Week 16

Towards A Transformative
April 4th, 2013

             Reading the articles and the discussion being made and what we have learned throughout this semester, all links to this week’s reading on really looking into to what is truly suitable for our students’ learning of a second language and how it should be address. Reading the articles, I was reflecting on my own experiences and the struggles I had when I was in school. 
            When I was in elementary it was from kindergarten to 3^rd grade that I had taken Spanish. However, I remember having such a difficulty learning English. I really did not had interest in learning English because I remember I was been pushed to learn it and made me dislike English even more. In the article by Lin, she discussed that teachers should not only be teaching English to students, but open and extend their thinking of English and its culture in other ways. 
            We as future teachers and from our own personal experience, have to be very sensitive and really look out for what is best for our students. Learning from this class and the difficulties ELL students have to face, as teacher we need to overcome these challenges and be passionate to help these students because at we are a fundamental key for these students’ learning.     

Week 15

Language Variations, Language Ideologies
April 22, 2013 

            Reading the articles; particularly “English with an Accent: Language, Ideology, and Discrimination in the United States”, made me think about my experience when I was trying to speak English. The articles makes good points about how even English has many variations in how it is spoken. There are so many Englishes with different accent in them too. This made me think about the hold idea of ‘Standard English’ and how it is also another variation of English. My question is why is it that when someone is trying to learn English and are uttering their accent, there are so many negative factors linked to it. Is it because society is discriminated those who are not consider ‘white Caucasian’ or are their other attributes to why people who are trying to learn English are treated badly. 

             For example, the article that was required to read for class was about a customer who was trying to explain to the cashier about his change. The cashier, instead of being of an assistance he was mocking the customer, who had an accent when trying to speak English. So, is their more to having an accent to who the person is for other to discriminate or treat them bad? 

            When I was trying to learn English, I remember having a similar experience were people pointed out my accent. They would either make fun of me or make me feel so uncomfortable because I still had an accent. Instead of this being a motivation to speak English, it push me into not to talk or say anything. I was just such a difficult time because when I did have to speak in English it was just so difficult to be able to express myself. I remember taking me such a long time to try to speak English again. I believe that if people would see or understand that everyone has different accents in the world and that even English itself has many accents spoken by people who are native of that language.  

Week 13

Multilingualism and World Englishes

 Monday, April 8th 

               Reading the articles and the textbook, I came to reflect and analyzed that we should really encourage and help our students understand that everyone learns and speaks English differently. We need to understand and make very clear that not everyone is the same, not everyone speaks one way of English. Everyone has accents and everyone has their own individual variety of English. We need to help our students be open-minded about the idea that there is different type of English. In the article, Exploring Linguistics Diversity through World Englishes, I really like the idea of how to demonstrate, explore, explain, and discuss with students what is English. I believe it is very important that students are aware that there are so many ways in which English is spoken. Yes, there is the “standard English” that everyone has to know and understand, but because of communication, business, education, and so on. However, students need to know, explore, and understand that even native speakers of English speak English very differently from other native speakers. We have to make clear distinguishing and discuss between “standard English” and English. Explain about the different varieties of English spoken by people, but at the same time creating a positive outlook that English can and is spoken in many different ways by native speakers.

            Additionally, reading the articles and discussing about making English language learners comfortable practicing their English, I believe it is also very important to create an atmosphere that is okay to make mistake, that it’s okay to have an accent. I remember when I first started speaking English it was so very difficult for me. I never had the experience or teachers who encourage to practiced my English, or that it was okay to make mistakes and have an accent. I wished I could have had a class in which I could have more practice and be encouraged by teachers to speak English. However, when I did speak English, it was when I started working. It was such a terrible experience. I remember times in which I just did not want to speak English because I was being dissed by my coworkers or made fun of because I had an accent or difficulties express myself in English. I believe that schools should have classes that help ELL students not experience things like this, but be well prepared to face the world. We need to really create and be supportive of students who are trying to learn a new language because people outside of class are not supportive. And as future teachers, we need to help these students understand that it’s okay to make mistakes, it’s okay to have accents in English, because everyone speaks a different English.   

Week 11

Race, Language and Identity: Critical multiculturalism in TESOL
Monday, March 25th 

          Reading the articles and the discussion being suggested made me things that everyone in the world is different.  Everyone has their own culture, identity, language, dialogue, and who they are into the classroom. Reading the article about Asian and Blacks about their characteristics and how they are perceive in the class, we as future teacher are to somehow represent and respect our students. We are to make them feel that who they are and they personal characteristics are accepted in the classroom. In the article, “Race, Culture and Identities in a Second Language” by Kubota, it explain the definition about race, culture and identity and how they is no specific term that defines what it is and how we are represented.

            Relating this article with the other two articles that talked about how Asian and Black are, I was thinking that since the beginning somehow society has created this labels such as race and culture based on the similar characteristics people demonstrate that place us under categories. However, I believe it should not be like that because everyone is different and everyone has their own identity, with their own traditions and values. Additionally, society has created this titles that has affected out community and has had an impact on students and how those students who are not Americans have to assimilate into the classroom and ignore who they are.

            I believe that as teachers we can have the power when it comes breaking this titles or categories that society has place on us. And as future teacher it will be our job to unify our students and be clear that everyone is different. We should create an environment that everyone should be respected and with their traits they bring into classroom. Instead, we should get to know who are students really are and make a close relationship to help them achieve in school and truly get to know our students and make them feel part of the classroom just the way they are.  

Week 8

Culture and Material Evaluation

March 4th 

          Reading and reflecting on this week’s reading about text evaluation and how teachers are to approach this concept in class, the reading has some very important information and ideas of how to evaluate text and what to look for to represent students in our classroom. As future teachers we will need to consider and look closely in who and in what way are our students represented from the text that we are teaching from. In ch. 11 from Hinkel, it gave a list of the things to look at when evaluating a textbook. We need to take into consideration that a text can be a teacher, a map, a resource, a trainer, and authority, a de-skiller, and ideology. The text can be used for many things, but we also need to be creative and not really too my much in the textbook because we need to create critical thinkers of our students and look beyond what is written or pictures showed in text.

    Additionally, when it comes to the text that is being used we need to have many other texts that have a variety of images that represents our students. In the article by Taylor-Mendes, he discuss that teachers can also include students into culture discussion when questioning about the images that are used in the textbook and how they are represented. Creating critical questions and asking them what have they experience and how do people really look like besides in the textbook. He also discuss that this might be another good idea to bring and discuss as a class about culture, people, race, and stereotype using the textbook for class discussion about the topic.  

           
             Overall, as future ‘multicultural’ teachers we need to be very sensitive and careful how we evaluate text, what textbooks are representing, what are they informing, how are they being use or how will they be use, is it textbooks that will be helpful for my students’ understanding of culture and identity. Also, not only rely on textbook, but an aid for other information that will be connected together. Use textbooks as class discussion about images, stereotyping, and their true experience of how they look like and how they should be represented in textbook

Week 6

Culture and written discourse: Cross-cultural writing

 February 18th

            Reading and reflecting the articles, everything sounded very complex and interesting the question that were coming up and the findings about how to address this different writing system, while trying to learn a second one. In the article, “Unfinished Knowledge: The Story of Barbara” it discussed about having a standard writing. This made me think about the oral Standard English we are trying to achieve in schools. The Standard English that we are trying to take in it’s in means for us to have and learn everyone in one sort of way. However, it still becomes a challenge trying to define what Standard English is and how to address it. Additionally, how do we address writing, particularly when it’s harder to achieve especially for a person who native written language is not English.   

            From my own experience of writing in another language, I can say it was and sometimes it is very hard for me when it comes to grammar. I still see myself struggling with when to use passed tents like –ed. However, because Spanish is somewhat similar to English, there were still possible connections that I could relate to English writing. But, my question is what about those students whose grammar is very different from English and there is not similar connection. What to do with those students and how to help them develop in their writing. I had so much difficulty developing a second written language and did and remember struggling. As future teachers we need to be aware that writing in a second language can be very difficult. We need to be patient and understanding that this is a skill that will require time to develop. English is not an easy written language; additionally, it becomes even complicated when two written languages are not grammatically the same and we need to try and help those students of why certain things are written in this way, particularly in the Standard English.          

Week 5

Heritage Language Learners, Family Language Practices and Identity
February 11th

A Step from Heaven by Ana

            I really enjoyed reading this book “A Step from Heaven” by Ana. It was such an eye opening experience of the struggles Young Ju and her family had to go to go through to assimilate, while still trying to keep their culture and who they are intact. Reading the book, a question that came up was what was Young Ju feeling while trying to manage her parents mandate about her identity and who she was (a Korean girl), but at the same time trying to understand and assimilate in a country they had to move to? Another question is, what was Young Ju greatest motivation of wanting to do her best and go to college, while she was struggling with her life and the impact it had on her? It was just very sad what Young Ju had to live and go through just to have that “American Dream” and a better life for her and her family. It was also such an inspirational story and how Young Ju never gave up trying to do her best in school. However, other children who have experience this type of hardship in school and additionally in their houses have gone towards another route of not wanting to prosper. Overall, this was a great story that relates to the struggles students have when they have different culture of an American and trying to be part of two different worlds.   

Korean-Immigrant Parents’ Support of Their American-Born Children’s Development and Maintenance of the Home Language

            Reading the article and seeing the extremity parents are doing to teach their children their native language it’s very intriguing. My question is how and what are their children feeling or thinking when they are going through this and trying to assimilate in two different cultures? The article also discussed about the parents wanting to implement in their children who they are and where they are coming from by enforcing to learn their native language. However, reflecting on their own teaching of their own language was it difficult for the parents to try to create this idea of bilingualism in their home, and what were they struggles trying to do this?  Overall, I believe that it is very important for students to try to keep and maintain their native language because it identifies their identity, in which it is very important, but just the extremities parents have to go through its so shocking.   

Week 4

Social Identity and Cultural Assimilation
February, 4th

Language and Identity 
           In the article, “Language and Identity” by Bonny Norton, he discussed the importance of who we are and who we represent in society. He discussed that “gender, race, class, ethnicity, sexual orientation, among other characteristics are all implicated in this negotiation of identity”. Reflecting on what was discussed in the article, there is a correlation in which a student’s identity and language is very important for students to succeed a second language and trying to understand another culture.  However, it can be a challenge because there are so many factors that can contribute for a student having difficulties achieving second language acquisition. Not only are we trying to learn a second language, but also understand its social context. This can be an implication, particularity for students trying to learn a second language. In his article he discusses five areas that were research on identity,

1. Identity and investment. Research was done that showed that having motivation to learn another language may not be sufficient to have developed a good language. 
2. Identity and imagine communities. A clash between what is being learned in class and adjusting the language to society. 
3. Identity categories and educational changes. Creating a supportive environment where everyone identity is included in the classroom and respected.
4.  Identity and literacy. Literacy practice can really help people develop and better adjust outside of the classroom. 
5. Identity and resistance. Resistance can be troublesome when it comes to developing second language acquisition.

These are all very important contributing factors that we as future teachers need to consider and to better understand our students. We need to take into consideration who our students are and embrace their identity in the classroom. When we have students who are experiencing difficulty understanding the social context of another culture it may lead many students to restrain themselves from learning a second language and culture. Students’ affective filter is trigger and can cause the students to be less motivated to learn a new language and assimilate to the culture.

In the article, “Social Identity, Investment and Language learning”, it discuss important concern that as teacher we should take. I believe it was very important to encourage our students to try to further develop their language outside of classroom. I also believe it is very important to make our students be more of multicultural citizens and be accepting of who they are in society. I like the objective mention and discuss in this article to better help our ELL students feel more comfortable speaking their L2, such as,

1. Investigative opportunities to interact with target language speakers.
2. Reflect critically on engagement with target language speakers.
3. Reflect on observations in diaries or journals.
4. Pay attention to and record unusual events.
5. Compare data with fellow students and researchers.       

            Additionally, students who are trying to assimilate can be challenging, besides learning a new language. Reading the article about “The Making of an American”, it was very interesting the trajectory of Europeans trying to assimilate into the Americanized way. Surprisingly, Europeans also struggled to assimilate and change their beliefs and values. However, even though there were struggles it was still not as complicated and problematic for them to adapt than someone whose culture was very different from an American and/or European. As future teachers, we need to understand that assimilating can be very problematic for someone whose culture is different from ours. We need to be sensitive and supportive of all students and have an understanding of where they are coming from. Overall, we need to take into consideration who our students are, what is their identity, respect who they are, embrace their identity in the classroom, be sensitive, encourage the best from all students, and be supportive. 
 

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