Hello, my name is Melissa Giron and this is my senior year at the University of Houston :)
Introduction video: Blog #1-Introduction
Wright states that English Language Learners
(ELL) refers to students who are in the process of attaining proficiency in
English as their second language (2015). I often forget that I, myself, am a
English Language Learner. I grew up in a Spanish speaking household since my
mom only speaks Spanish. My learning process consisted of my interaction with
my older siblings and also practice and repetition. Wright also mentions
English as a second language (ESL) teachers who work with ELL students during a
few hours a week help students meet their language and academic needs (2015). I
think this is very important because by doing this, we are making sure students
develop their English linguistic skills.
When I started elementary school I was placed in
bilingual classrooms in my pre-k through second/third grade years. After being
in bilingual classes it was a big transition for me to go from bilingual to
fully English classes. Learning a second language can be difficult for some,
but with practice and with the help of a teacher one can improve their English
linguistic skills. I do consider myself fluent in both English and Spanish and
I am glad I had some great teachers that made learning a second language easier
for me. I found it interesting how Wright mentions statistics in reference to school
drop outs, where 71% of Latino students graduate compared to 83% of white
students (2015). This can be an effect due to some students not being provided
with the necessary resources to meet their language and academic needs. I feel
like students should not be pulled out of classrooms and instead be a part of
an inclusive classroom. This allows students to interact with peers and have a
better chance of improving their English proficiency.
References:
Wright, W. E. (2015). Foundations for teaching English language learners: Research,
theory, policy, and practice (2nd ed.). Philadelphia: Caslon Publishing
Hi Melissa! I enjoyed watching your video!! Even though once you started school you began to speak and learn English your family was not in the same position as you. Wright states, “Most ELLs are born in the United States, but the level of English spoken in their homes varies considerably” (2015, pg. 2). Having parents and siblings who speak Spanish at home must have been a challenge when teacher or administration who didn’t speak Spanish were trying to communicate with your family. I liked how you said that visual tools can help students to learn a new language in school. I also talked about using visual tools in my classroom if I were to have ELLs within my class. Coming from someone who learned a second language this was good to see that my idea was legit and could work in a classroom setting.
ReplyDeleteWright, Wayne. Foundations for Teaching English Language Learners: Research, Theory, Policy, and Practice. Philadelphia, PA: Caslon, 2015. Print. Second Edition
Hi Mackenzie,
DeleteThank you for commenting on my video! It was hard at times to communicate between the teacher/administration and my mom, but I remember I always tried my best to keep my mom informed of the things that were going on at school. One thing I still struggle with is translating. For most part I can get the point across, but at times I get stuck because I don’t know the correct term in Spanish. The good thing was that I had my sisters support, so they would always help my mom as well.
Hi Melissa! It is so great that you are doing student teaching in Alvin ISD. That was one of the districts I visited during my pre-teaching semester and I loved it! If it wasn’t so far from me, I would have definitely picked that district as well. I come from a Salvadorian/Honduran family, so your parents being from El Salvador is pretty neat. I agree with what you said, as future educators it is our responsibility to help students succeed in the classroom. Wright states, “ELLs can learn and reach the highest level of academic achievement” (Wright, 2015, pg.15) By incorporating visuals, working in small groups, and providing one on one interactions with the students we are helping the students achieve this level. I also think knowing more about your students helps you to better understand them and their learning style.
ReplyDeleteWright, Wayne. Foundations for Teaching English Language Learners: Research, Theory, Policy, and Practice. Philadelphia, PA: Caslon, 2015.Print. Second Edition
Hi Carina,
DeleteThank you for commenting on my video! I love Alvin ISD so far. I agree with what Wright stated. I feel like in order for ELL’s to reach highest level of achievement we need to incorporate different methods and techniques in the classroom. By doing so, we will be able to better assist students and help meet their needs. Getting to know our students will definitely help us better understand their learning style.
Hi Melissa! I enjoyed hearing your story and it’s great that you grew up in a Spanish-speaking household. Sometimes we forget that we can also relate our past experiences with our students. It would benefit our students to know that we also were in their shoes in the past and with hard work we can overcome obstacles. I like how you mentioned from the reading about working after school with ELLs can help students meet their language and academic needs. All these students need is extra time and attention to accomplish something great. If you give them the time, patience and kindness, they will put in the hard work and effort to learn.
ReplyDeleteHi Nicole,
DeleteThank you for commenting on my video. I never thought about it that way, you are so right! We are able to let them know that we were in their same shoes at some point. But yes, I agree. All they really need is extra time and attention. I am excited to start teaching because I know it will be a great feeling when I see my students reach their goals.
ReplyDeleteHello Melissa!
I enjoyed watching your video and learning a little more about you. I like how you mentioned that using visuals helped you make connections and helped you know the words. I agree because plenty of kids prefer seeing pictures. It may not work will all the students but it will give you a representation of the levels of them. As you mentioned reading after school will help students with their academic needs. This shows that it shouldn't only be the work in the classroom that represents their progress, but at home too.
Hi Jessica,
DeleteThank you for commenting on my video! When it comes to our students, it is important to keep in mind that everybody learns in different ways and that is where differentiation comes in. Making sure we meet every student’s needs and push them to try their best and reach their goals. Although it would be great for every parent to help their children at home, it is not always possible. But we can always help by offering to spend extra time with them whether it be before school or after school.
Hi, Melissa! You spoke of your pride in your heritage and heritage language and how you have taken measures not only to avoid losing it but also to increase your proficiency. I commend you and believe this to be an amazing goal. When you think of Spanish, do you think of it as your first language, native language, and/or primary language? Or do your prefer the sociocultural perspective term of home language? You explained that you took additional Spanish courses in high school and college to hone your Spanish skills. This approach can overcome an acquisition plateau. According to Wright (2015), “despite the considerable progress students can make through exposure to comprehensible input, without direct instruction, they may reach a point where further progress requires guided instruction” (p. 52). You described your perspective of best practice for teaching language as incorporating visuals, assembling small groups, and learning more about students’ cultural and linguistic backgrounds. Reflecting on Wright (2015), these methods have a basis in the cooperative learning approach, where students collaborate in small groups and work together.
ReplyDeleteWright, W. E. (2015). Foundations for teaching English language learners: Research, theory, policy, and practice. Philadelphia: Caslon Publishing.
Hi Audrey,
DeleteThank you for commenting on my video and thank you for those kind words! When I think of Spanish I think of it as my first language. I take pride in my culture so the last thing I would want is for me to lose my first language, so I try my best to increase my proficiency. Taking Spanish classes definitely helped because although I already knew Spanish, there were some areas where I needed more practice.
Hello Melissa! I also grew up in a Spanish speaking household. My mother came from the Dominican Republic to the United States when she was nine years old and knew the struggle of having to adjust so much. Due to that, she made sure I grew up immediately with a mix of English and Spanish and that contributed to me not being placed in a bilingual classroom. It is good to hear how helpful your teachers were and I'm glad they made that transition easier. I hear stories from my mother about how hard it was for her at times and I can only imagine the stress you must have felt transitioning to a fully English classroom. A big issue my mother faced was a lack of compassion and understanding when she was trying to learn English and trying to transition into a fully English speaking classroom. Wright explains that teachers also need to know their students' cultural backgrounds and how culture influences learning at school (2015, pg. 17). I think that the understanding of your culture and of yourself that your teachers may have had could've contributed to that compassion and patience they displayed when teaching you and helping you transition into a fully English classroom.
ReplyDelete