Entry 2: ELL Interview
For the video log, I interviewed 20-year-old Gabby who learned English as a second language. Gabby originally spoke Spanish at home with her parents until she started going to public school in the United States at age 5. She is a bilingual speaker who is currently proficient in both languages. Gabby explained that from kindergarten to 4th grade, she was only in Spanish speaking classes and did not fully understand American culture. She did not spend a lot of time having informal conversations with English speakers until the 5th grade when she was placed in a general education classroom. Ortega explains that, "naturalistic learners learn the L2 through informal opportunities in multicultural neighborhoods, schools, and workplaces" (Ortega, 2013, p.6). It was not until Gabby was placed in a classroom with native speakers when the cultural aspects associated with the English language became apart of Gabby's daily lifestyle.
Gabby also talked about some of the activities used in a formal classroom setting that helped her with both reading and speaking English. When reading a book in English, they would have to translate it in Spanish. Then, when they would read books in Spanish, they would have to translate them to English. The teachers highlighted both languages and allowed them to build off of one another. According to Ortega, most students learn best when our formal instruction is being taught along with the informal conversations the ELLs are having. (Ortega, 2013, p.6). The information presented in students courses need to support their natural experiences.
Ortega,
L. (2013). Understanding second language acquisition. Routledge.
Hi, Morgan! I found it interesting that your interviewee, Gabby, did not have informal conversations with English speakers until the 5th grade when she took only English classes, even though her education until that point was bilingual. I think we can best relate this to the silent period, which is a period in which second language learners sort of sit back, observe, and absorb this new language for a while, until they feel ready enough to express themselves (EducationRoundTable, 2012). Also, as Ortega (2011) states “age may exert universal influences on the learning of a second language, but context moderates these universal effects,” (p. 17) meaning that although Gabby began learning English at age five, we must consider the context in which she learned it. In other words, she did not learn English quickly, based on her comfort level throughout elementary school, due to the fact that she was still learning Spanish alongside it.
ReplyDeleteReferences:
[EducationRoundTable]. (2012, Aug 14). How Do Kids Learn A Second Language? Part 1 [Video File]. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/rvXnkEuW46g
Ortega, L. (2011). Understanding second language acquisition. London: Routledge.
I have noticed that a lot of the time, ELLs will spend more time with other students that also speak their native language. This was especially true for Gabby, who was in ESL classes where she was separated from native speakers until the 5th grade. Ortega explains that, "classroom environment (e.g. teacher, curriculum, instructional quality) can play in boosting or depleting motivation to learn an additional language" (2013, p.175). If students do not feel included by the native speakers around them, this motivation is less likely to happen. This is why it is so important for schools and educators to make sure that ELLs are being included in the social contexts with English speakers at some point throughout the day.
DeleteOrtega, L. (2013). Understanding second language acquisition. Routledge.
On the note of motivation and feeling included by native speakers, if English language learners do not have this, it may be harder for them to be comfortable enough to learn the language. As stated by CLILandthings (2016), the second language theory of humanism states that if we want children to fulfill their potential and have a good self esteem, they should have a psychological foundation once their basic needs have been met. This psychological foundation, based on Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, includes belongingness, just as you mentioned. With this being said, even second language theories support inclusion in helping children achieve their full potential.
DeleteReferences:
[CLILandthings]. (2016, Sep 22). Second language acquisition theories [Video File]. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/CMdseB-EB8Y
Yazmin I agree with your statement in regards to motivation. Ortega (2011) states, "Other SLA researchers emphasize general socio-educational and motivational factors in connection to age effects on L2 learning." (Ortega, p. 41) I noticed in my own classes during my Student Teaching 1 that the ELL students were very quiet and did not engage with my mentor teacher. I spent some time with them helping them understand certain Science concepts that was lost on them while my mentor teacher was teaching. They then began to solely come to me with questions and I feel I essentially motivated them to actually do well in the class and try.
DeleteReference:
Ortega, Lourdes. Second Language Acquisition. London: Routledge, 2011. Print
Morgan, I found your interview with Gabby very interesting. One thing that struck my attention in your interview was how Gabby mentioned her experience of reading in English while thinking about the text in Spanish. I believe she also mentioned an experience similar to this later in the interview as well. This reminded me of the Gass and Selinker's text in which they discussed the phenomenon of code switching (Gass & Selinker, 2008, p. 29-30). Based on Gabby's explanation I believe this is what she experiences in those moments. According to Gass and Selinker, code switching occurs when an individual switches back and forth between their languages in one context. Specifically, the writers note that this occurs because, for Gabby, English and Spanish and activated at the same time. I found this interesting because I learned that this occurs for the individual I interviewed as well. As a monolingual, I had not heard code switching before this class, however I have learned that this may be common for many bilinguals.
ReplyDeletePhenomenon like this really do make you realize how much more developed a bilingual/multilingual speaker's language can become when both languages are fostered. Because of this benefit, "Acknowledging that in many cases people bring knowledge of multiple languages to the process of learning an additional language," is essential for teachers to understand (Ortega, 2013, p.48). Code switching is one of the most obvious examples of how bilingual speakers can draw from each language in a profitable way.
DeleteOrtega, L. (2013). Understanding second language acquisition. Routledge.
I agree that understanding code-switching in depth can help us as future educators better understand our bilinguals and second language learners. Another important aspect of second language learning is understanding the differences in the learning processes of bilinguals compared to monolinguals. Specifically, Rowland (2014, p. 189-190) points out that there are many factors, such as family background, socioeconomic status, and individual differences, that play an important role in determining their success as a bilingual. Furthermore, Rowland also states that three specific factors that impact language acquisition are, "a) age of acquisition, b) amount and type of input, and c) attitudes to bilingualism" (Rowland, 2014, p. 189-190).
DeleteI agree with Gabby that learning the basis of English is the most difficult part. You have to lay the ground before you are able to build up on anything. Being that she learned English at such a young age is a good thing because she had learnability which is defined as the ability to learn a new language, because they are young, and not only the native language of their parents. (Rowland, 6) She is right it is at the younger age where you are best able to learn. Now that she has moved to America it is understand that English has become her dominant language because here that is the most popular language used.
ReplyDeleteIt is definitely true that children are able to learn most things more efficiently than adults do. You would assume the opposite, because adults have the ability to use higher level thinking skills, but it is due to the plasticity of a child's mind that they are able to absorb more information in a shorter time span. Rowland also suggests that language is, "pre-encoded in our genes and has a direct effect on how the brain is built" and this is why infants are designed to learn language (2014, p.16). From the information that I know about synapses and development of the brain, I can best conclude that once a person ages, additional languages cannot be acquired as easily.
DeleteRowland, Caroline. Understanding Child Language Acquisition. New York: Routledge, 2014.
Hi Morgan! Your interviewee's story is a lot like the person I interviewed! Since Gabby is proficient in both English and Spanish she would be considered a balanced bilingual according to Rowland who states, "children who are equally competent in two languages (balanced bilinguals) are relatively rare" (2014, page 176). There are so many factors when it comes to categorizing multilinguals because they differ so much. They all learn their second language at different ages, the amount and type they learn varies, and they all have different situations. I am glad that Gabby's teacher allowed his/her students to build off of each language they knew and/or were learning. This is something I plan on doing in my future classroom because of the importance of strengthening both languages.
ReplyDeleteRowland, Caroline. Understanding Child Language Acquisition. New York: Routledge, 2014.
Balanced bilingualism is an interesting concept due to how proficiency can vary based on the topic of discussion. Rowland explains that because languages are spoken by children in different contexts, "competence may differ according to the situation" (2014, p.176). This is why it is difficult to learn a second language in a closed environment where everything is formally taught. You are not exposed to a large variety of settings, therefore your language proficiency will be lacking. A good example of this would be someone who had never been to a restaurant before. Even if they were speaking in their native language, they would not know how to interact in this situation. For someone speaking a second language, this scenario implies even more so. If Gabby is speaking Spanish at home with her family, and only speaks English at school around her peers, you might notice a difference in her level of comfort in these two environments.
DeleteRowland, Caroline. Understanding Child Language Acquisition. New York: Routledge, 2014.
Great interview. It is important to ask follow-up questions to clarify and make the conversation flow and you do an awesome job. Lots of great ideas to discuss here with your classmates. Excellent jobs at providing hints and helping your interviewee express her thoughts.
ReplyDeleteHi Morgan!
ReplyDeleteWhen you were interviewing Gabby, there was some similarities I could relate to her. For example, I was also placed in Spanish speaking classes throughout my elementary grades. Ortega states on chapter 4 that, “the benefits of interaction on L2 learning may need some time to manifest” (Ortega, p. 67). I cannot stress that it takes time and practice for a new language to be implemented. In school, one is able to learn English some way even if you cannot not orally speak it, at least you will have knowledge of the language once surrounded by people that help you.
References
Ortega, L. (2009). The Empirical Link Between Interaction And Acquisition . In Understanding Second Language Acquisition (p. 67). London: Hodder Education.
I believe that the interview with Gabby was extremely interesting, however, did she ever express what challenges she faced by being in only Spanish-speaking classes until the fifth grade? Did her teachers encourage her to speak the language or was she not comfortable with the second language during that time? What motivated her to finally start speaking her second language besides finally being placed in majority English-speaking classes? In Chapter 4, Ortega expresses that "L2 learning may need some time to manifest" (Ortega 67), so my question is did Gabby only begin learning L2 after fifth grade? Was there any additional resources available to Gabby to encourage her learning and make her more comfortable?
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