Skip to main content
Collier
"Many transitional or ESL programs do not emphasize the backbone of school success: academic literacy."
In my experience thus far as an ESL ELA teacher, this is a component that is often emphasized in trainings that I have been to. It takes several years to develop a language conversationally, and even longer to be proficient in an academic context. These skills in language need to be explicitly taught in order for students to learn the language. This is why an ESL classroom should clearly define the language objective for each lesson, so students know the academic language they will be learning and applying.

Rodriguez
"Only when I was with them in public would I grow alert to their accents."
The recounting of this story speaks to the importance of why we need to promote the idea of students valuing their home languages when learning English. If any value judgement is negatively applied towards a student's L1, they may begin to adopt those beliefs and opinions. This can then cause rifts between a student and their family, culture, and linguistic heritage, which would ultimately be a betrayal of that student's humanity.

Teaching Bilinguals
These videos discussed how teaching emergent bilinguals has looked different over time. It has not always been the case that educators place emphasis on retaining home language and cultural identity (and it isn't necessarily like that today in all cases). One strategy the videos discussed is translanguaging, which is a strategy that can be used to build a student's literacy in both L1 and L2, as well as retaining the importance of a student's linguistic identity.

Argument Statement:
The authors of all pieces argue that retaining an individuals identity and home language are pivotal aspects of new language acquisition.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Going to school...but how do I get in?

The documentary "Going to School" investigates the reality of special education in Los Angeles School District in the early 2000's. The district was in the midst of revamping its special education services, due to the district having significant shortcomings in regards to its services for students with disabilities. The film follows several students, and there are many interviews with educators, support staff, students and parents about what education (and special education) means for them. Below are some of the quotes that made me think the most about the current state of special education and the inadequacies that are present even today. Throughout the film, a particular parent of a student named Richard, was a vocal advocate for the inclusion of students with disabilities in the general education classroom. Beyond advocating for her own son, she worked to help other students and parents understand the special education system and what they need to do in order to advo...

Unlearning the Myths That Bind Us

While I was not a Disney obsessed child like some friends I had, I believe Disney played an important role in my childhood as source of entertainment and culture. I fondly remember watching many Disney classics such as Fox and the Hound or Robin Hood. As an adult, I primarily remember watching the movies that were unrelated to the princesses, likely because those were mostly directed towards typical female audiences. An exception that I recall would be the movie Mulan, which seemed more appealing as a child with its action and fighting. Additionally, I was fortunate enough to have been raised in San Diego, CA, which was only an hour away from Disneyland. Disneyland as an attraction was always a desirable location to go to, and one that was rare to attend as a family of 8. Regardless of background, everyone loved going to Disneyland if they had the means to do so. I also recall the 'playground status' given to students in elementary school that came back from vacations wea...

Pecha Kucha + Reflection

Pecha Kucha Video Pecha Kucha Slides Pecha Kucha Rubric A central theme throughout this course has been the importance of understanding the ‘why’ behind our practice as educators. The day to day hustle of being a teacher can often cause us to neglect reflective processes, which can negatively affect our practice in the classroom. Having just finished my first year as an English Language Arts teacher for a 6th and 7th grade emergent bilingual population, my ‘why’ is tested daily. Juggling the various roles of teacher, mentor, counselor, and conflict negotiator, while attending professional development and master’s level courses, is a tiring day to day existence. Once I am at home, sitting down to reflect on my day and practice takes the back-burner to shutting my brain off for at least an hour, before going to bed in order to repeat the process over again. Like Sinek says in his TED Talk, knowing your ‘why’ is pivotal to having others buy into your messaging. If I want my students ...