Entry 4

While taking this course, I was simultaneously taking second language acquisition. I felt that taking these two classes at the same time was at times very difficult, but also very insightful and I was able to make immediate connections between the two classes. I now understand how much work it takes to learn a second language as well as all of the different factors that can either hinder or benefit a person’s ability to learn a second language. 

This class has impacted my professional practice by creating an eye-opening experience for me. The fact that the U.S. Census Bureau identified 381 different languages spoken in our homes across our country (Wright, 2015, p.8) amazes me. As future educators, we must remind ourselves that everyone has a different background and that background influences their learning, abilities and personal experiences. We must never forget that since all of our students are different from each other in so many different ways, that we must do our best to cater to their needs in order to make sure they are successful in our classroom. We must know what accommodations are necessary and how to properly implement them in our classroom for our students. It has also impacted my professional practice by showing me different strategies I want to incorporate into my future classroom. Social interaction is so important for ELLs. I want to make sure that I have the most time available for them to socialize with others in our classroom. Wright (2015) “The most important and beneficial listening and speaking that students will do is through interaction with the teacher, their fellow ELLs, and proficient English speakers within the sociocultural contexts of their classroom, school, and neighborhood. Interaction is crucial for English language development” (Pg.170).

I feel that there are no concepts that we were taught in this class that should be skipped over. I found this class to be very informative and insightful. The information that we were given from the readings, PowerPoints and summaries was helpful to making sure that we understood all concepts being discussed in this class. I also found the VBlogs to be beneficial to my learning as well. We were able to see many different ideas being discussed between our other classmates. It gave me the opportunity to learn from my peers and get a sense of classroom community even though this is an online class. Those two concepts are something that we have been taught to do in our future classrooms and seeing how beneficial it was, just proves that it isn’t a waste of time. Normally with an online class it is hard to accomplish all of these things, but we were able to do it with this class and it shows how beneficial that type of teaching can be when done properly. 

This course helped me to realize just how important a great teacher is to an English Language Learner. One person can be such a huge influence (either positive or negative) to someone who is learning a language. It makes me think of my philosophy with ELLs in a deeper way. It reminds me to also support and be respectful to those who are learning a new language and to incorporate that respect and support into my students who aren’t learning a new language. I want to create life-long learners in my classroom, but I also want to instill the idea of respecting others into my students as well. 

Wright, Wayne (2015). Foundations for Teaching English Language Learners: Research, Theory, Policy, and Practice. Philadelphia, PA: Caston, Second Edition.

Entry 3

For my interview, I interviewed Mrs. Smith. I have known her for many years and it was great to get to learn more about her everyday schedule and routine inside of her classroom. 

Mrs. Smith talked about how in her routine that she does many different things. In the younger grades, she does a pull out system, where she pulls students out of their classrooms into hers to work with them on a more intimate level. On the other hand, the older students that she works with, she has more of a co-teaching style. Wright states, “cooperative learning appeals to language teachers because it offers rich opportunities for students to engage in meaningful communication and obtain comprehensible input as they interact to complete academic tasks” (Wright, 2015, p. 63). Mrs. Smith talked about how she thinks this style of teaching is beneficial because they are able to learn many different things at once. 

Mrs. Smith also talked a lot about her opinions on high stakes testing. She believes that this is not beneficial to the student if they are at a beginning level. Wright states, “how educators must be aware of the heavy testing burden placed on ELLs and the impact test results can have on students’ and teachers’ lives” (Wright, 2015, p. 119). She feels that students’ can’t be properly assessed based on a year of growth if they are being tested at the same level as a general education student. She feels that since these students are not on the same level, they should not be tested on the same level, which I completely agree with!

Wright, Wayne (2015). Foundations for Teaching English Language Learners: Research, Theory, Policy, and Practice. Philadelphia, PA: Caston, Second Edition.

Click here to watch my interview! 

Blog Entry 2: Interview with an ELL

I enjoyed this experience very much! I interviewed one of my friends, Ashley. I felt like I was able to understand her experience about growing up in America on a much deeper level after interviewing her. She was born in Korea and was adopted by an American family in Houston, Texas. She grew up speaking Korean before she was adopted when she was four years old. According to Ortega, the biological window for children to acquire their complete L1 is between the ages of four-six (Ortega, 2013, p.12). Ashley’s L1 is Korean. The family that she was adopted by only spoke English.

Her experience in an ESL classroom was a very positive experience for her. She seems to have had a great teacher that helped her tremendously throughout her schooling. I feel as if what her teacher did with using blocks with letters on them to teach her how to spell words is a useful strategy to use. I feel that since she did struggle with the concept that one single letter is not a word, like how a single character is a single word in Korean, this helped her to better understand how to spell words in English. 

Since Ashley was taken out of her general education classroom to a separate room to work with an ESL teacher she was able to get the personal and effective one-on-one time that she needed. “These teachers/specialists would pull students out of their classrooms a few hours a week and provide our ELLs specialized instruction and support” (Wright, 2015, p. 2). I feel that because Ashley was pulled out as much as she was this also really helped her to learn the language as fast as she did.

I feel that ESL classes are very important for students who are trying to learn the language. 

Click here to watch my interview

Reference: 

Wright, Wayne (2015). Foundations for Teaching English Language Learners: Research, Theory, Policy, and Practice. Philadelphia, PA: Caston, Second Edition.

Entry 1: Course Introduction

Hi everyone and welcome to my blog! My name is Mackenzie Smith and I am a senior at the University of Houston. 

According to Wright, “an English language learner (ELL) is a student who is in the process of attaining proficiency in English as a new, additional language” (Wright, 2010, p.1). I believe that ELLs typically have a hard time transitioning into learning a new language, going to school, making friends, and keeping their grades up. I feel that it is important to remind yourself of this when you have an ELL student in your classroom. It is important to make them feel safe inside of your classroom so that way you are able to let them grow to their fullest potential. 

I am nervous to have ELLs in my classroom because I do not want to fail them in my teaching. “The ways educators choose to view their ELLs affects the ways they organize teaching and learning in their classes and the ways administrators structure programs in their schools and districts” (Wright, 2010, p.2). As long as I stay up to date and involved in my ELL students’ lives, I feel that is one way that I can help them to be better in their new language. As a teacher, doing research and finding out what ways your students learn in is a part of your job. I feel that this is one of the most important tasks of our jobs. Making sure that they are able to learn a new language in your classroom with your help and support is the main goal. 

Even though it is a scary thought to have an ELL in my classroom, I know eventually it will happen one day and I can’t wait to accept the challenge and help that student grow to their fullest potential. 

Click here for my video!