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.