in a language classroom.

readings for week 5

I thought the assigned articles were interesting this week because they pointed out various viewpoints that I hadn’t previously considered. For example, Skehan’s article mentions that although input is a crucial aspect in language learning, along with interaction, these two combined are still not enough.  I always agreed that input alone is not enough because it provides no opportunity for practice or learning through interaction, this article suggests that focus on form is equally as important. I thought this was interesting because I never really remember focusing on form when learning my native language, but I did find it important when acquiring my L2. This was somewhat eye opening to me because once I began learning my L2, I started comparing the forms and meanings to my L1 which in turn helped me develop my L1 as well.

I strongly agree with the Skehan article and its stress on the importance of negotiation of meaning. I never really applied negotiation of meaning to my language acquisition process but I realized the importance of this concept when I reflected on my learning of particularly difficult topics for me like geology. The only way that I found out I could acquire the new concepts was when I talked them out with a friend until we both agreed on a definition we created together.  

The section of the various tasks and how the author thought it was difficult to provide an exact definition was interesting to me because it reminded me of another class activity in which my classmates and I were asked to provide a definition of “text”. What I thought was a relatively simple word turned into an hour long debate on what could be considered a text. In my opinion, I think that tasks requiring justification and interaction are the two best tasks in regards to language acquisition. These are the two methods that best prove whether a student has a real understanding of the language because  they are forced to communicate with interaction, and justification shows that they can explain a conclusion once it is reached.

When comparing the task based instruction article and the end of CLT, I thought that they both were similar in stating that CLT is just not enough.  The quote about communicative language teaching not being enough because it was focused on the teaching and not learning really caught my eye because it shows how much you can take away from just the title of something. I think that focusing more on the context and veering away from just the main principles of CLT a happy medium can be reached.

 

Readings for Week 4

Once again, I would like to point out the beginning quote. I love the comparison between teachers and their ability to sway only after having a stable and steady base to ground themselves to. As much as I am indifferent to the idea of “tenure” I think this metaphor is a perfect example of teachers who have been working with a school for an extended period of time and the luxuries they come to find after putting in their time closely following guidelines.

I liked the way Kumar presented his classification of methods as language-centered methods, learner-centered methods and learning-centered methods. He continues to explain that language centered methods are concerned with linguistic forms, or grammatical structures that seek to provide practice examples that may help lead to a mastery of the language.  Kumar argues that language is developed through a conscious effort, so does that mean he is opposed to the critical period hypothesis? Furthermore, his idea of learner centered methods aim to “make language learners grammatically accurate and communicatively fluent” and it differs from the first method because it is more concerned with the learner and their understanding of the linguistic forms.  Lastly, he presents learning centered methods that focus primarily on the learning process and language development is considered more incidental than intentional.

I thought his ideas of post method pedagogy, entailing particularity, practicality and possibility were presented in an interesting fashion and the visual of the three dependant on one another in the circle was a nice touch. Without teaching towards specific students, with much practice and embracing your individual character as a teacher, I agree with Kumar that the learning process would not be the same.

I had never really dissected the meanings of either communicative language learning or task based language teaching but it was interesting to see how Brown compared the two. I like the idea of TBLT because it requires lifelike interactions, there is an assessment of the activity and there is a problem to solve.  By using real situations it is easier for a learner to acquire new terms, expressions and behaviors common to a certain culture.

Beyond methods ch. 1

"To teach is to be full of hope” this very first quote that started the chapter really caught my eye before I began reading because it is absolutely spot on.  I think that all teachers must be very optimistic and have passion for sharing their knowledge with their students.  Without hope this would be an extremely taxing job that would never be enjoyed. As I continued reading I thought the different classifications of teaching were interested because I always just thought the words to be synonyms and never really considered there being a difference between them. For example, when the author stated that a profession really differs from vocation because an employee can be considered professional while still not considering it to be their calling, I thought it was a great connection to the first quote.  Everyone lives to find their true calling in life which re-sparks the idea of hope.

When the author discussed the main goal of teaching as the learning process to take place in as short of time as possible it made me reflect on the little things I may have passed on to the children I have already been able to work with. My most recent example would have to be over the summer when I was working as a nanny and I taught a little girl how to blow a bubble with her gum in a rather short period of time.  As simple and meaningless as the task may seem, it is a habit that can be practiced on a daily basis for the rest of her life and I like to think that she will think of me occasionally because I was the one who taught her how.   Similarly, whenever I reflect on how I learned Spanish I always think of my previous teachers who impacted my language acquisition. I’m sure they would be happy to know that I remember them from time to time now that I am beginning to pave the way towards becoming a teacher myself.

Teaching by principles, ch. 1&2

I just want to start by saying that the first page of this chapter was extremely uplifting and I was really excited by my career choice having read the first chapter.  Although it points out the challenges that will come as well, I really enjoyed being reminded of how much my profession will make a difference which is something I should remind myself on a daily basis especially when things become overwhelming. “Few professions can offer the fulfillment of knowing that your seemingly insignificant work really can make a difference in a world in need of communication that transcends national borders and interests”.  

The drill of analyzing a teachers approach to teaching different topics is really helpful because I like to analyze my own lesson plans in order to make them better and I appreciate feedback as well. In Ms. Lee’s lesson plans it is very apparent that she is a flexible teacher. She realized that some aspects of the activities proved too demanding for students and in order to make sure that each student is getting the full understanding of the lesson she helped by explaining things herself instead of having volunteers (like with the movie categories) so that each and every student understood instead of just a handful.

As I continued reading, I liked being able to split up a lesson plan with the ideas of approach, method and technique. It was interesting to see how many different varieties of these ideas were made throughout time until present day. I also liked to analyze the different learning methods and feel that my personal favorite was the “suggestopedia” that stated great quantities of material can be processed if the right learning conditions are given.  I really agree with this idea because I know how I learn, and I am much more prone to developing and learning if I am in an environment in which I am comfortable in.

ENG 345 blog post #1

Diving into my third TESOL class is really exciting to me because now that I understand the basic fundamentals of the principles behind TESOL now we get to learn "beyond" the methods. I am a senior Spanish education major with a minor in TESOL and I will be student teaching in the spring (provided I pass my OPI, fingers crossed!) I had the opportunity of studying abroad in fall of 2010 and I would absolutely love to visit another Spanish speaking country very soon. I have not been placed for my student teaching but I would like to be placed somewhere in the Northwest suburbs since that is where I was raised. I think my ideal setting would be teaching Spanish in a highschool but I would also be interested in trying out the middle school age group at some point in my life.  I think that down the road once I have a better grasp of the language and it is very natural, I would love to teach ESL in a middle school because I think I would be making much more of a difference teaching English because although Spanish is useful to know in the United States, it is not necessary while  without an understanding of English it would be very difficult to get by. With this in mind, I look forward to learning more about how I can teach ESL classes in various settings this semester.

Week 15: Globalization and Language Teaching

To start off with this week’s discussion, I found most of the key ideas that caught my attention were from Kubota’s article on globalization.  I felt he carefully explained this concept as “an increased local diversity influenced by human contact across cultural boundaries as well as speedy exchange of commodities and information.”  He then continued to explain Japan and its situation regarding this concept and compared globalization to being like Americanization.  This was interesting to me because it made me think about any other country that other countries try to become similar to.  I think that each country has its own unique characteristics that make them fascinating and until I went to Europe I never really noticed how much of an influence American culture has on the world.  It then made me wonder if companies like Starbucks and McDonalds were somewhat of a combined effort of ideas from other countries or if America really took the reins and other countries just bought the franchise. 

The quote from the Japanese manager of a McDonalds, “if we eat McDonalds hamburgers and potatoes for a thousand years, we will become taller, our skin will become white and our hair blonde” made me wonder how he intended for this quote to come out.  In a sarcastic sense, it is humorous obviously because aside from weight gain, the effects of a big mac would not cause such drastic transformations on a person’s hair or skin color.  In a more out of the box analysis of this statement, if Japan accepts an American company such as McDonald’s among their culture, who knows how far that can unravel making Japanese citizens want to acquire more and more attributes from the American culture like our “white skin” and “blonde hair”.  The article also stated that this idea of globalization also causes increased nationalism.

It was interesting to ponder the fact that Japan is struggling between the promotion of English and its own nationalism.  I can see how acquiring more American ideas or customs would be an intriguing thought because it could draw more attention to their economy or even more visitors to the area but on the other hand I can see it being distressing because it may be seen as an abandonment of various characteristics of their Japanese culture.  English is often seen as a symbol of power that is superior to other languages because it is a lingua franca and enables an understanding of multiple areas of the world. 

The concept of a world English correlates nicely with the ideas expressed in Kubota’s article because it demonstrates its significance worldwide.  We’ve discussed numerous times in class about which dialect or accent should be deemed the “standard” English but the fact that there are speakers all over the world with their own unique dialect makes this idea of one uniform English close to impossible.  How would one acquire a pronunciation if it is almost impossible based on their first language?  I think that the English language has definitely brought us a long way from where we once were without a lingua franca but it’s understandable that globalization in regards to English can be a scary thought for some speakers of other languages.

Week 14: Language Variations, Language Ideologies

The word accent has been tossed around in my vocabulary be it through Spanish classes or my day to day happenings since I was younger but I never really set my own concrete definition to the word.  The book chapters defined it in a variety of ways but the definition I found most relatable to my previous thoughts is “a loose bundle of prosodic and segmental features distributed over geographic and social space.” The article then went into more depth on the main ideas of both prosodic and segmental features which really caught my attention.  The author gave various examples of words that in English may or may not be pronounced the same depending on the speaker’s residence area and even though their spellings are different.  The two words that in my opinion exemplify the Chicago accent are the words ‘cot’ and ‘caught’.  I have noticed that people I meet from California would normally pronounce these words very similarly but in my own pronunciation I say these words completely different.  I now understand how strong my accent may sound to speakers unfamiliar with this area and it is really interesting to think about how many other languages have different pronunciations.

Another concept the author mentioned was about how social identity can be marked through accents.  Through stereotypical pronunciations we can identify various race groups based solely on how they pronounce different words in English.  This may bring up some conflict in regards to eliminating the idea of race and its impact on language but I feel that it is just another indicator about how each person is unique.

Quite frankly I felt appalled by the story Lippie-Green shared about Mr. Kahakua.  Using the word “handicap” based solely on how the teacher pronounced his words was the very first thing that triggered my annoyance with the application process he went through.  I recently participated in a research study about teachers whose native language is something other than English and it pointed out numerous things to me.  I was asked numerous questions but the one that stood out to me the most was “If in the future you come into a position of power and are asked to fill a position, would you hire a teacher whose native language is not English?”  My immediate thoughts were absolutely, just because someone was raised in an environment different than my own should not mean that they are automatically not qualified for the position. After further thought I began to realize the complexities of this question; although I feel that everyone deserves an equal opportunity, what if although the interviewee was incredibly qualified and would make an excellent educator, there is a chance that students would not succeed to the same level as if they were instructed by a native English teacher?

The last concept I really appreciated from the article was the concept of the Sound House.  I enjoyed the way the author painted a picture of her point when she used Meryl Streep and Eddie Murphy as her examples.  Although Streep is able to speak in different accents, she is given breaks and opportunities to refilm any scene she may not exhibit her best use of the accent.  While Eddie Murphy on the other hand was brought up in a Sound house that enabled him to be exposed to both African American vernacular as well as “proper” English so he was able to demonstrate a perfect accent in both accounts.

Week 13: Language Planning and Policy

The most interesting topics I found through my readings of the article by Farr and Song was te concept of the language ideology. This idea was expressed repeatedly throughout the text and I think a good summary of this concept is necessary to include in my reflection.  The concept of language ideology connects the linguistic aspects with the social aspects in which they do in the “interest of a particular, usually powerful, social position”.  Within this definition there are two different types; the belief in language standardization and of monolingualism.  Although the concept of language ideology is interesting, I think that monolingualism and language standardization are both harmful ideas that would destroy the beauty of difference on this planet.  If every person spoke the same language I would assume the next step would be converting to the same religion, belief system, cultural ways and much more that makes each person unique.  Although it was expected that this would come into affect when the world modernized and there was a rise of the European nation-states, but I still believe that it is important to stress variety in the human language system.

The article also mentions the idea that language beliefs and education are inseparable, which really puts future TESOL educators in a somewhat sticky situation.  In order to abide by the education system and its rules it is important to carry out the language policy through mass education and it turn education is itself carried out through language.  The authors expressed this idea in a much romanticized way that really caught my attention. 

I also had never understood the concepts between language policy and language planning until reading the assigned chapter.  To summarize, language policy refers to the more general linguistic, political and social goals that are referenced in the language planning process.  Language planning on the other hand is the conscious effort that linguists put forth in a community to change the linguistic behavior.  These ideas construct important decisions like to reference the example in the book in which one variety of a language is to be selected to be used for school, political documents and other official purposes.  It’s interesting to see that I have been using these ideas for all my life but never really understood there being a term for this. 

The idea of language politicking is also strongly referenced in the reading which refers to the direct bearing that language has on matters of identity, economic opportunity, social status, power and human rights.  When expanding the use and meaning of language to such important ideas it really shows the influence one’s language may have on themselves, those around them and the community as a whole. 

I was somewhat disappointed to read about the “English Only” debate because when adding the idea of language politicking it truly shows how much one’s language can impact matters of their identity and so forth.  I can understand why it may be easier for one nation to consider prohibiting the use of other languages in order to make a more peaceful country, I also think that it would be a hypocritical move for the United States to activate the English Only policy because in the colonial times not everyone spoke English and our own ancestors are from varying countries that helped build this country to what it is today.

Week 12: Multilingual Practices

The focus of chapter 2 was very interesting to me because I had never heard of the concept of the concentric circles in regards to explaining the English language.  The author indicated that the inner circle entailed students who spoke English as their primary language, the outer circle was made up of those who spoke it as their second language in a multilingual context and lastly the expanding circle which was made up of those who studied English as a foreign language.  The author also pointed out that although this diagram helps understand the different levels of acquisition, it does not address any type of variation.  For example, the book mentions the African American vernacular to be one of the variants that the system does not include which we previously determined as a class that it should be addressed as a separate dialect of the English language.  This exclusion of the dialects makes it a questionable diagram especially for those minority language groups that were not included.

I also found the comparison of the ELL classes in the United States and those from Britain to be fascinating.  It is interesting to think that two countries with the same native language to run their systems completely differently.  In Britain they do not pull students out of regular classes even if they need more instruction on the language because they argue that it causes cultural isolation and segregation.  The United States systems however do not address cultural isolation thus they encourage providing the extra guidance to ELs so that they do not drown away amongst their native speaking peers.  These ideas were then followed by the analysis of the Lau vs Nichols supreme court decision which debated the “discriminatory intent versus the discriminatory impact”.  They found that language development must occur before being placed in class which in my opinion makes the most sense.  When foreigners enter this country for the first time barely knowing the language, it can be an extremely overwhelming experience and if they were to be placed in classes where they don’t understand it can only lead to making manners worse.  For example, a new student entered my middle school from Russia but knew very little English.  He was placed among English speaking peers and did poorly in math until he was placed in an ELL class where we later found out he was a math whiz and joined the school’s mathlete team.  Examples like this are perfect evidence of how important it is to be giving students the extra help they need before throwing them into the water with no life vest hoping they can swim.  Of course the ideas of student motivation and teacher competence are both important factors that were also addressed in this section, but I really think that the idea of EL classrooms and its benefits out way the possible cultural isolation or segregation that may or may not appear.

The chapters also mentioned the term diglossia which I was unaware of before reading this section.  It is really interesting to think that there are communities that language varieties are important because they play different roles in society.  After analyzing this idea more I can understand better and even see examples in my own community that I hadn’t previously noticed.

Week 12- Eng. in the era of globalization

There were many quotes that I found impressionable in this chapter of the book but for starters in the very first paragraph, the author states “the spread of English proceeds in a manner that supports the integrity and devotion of other languages”.  This quote really stood out to me because after reading some of the past articles about how everyone learning English could be harmful or degrading to some languages, it was nice to hear a good word about our language.  But continuing with the reading it discusses the Pennycook’s different perspectives of homogeny and heterogeny.  This portion was really interesting to me because I had never heard these terms before and I thought taking a look at his ideas was really eye opening.  After analyzing his opinions I think it shows that there is a definite imbalance between these two ideas and it makes me question how we would ever be able to attain any type of harmony.  Pennycook stated that he thinks that the ultimate effect of these two ideas is a fluid mixture of cultural heritage which I suppose is somewhat the step in the right direction.

Another idea I pulled from this week’s reading that was thought provoking was that English has been related to power even since the colonial times.  After thinking more deeply on this it makes complete sense but when I think of English as power I would relate it to current times because people around the world are learning the language since our country has become such a power figure.  When in reality, in colonial times our country was being taken over by the British power who spoke English so our primary thoughts were to correlate English with power because the settlers from Spain were over powered by their force.  The author later states, “knowing English is like possessing the fabled Aladdin’s lamp”, a very powerful statement which really sums up the viewpoint on the English language.

The chapter also mentions that there are economic, educational and mass media pressures or incentives to learning English which could all be very overwhelming to learners of the language.  I think that as teachers it is important to have all of these aspects in mind when instructing learners from other countries because along with the stresses of understanding a very complicated language, they also have all the pressures from these concepts that push them to want to have an understanding even more.  I know that when I was in Spain I felt almost overwhelmed with all of the slang and expressions that I was never taught but needed in order to effectively communicate with other peers my age that it made it stressful to learn a language that I thought I already had a good base on.

Through studies in my linguistics course we learned about how many languages that are found throughout the world and I really never understood just how many are out there until studying this subject more.  We also discussed how real it is about all of the languages that are disappearing which I think the widespread obsession of learning English definitely has impacted.  It saddens me to think of how many people are losing their native tongue but on the flip side it is also important that we are able to communicate worldwide so there is definitely a positive and negative side to this issue.

Week 10: Race, Language and identity; critical multiculturalism in TESOL

The “Becoming Black” article really caught my attention on a number of levels, within the first page the quote “where and how they saw themselves was reflected in the mirror of their society” made me want to keep reading because it can be applied to multiple races as well.  As I continued to read it was interesting to learn more about the African American vernacular, since I did not have very much previous knowledge prior to this article when the author explained the differences between BSE and BE or Black English.  He explained that BE or Black talk has its own grammar and syntax.  BSE on the other hand refers to ways of speaking that do not depend on a full mastery of the language.  I also got a good laugh about the section that they described the apparel that goes with the rap lifestyle that had such an impact on their language.  The styles have really changed since the article was written!

I had to agree with the question the author posed about the investment that Puerto Ricans would have in learning BSE.  I never got the impression that these individuals would have the need or want to learn this language but then again what gives me the right to question anyone’s desire to learn a language? They also mention in the article that rap was a very influential aspect of their language learning which could really be both negative and positive.  Rap worldwide has a variety of messages and purposes but I have hear a fair share of rap songs with extremely vulgar ideas and words and if people are using this as a reference point of how to talk to another person could display an image they may or may not mean to.  It could be positive as well though because music is an extraordinary form of education and if putting expressions to a tune helps students learn another language then I think it could be very beneficial.

 The quote used in the Ibrahim article “being is different from becoming” correlates to the ideas expressed in the Arab TESOL Students’ Experiences of Racialization and Othering in the United Kingdom because it expresses how the mindset should be before even meeting another person.  I understand the quote to mean the following: I think that a person defines themselves as their own individual with their own set of personal characteristics, thus being.  If someone “others” another individual they take their ideas towards a type of person so much that the individual becomes someone they may not even be anywhere near similar to. Understanding that every human being has their own set of characteristics ensures that they do not become someone they are not accidently in the onlooker’s eye.

Week 8: Cultural Representations

After reflecting on this week’s assigned readings, there are a number of ideas and perspectives that jumped out at me.  To start off with, I found it interesting that the article mentioned that the Dick and Jane images began around the time of World War 2 because I feel like these stereotypical images began much prior to this time period.  This thought made me reflect on where I had received these ideas since I was obviously not born during that time and I realized that any of my “knowledge” on these images really stemmed from images I picked up through movies and television.  When I think about hit television shows that have a main character that is defined through their being an English language learner, the only show that I could think of is “That 70’s Show”.  The character “Fez” is not only portrayed as dumb and perverted, but also he is the least liked character among the friends in the group.  In reality, this image being displayed doesn’t really surprise me yet it does make me feel guilty about the subliminal messages I have been receiving strictly from watching television since during a really critical time in my development.

A quote that was really influential in my reading was in Tayler-Mendes’ piece when he mentioned the necessity to raise awareness “about power inequality hidden behind taken for granted knowledge and transforming society so that the powerless become agents of changing their own world”.  I think this sentence was formed so beautifully because it really slaps you in the face and tells you that there is something that everyone can be doing to change the way stereotypes litter this earth.  Not only is it the “powerless” or minority groups that need to be reacting, its everyone that needs to start caring more about the images we portray.

Of course I have been blindly reading textbooks all of my life, but I have never taken a minute to reflect on the picture and how they are being received.  It almost sickens me to think that I have been so naïve as to not even realize that these images are being framed to display the stereotypical images that companies want us to believe at an early age. The article mentioned that body language, physical positioning and even clothing on certain racial groups broadcast the exact image that we receive in various ways throughout the media. I found it interesting that throughout their research they noticed that English as a foreign language learners had a very difficult time questioning these images when in reality it is their cultural groups who are being diminished by this unfortunate habit companies have with their advertisements. These topics are all very controversial so I think this week’s discussion will be very insightful since it is inevitable that everyone will have very different opinions and I look forward to hearing them in class.

Week 7: Culture and Spoken Discourse

After reading the assigned material, I feel like I have a different understanding of both the English language and also the differences between subcultures that appear to be very similar.  To begin with, I was primarily interested with the methods that the experimenters conducted for the Marra article.  I had never seen a study that was controlled by the volunteers that participated, this ensured that the results were unbiased and not strictly opinion based like many studies that are run by interviews and surveys. I like the method that they chose because it seemed most appropriate for determining “effective workplace talk”. Since the groups they were studying were so different there was bound to be various differences, one for example was the fact that they were expected to be modest in social circumstances.  Most people would agree on this commonality but it is especially stressed in their culture.

A quote that caught my attention from Marra’s article was when he mentioned how the minority group communication was being viewed through a mainstream lens, which I would have to agree is not beneficial for either party.  For those of us looking through a mainstream lens, the group will be seen as an almost pitied culture because of its numerous differences.  Also if the minority group was to look outward through a mainstream lens, they would see a swarm of misconstrued stereotypes that are often far from reality.

Through the Baker article, I found it completely eye opening to consider the English language as a lingua franca.  I had never dissected this word in depth prior to this reading and I realized the idea in general was very fascinating.  Once I considered the vast number of people who speak English across the globe it really hit me how much of an impact it has made in communication. The article also touched on the idea that when referring to the ELF that cultures should be considered liminal, which is somewhat upsetting since this whole class we have been stressing the importance of sharing and embracing cultures. 

Although this information was all interesting, the most trivial point in all of the readings that I found was the section referring to how English was no longer viewed as being connected to the cultures of English dominant countries.  This was somewhat upsetting to me because of how much our country and others that speak English primarily lose all sense of a prominent culture just because our language is spoken worldwide. When I was in Spain I was enthralled in all the beauty that made up their culture and wanted to share my new knowledge with everyone I knew, the thought that tourists who visit our country may not have the same experience is somewhat tragic.

Thoughts on the week 6 video

It was interesting for me to see the first woman who spoke how she felt uncomfortable criticizing how the government prepared food service because in her country she would have been punished for speaking against the government, for me that is so unthinkable because of the freedom we are given in the United States.

I enjoyed learning about how to accomodate these students, some ideas included giving take home writing projects so that they will be able to show the full potential of their efforts. Also they mentioned to avoid marking the entire paper that you return to a student and to sit down and individually discuss how they would prefer to be corrected.

Although I saw a lot of interesting points in this video, I don’t quite understand how this video is not contradicting everything that we have learned because it stated that this is how one group works and this is how another group of people write like. I feel that I make a point of making my writing different from others especially for creative writing purposes that this video does not necessarily apply to everyone.

Week 6 Blog

Before even getting to the second page of Kubotas article on “Unfinished Knowledge: the story of Barbara”, it really impacted me on how much criticism and debate have come from teaching English as a second or foreign language because in the end there is always a common goal: to achieve an understanding of another tongue.  I think that if instead of debating about how to teach it or which method or ultimate goal is most effective, and instead focusing on how to come together as one unite of teachers and share our passion for instructing others more would get done as one.  Continuing reading this article I appreciated that Kubota respected the idea of making various culture prevalent while teaching a foreign language so that it is understood that every individual and their customs are important without trying to conform to the ideas of the language they try to learn.

Although I feel like after simply eating a chicken teriyaki and hearing what a colleague deems important wouldn’t drastically change my life, I can see how Barbara finally came around with her students.  This interaction she had with Carol was really important because it opened her mind and allowed her to express “that students need not abandon their own culture-they simply need to acquire new cultural conventions in order to succeed in the academic community”.  I really love this statement because I think it expresses perfectly what we regularly discuss in the classroom and puts it in a manner that is easy to understand and applicable to more than just the language acquisition subject.

I thought that the way that David compared culture with the idea of feminism was really interesting because I had never looked at the two in a similar light prior to reading this article.  Although I can understand this thought process it also made me wonder how two ideas describing a woman could be fully explained when it seemed like it still left out so much? Can manlihood be described in the same two ideas of essentialist and constructionalism? And if not, then how can the two genders be so different that they cannot be subgrouped into the same categories?

When reflecting upon the articles I noticed that a common theme was present, how do you teach the important aspects of a culture without broadcasting a stereotypical light on each said culture? After spinning this thought through my head a number of times I think that there is no set way that can help avoid this misunderstanding because every person can take an idea and interpret it differently.  Some points that can help avoid this miscommunication can be explaining the differences between each culture but also explaining how cultures are also similar in that they all mean something unique to the person who exhibits them.  Also if you help a student understand that although a group of people from a certain region may be prone to following a certain culture, it does not mean that they have to or don’t like aspects from other cultures as well.

Week 5: Power and discourse; otherization, cultural assimilation, cultural stereotyping

When I began reading section A2.1 I found my viewpoints and explanations to be very similar to those of John’s.  If I had seen Mr. Smith listening to the radio in the car, or even having a car for that matter, I would automatically presume that he was not 100% dedicated or that he only behaved that way because he was alone and none of his family could see his actions.  I even noticed that I myself had a predetermined stereotype about a girl in one of my classes who regularly wears floor length skirts, covers her hair with a cloth and wears no makeup; whenever my teacher would ask a religion related question to the class I automatically looked to her to give a response.  Although I have never asked this fellow student’s background, I am embarrassed to have these ideas implanted in my head from the beginning because of the examples I have seen in movies and television.

Continuing with my reading of the Smith family, I did not understand how Mr. Smith could consider himself fully Amish if he indulged in some of the luxuries the outside world has until the book compared Mrs. Smith’s culture to being a woman and if she were to behave outside of this parameter that she would lose her femininity. Being only human, of course I occasionally burp out loud or spit on the sidewalk, both being unlady-like characteristics but that does not mean I must leave my subculture of being a woman.  That section slapped me right across the face and finally gave me the understanding that I needed to relate this to my own life and that although people may claim to be a part of one or numerous cultures, when behaving in some manners that don’t necessarily match the standard does not mean you must leave the group.

I think the idea of Othering is an extremely harmful behavior that most see as harmless or don’t even realize when they are doing it.  Although every person is capable of being categorized or categorizing others as well, it is an act we should all make a conscious effort to avoid in order for others to catch on and avoid it as well.

Week 4: identity and language learning; discourse, culture and identity.

In Norton’s article about social identity and language learning, I found the section featuring Eva’s language acquisition to be particularly eye opening.  I thought it was interesting that just because Eva was unfamiliar with Bart Simpson that she would might be portrayed as a “poor language learner who has not developed sociolinguistic competence”.  I know plenty of people who don’t watch television, or chose to avoid such unappetizing shows like The Simpsons who are completely fluent in English and have been raised in America all their life.  It then made me wonder how much of another culture must be known in order to call yourself “literate” or identify yourself with another language.  Also it made me wonder why it should be more important in a social environment to be familiar with a cartoon character while being knowledgeable about politics and discussing important topics is often considered taboo?

I feel this ties in nicely with how Hall describes his theory on the second layer of group membership because when associating oneself among certain social institutions it sets in place how one decides to cope with their given first layer.  Perhaps if Eva had been in a different environment she would not have been judged so harshly for not knowing the reference but it was clear that Norton still felt she may continue to struggle when interacting with members of her target language.  I think that it is difficult to identify oneself in their own first language thus making it even more challenging when trying to find the appropriate place with members of a separate culture. 

When Hall touches on the idea of socialization and our expectations as interlocutors going into a conversation it made me stop to reflect how often this idea repeats itself on a day to day basis.  What do I look for in a conversation and what makes one conversation with someone of a certain identity more appealing and likely for repetition? It’s clear that the friends I surround myself with have similar discourse expectations or else I would find myself dreading the idea of sharing my experiences, but at what point do you realize a similar identity? This whole idea was very interesting for me and it made me wonder how my conversations were received when I was in Spain and using a completely different language.  Since I rely heavily on sarcasm when trying to have a light hearted conversation, I had to evaluate my conversations after I had them to make sure that nothing I said was taken in the wrong way or misunderstood.

I thought that Norton’s study of the immigrant women was a great example of his quote “learning cannot proceed without exposure and practice.” I am a fond believer of this idea because without using the language and being surrounded by an environment that encourages its use, it will be increasingly difficult to get a substantial grasp on all levels of the language acquisition.  This universal idea can be applied to all content areas really because without exposure and practice of whatever skill that is in the process of being developed its unlikely to thrive to its maximum potential.  I had never felt more confident in my Spanish then when I was surrounded by others who spoke the language in Spain, and was pushed everyday to try something new and foreign.

All in all, I feel that the reading materials about identity and language once again made me reevaluate my own beliefs and thoughts and reflect on how I am using these ideas on a day to day basis without really even noticing it.

Week 3 Reading; Self and other: Language and identity

In the early section of this reading, Holliday explains Parisa, the Iranian woman, and how she is forced to deal with the “us versus them” attitude.  Analyzing this idea more, it really troubled me when I noticed how I would have behaved in the same manner that her colleagues had.  In the limited films or literature I have seen regarding this particular group of women were always portrayed as soft spoken, near powerless because of how the media had stereotyped them.  I can’t imagine being in Parisa’s position because she truly does struggle to make herself known while still trying to avoid being placed in the “us” or “them” categories.

When immersed in the Spanish culture, I often felt that my Spanish teachers were also guilty of placing their American students into a stereotype as well.  It seemed they saw us as a spoiled group of people who spent much time worrying about possessions instead of family and values.  Especially during the month of December, I noticed that one teacher in particular felt the need to criticize our culture’s emphasis on Santa instead of the birth of Christ. Coming from a religious family this was offensive to me and reflecting on this experience helps remind me to avoid stereotyping my own future students.

“I am who I can make myself and make others accept me to be”. This opening quote for the Identity Card section caught my attention right away because I wasn’t exactly sure how I felt about this sentence until I reread it a couple of times.  The word that made me question the validity of the quote was the use of “make”.  I think a person is defined by something much deeper then what they “make themselves and make others accept me to be”. If you need to be made into another person, then how true can you really be to yourself?  Also, if I feel comfortable with my own traits while a peer does not accept me to be the type of person I predetermined I was, then does that change who I am? These questions remained lingering in my mind throughout this section and its example regarding the school girls and their use of “identity”.

Bauman posed an eye-turning thought when he stated on page 66, that “Asians born raised and educated in Britain were thought to be precariously suspended between two cultures” all the while he migrated there and because he was white no one had thought anything of it.  Again I regret to also upholding this troublesome stereotype because of my assumptions.  Although it may seem like a harmless mistake, I know that I would also be offended if I fell into this stereotype so since it has been pointed out to me I feel like I can make a conscious effort to limit this occurrence.

At this point, I feel like I have been given multiple definitions of different researchers’ thoughts of culture but I still think that there is no set definition that perfectly sums up the main idea of the word.  In some ways, the process of defining culture is similar to the idea of culture in that there is no one defined person (or word definition) because we are always changing and evolving.     

Readings for Week 2; Culture: Concepts and Definitions

After really analyzing the information that was presented in the readings, I was able to reflect personally on my experiences as a language learner and the culture I was surrounded by during my studies in Spain.  Of course being immersed in their language was helpful but I still felt like I was missing a key element until classes started and I was able to take courses to give me a better understanding of their lifestyles.  Two classes in particular were the most beneficial to me, one of which was history of Spanish culture and the other was an oral production class.  The first one helped me immensely in terms of understanding the Spanish pride and way of life and gave me a better look at why some traditions were important.  I would love to bring this type of learning environment to my classroom but it is difficult to define where the English language originated and what location to base my information on since English is spoken worldwide.  The second class I was enrolled was excellent for me because it served as almost a survival guide with current information about pop culture, slang terms and even common expressions and attitudes.  Although having a good knowledge of the language itself, this class was probably the most helpful because in all my years of Spanish classes there was still much material that I had never been exposed to.

A solid combination of culture and language is the perfect way to get a better understanding about a group of people as long as the idea that every person is an individual and perfectly unique in their own way is stressed strongly.  Without this point being made clear, stereotypes are often made and applied to the masses.  It was interesting reading Hannerz’s point of view because it made me realize how many negative aspects have come from this broad understanding of culture.  His comments about ideas like “culture wars” and “culture clash” made me want to further dissect the origins of these terms since as an educator I plan on doing all that I can to avoid fostering an environment in which these things would be acceptable. 

Another point I found particularly thought provoking was Holliday’s interpretation on the essentialist vs. non-essentialist.  Although I feel that everyone is guilty of behaving like more of an essentialist, I think that if more people were exposed to this information they would be more conscious of its negative consequences and want to learn more about becoming a non-essentialist.  Seeing culture as an unbounded and dynamic life force would improve public relations and reduce the amount of stereotypes among individuals.

First Blog Entry

This is my first entry for Cross Cultural issues in TESOL