Blog 4

This semester in second language acquisition, my knowledge has improved tremendously when understanding how much goes behind the scenes when students are learning their second language.  From what a student may have gone through in the past, to their motivation and learning style, everything plays a factor in how successful the student will be in mastering their L2 language.  I have learned many things that will help me consider motivation levels, their age, and the environment in the classroom.  These were the three topics that we talked about during the course that stuck to me the most and I feel made the biggest difference to me in understanding second language acquisition. 

As a future teacher, I have learned that different ways of feedback can trigger student motivation in either a positive or negative way.  It is important for us to understand what works best for our students so that we do not discourage them with our words.  There are many researchers who believe that negative feedback is essential for classroom instruction.  However, “most researchers argue that negative feedback is beneficial for learning because it is the single most relevant way for L2 learners to figure out what is not possible in the target language (Ortega, 2012, p. 72).  While giving feedback, it is important that you get to know your kids first.  That way, you know how you would like to provide feedback that will allow the best response from your kids.  Sometimes, prior experiences with other teachers will shape this preference as well.

If we could spend more time in this class to focus on one topic, I would like to learn more about transferability.  Chapter 3 was so in depth and rather interesting on how there are so many determinants that play a role in transferability. Ortega explains, “What gets or does not get transferred is also in part determined by: universal constraints and processes, such as developmental sequences and markedness, that apply across all natural languages and play a role in L1 as well as L2 acquisition; psychological perceptions of transferability, inherent complexity of the L2 subsystem in question, and proficiency level (Ortega, 2012, p. 53).  Because the tendency of two complementary principles is “what works in the L2 may work in the L2” (p. 53), it is the responsibility of a teacher to consider the two languages the student is working with.  This will help with forecasting upcoming challenges the student may have because we can predict where disconnects may be.

The assignments and blog posts done in this class have helped me connect my learnings from text to the classroom.  Many bilingual teachers and colleagues I have interviewed have had experiences that correlate directly to what research has stated so it is interesting to see the connection throughout this course.  I have always known that age and sociocultural factors play a role in the quality and success of L2 learning success, but not in the detail that this course has provided me.  I think second language acquisition is something that you will continue to learn about in the field as you will see many other scenarios that supports research.

Blog 3

Reflection

My interview with Mrs. Corona was rather interesting because some of her responses related to theories I have learned this semester, some others, not so much.  One thing that really stuck out to me was that Mrs. Corona thought that her students learn better without intention.  I also thought this prior to reading the textbook, which Ortega states, “Yes, incidental learning, or learning without intention, is possible in L2 learning. The best-known example is the incidental learning of L2 vocabulary while reading for pleasure. However, people learn faster, more and better when they learn deliberately or with intention (Ortega, 2012, p. 207).”  I really admire that Mrs. Corona tries to help her students with anxiety because this does directly correlate to grades, proficiency performances, and learning.  According to Ortega, “Foreign language anxiety is a measurable, L2 specific affective variable that is associated with a number of symptoms, including lower grades, lower proficiency performances, difficulty with processing and learning new L2 material, reticence and L2 risk-avoiding behaviours. Its roots can be found in overall low self-concept regarding general academic abilities and in unrealistic beliefs about language learning (Ortega, 2012, p. 213).” I also agree with Mrs. Corona that students first must understand the importance of why they are learning their L2 language.  Once they see the purpose and see how useful their L2 language will be to them, motivation would also increase. 

Mrs. Corona encourages her student’s by trying to use their peers as their biggest motivators.  All in all, she believes that at the age of five, their biggest motivation is to be able to have fun.  Because that is the case, she tries to use it to her biggest advantage and surround her lesson plans around that.  In order to be beneficial and provide the best learning experience for my students, I plan on getting my bilingual certification before I have my own classroom. 

Blog 2

Blog #2

Reflection 

In this interview, I interviewed Agustina Arena who learned her second language, English, when her family moved to the United States.  Growing up in Argentina, Agustina spoke her native language, Spanish, in school and at home.  Personally, I learned my second language, English, at the same time I was learning Mandarin Chinese.  I think because I learned both languages at such a young age, I don’t have any accents when I speak either languages.  I think it is amazing that Agustina can communicate in both languages without any sort of accent as well.  According to Ortega (2012), accents are likely to develop in L2 languages if the language is learned later in life.  This leads me to believe that at the age Agustina learned English, it was still relatively early (p. 18).

Although Agustina did mention that she did have ESL classes that helped her build her English, she did say that television, friends, and the classroom itself helped her practice.  These strategies of learning language are naturalistic, meaning informal opportunities that did not require organized instruction (Ortega, 2012, p. 6).  Also, according to Rowland (2014), students second language growth is impacted significantly depending on how much exposure they get.  “The more language a child hears, the quicker they will develop language (p. 193).

I think that Agustina could keep her Spanish relevant because she still spoke Spanish to her family at home.  This gave her the chance to retain her L1 language and strengthen her L2 during school settings and at home when she was watching TV.

During her learning process, Agustina expressed that she was frustrated and unable to communicate.  According to Ortega (2012), learning a new language can be harmful to ego, especially until higher levels of proficiency have been reached.  This is because learners do not have good control over what they say in the L2 language (p. 192).  As Agustina learned more English, she became prouder to know the language.  This also made her more comfortable and easier for her to communicate to others. I think L2 speakers that are thrown in an environment where they feel like they cannot communicate flowingly with others often feel this way because it is hard to get their point across sometimes.  After more vocabulary is built, students may feel like they fit in more and are more comfortable with speaking the language because they can now communicate with everyone else.

One thing that really stood out to me is how Agustina mentioned how her Spanish vocabulary is now slowly diminishing because she finds herself more comfortable speaking English.  I can relate to the same situation because now that most of my communication made to my friends, classmates, and professors are in English.  The only time I get a chance to practice my Mandarin is when I speak to my parents or see my extended family.  I do think it is important to hold onto my L1 language because it is a big part of my culture and is what keeps me connected so closely to my family.