Entry 1
Video Entry 1
Lourdes Ortega writes about a critical time of age for the addition of another language found in research (2013, pg. 12). It is the concept that people learn another language best while they are children rather than while they are adults. There is compelling evidence there is in fact a sensitive period for language acquisition (Ortega, 2013, pg. 13) whether it be a first language or a second language. I find myself leaning towards the belief that this theory holds true. When I was in pre-school and elementary, I learned how to count to twenty, I learned how to say all the colors, how to say "car", "I am hungry," "I am thirsty," and a few other simple phases in Spanish. I can remember how to say these things easier than anything else I was taught in middle school through college. Wayne E. Wright, writes about the achievement gap in regards of socioeconomic status (2015, pg. 13). Those who are high SES perform above those who are low SES. In one of my previous classes, we learned this could be due to the fact parents who are low SES are working multiple jobs with little time to help their children with school work. With students who are English Language Learners, this could be compounded misfortune because over 60 percent of ELL are also low SES (Wright, pg. 13). Their parents most likely speak little to no English, unable to assist them in learning another language and are unable to help with school work.
Lourdes Ortega writes about a critical time of age for the addition of another language found in research (2013, pg. 12). It is the concept that people learn another language best while they are children rather than while they are adults. There is compelling evidence there is in fact a sensitive period for language acquisition (Ortega, 2013, pg. 13) whether it be a first language or a second language. I find myself leaning towards the belief that this theory holds true. When I was in pre-school and elementary, I learned how to count to twenty, I learned how to say all the colors, how to say "car", "I am hungry," "I am thirsty," and a few other simple phases in Spanish. I can remember how to say these things easier than anything else I was taught in middle school through college. Wayne E. Wright, writes about the achievement gap in regards of socioeconomic status (2015, pg. 13). Those who are high SES perform above those who are low SES. In one of my previous classes, we learned this could be due to the fact parents who are low SES are working multiple jobs with little time to help their children with school work. With students who are English Language Learners, this could be compounded misfortune because over 60 percent of ELL are also low SES (Wright, pg. 13). Their parents most likely speak little to no English, unable to assist them in learning another language and are unable to help with school work.
Hi! In your entry you discussed the Achievement Gap and how it impacts ELLs. This connects back to the importance of teachers knowing about theirs students culture and home environment. WIDA works to provide education systems the needed resources and tools to help ELLs be successful through their assessment, research, and standards (WIDA, 2014). WIDA’s philosophy included two factors that I felt connected to the achievement gap and the teachers role, communities and educators. WIDA talks about communities which refers to expanding teachers, students, families, and school’s view through “diverse experiences” that will provide support for students (WIDA, 2014). The “diverse experiences” might not be possible for every community due to different levels of SES. WIDA also talks about the role of Educators to advocate and engage students and families when working to develop a new language (WIDA, 2014). Teachers can work to involve parents but it can be difficult if parents work a lot. This connects back to Achievement gaps and the impact SES has on every learner and community especially ELLs because there is a language barrier.
ReplyDeleteWIDA. (2014). The WIDA can do philosophy. WIDA Boar of Regents of The University of Wisconsin System. Www.wida.us
I agree it can be difficult to involve parents when they do not have the time due to work and sometimes parents do not put an emphasis on education like an educator would hope. Wright mentions the circumstances in which learning is difficult for those in low income homes crowded living conditions, high crime rates, little access to nearby libraries, making it hard to "find quiet places to study, do homework, and obtain resources to complete school assignments." (2015, p. 15)
DeleteWright also mentions teachers should take all these circumstances into consideration in order to help English Language Learners rise above and achieve a high level of academic achievement which is something you referenced from the WIDA (p. 15.) He also mentions the more a teacher knows about their student and their circumstances, the better they can advise their student (p. 17). I hope most teachers would take into consideration that each student is unique and their situations can make them react differently.
DeleteHello Veronica, I thought your introduction video was very interesting. I also had the same type of schooling that you mentioned. It was very textbook and worksheet oriented. I was interested in the part in your reflection that children learn a second language better than when they are adults. Wright (2015) provides a table that suggests that there are advantages of both young and older students when it comes to learning a new language (p. 37). I do understand how you can think that only when children are young can they learn a new language. After all, many of the classes I have been in here at the University of Houston, say that children have a specific time in their lives where they are like “sponges” soaking up everything around them. I have to say different, since I myself have learned more Spanish as an older person.
ReplyDeleteWright, Wayne. Foundations for Teaching English Language Learners: Research, Theory, Policy, and Practice. Philadelphia, PA: Caslon, 2015. Print. Second Edition.
Hi Eddy. Both Wright (2015) and Ortega (2013) mention there are advantages to learning as an adult or as a child. I find it interesting you learned more Spanish while you were older because you are one of the few people I know to do so. Both of my brothers learned Spanish in high school (enough to test out in college), while I learned very little. Wright (2015) mentions Noam Chomsky's hypothesis that "children have the innate ability... to learn language," which coincides with what I learned as a child.
DeleteOrtega, L. (2013). Understanding second language acquisition. Routledge.
Wright, Wayne (2015). Foundations for teaching english language learners: research, theory, policy, and practice. Calson.