Entry 2: Interview with a young adult or an adult who learned English as a second language in the United States in the public school system
https://youtu.be/lrTwIFrLk90
I interviewed a guy named Paulino who wished to not be recorded on camera but voice was fine.
Paulino was from Mexico like me so we both had to learn the English language as a second language. I know that from the interview I could relate to mostly everything he had to tell me. Paulino had many interesting things to talk about on the education side of learning the language. For persons that were born or brought here at an early age here they have it easier since they would only know one language (English), while others move here from other countries by learning the language and adjusting to the culture have it harder which is actually true.
We also had the same view on how Teachers should help ELL students that were struggling with English. By letting them be themselves and expressing their culture and values is a way to help the students out by showing you care about their background, thus making it easier to interact with them to help them out to learn English. Paulino also stated that it took him roughly 5-8 years to fully understand the English language since sometimes knowing another language can confuse you while trying to express something. (Wright, 2015, p. 31)
Since Paulino has lived in the US for 10 years and his first language was Spanish he is to be considered Bi-lingual by now. (Wright, 2015, p. 21) Knowing two languages gives you a slight edge in many situations even when it comes for applying to a job, you get the added bonus to your resume by adding that extra language you might know. You never know they might just pick you over the other persons in that pool of applicants for the job opening just by knowing that language. From the interview Paulino was able to let me know that "Spanglish" was natural and It was inevitable since it should be embraced because it lets others know that you know more then one language therefore, you are expressing both your own culture and someone else's as well.
Wright, E. W. (2015). Foundations of Teaching English Language Learners: Research, Theory, Policy, and Practice. Caslon Publishing.
Hi Jesus!
ReplyDeleteI completely agree that "spanglish" or just the fact that two languages or more are known should not only be normalized but be embraced. Growing up with a different cultural background and then learning a new language/culture can be very difficult to adjust to. I think it is inspiring that Paulino is able to express himself with two different languages. Paulino thankfully is a part of acculturation which is defined as "immigrants and their children can adapt to the new language and culture without having to sacrifice their own" (Wright, 2015). It is amazing that both cultures and languages are encouraged and I'm glad to see this positive growth mindset.
Wright, Wayne (2015). Foundations for Teaching English Language Learners: Research, Theory, Policy, and Practice. Philadelphia, PA: Caslon, Second Edition.
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DeleteHi Simrah! I also agree on your point of view of "Spanglish" being embraced it shows others that you know two languages, based on this you may struggle retrieving a few words. However, you still know what it is only that your other language is blocking the information in a way, then later on you remember the word and you'd be like that's what it was! Also Paulino is a part of acculturation as you mention since he adapted to a new culture/language without losing his own.
DeleteWright, Wayne (2015). Foundations for Teaching English Language Learners: Research, Theory, Policy, and Practice. Philadelphia, PA: Caslon, Second Edition.
I also agree that this is something that should be embraced! I am guilty of speaking Spanglish all the time. Not because I do not know English, but because I know both languages, sometimes words come out in Spanish faster than I can think of the same word in English. According to Wright (2015, p. 29), "teachers who respect their students' home languages and cultures can be most effective in helping students make the necessary transitions without undercutting the role that parents and families must continue to lay in their education and development." I think that respecting students primary language is key in their development of their L2.
DeleteWright, Wayne (2015). Foundations for Teaching English Language Learners: Research, Theory, Policy, and Practice. Philadelphia, PA: Caslon, Second Edition.
Hi Joselyn, I also agree with your point of view on "Spanglish". Spanglish should be embraced since it demonstrates others that you know another language. I know what you mean about some words being faster to come out in Spanish, because they really are since it was our first language. English however, was not therefore we might struggle to retrieve a few vocabulary words here and there nevertheless, we still try our best to figure out what it is. By respecting the primary language as you stated is in fact an important factor to the children's development for them to grow and be better knowledgeable.
DeleteHi Jesus,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed watching your interview as I could relate to many thing you and Paulino were speaking about. I agree with you in that I too believe it is very important that teachers allow and encourage their student’s culture. Students learn best when they can make real life connections to what it is they are learning. Every child comes with their own set of skills and struggles and learning their background aids in how a teacher can approach their learning. Approaches such as submersion, which means “placing ELL in a mainstream classroom, with no help, this is also considered, sink or swim” (Wright, 2015), is an approach that does not allow for these connections to be made.
Wright, Wayne. Foundations for Teaching English Language Learners: Research, Theory, Policy, and Practice. Philadelphia, PA: Caslon, 2015. Print. Second Edition.
Hi Isabel, I'm glad you enjoyed our video interview. I also believe that the teachers should respect other student's cultures and allow them to express themselves in their own language at school. Getting to know the child as you mention is the best way a teacher can improve on the way they make their approach to teach certain children in their class. Once teachers start making these connections with their children struggling with English the students will feel more comfortable in class and will start interacting better with the teacher.
DeleteWright, Wayne (2015). Foundations for Teaching English Language Learners: Research, Theory, Policy, and Practice. Philadelphia, PA: Caslon, Second Edition.
Hello Jesus,
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed watching your interview with Paulino! Their is so much I would like to comment on, but for this post I will just tell you the first two things that stood out to me. First, he was asked what possible factors could influence students that are learning the English language. He mentioned that ELL students do not receive proper education as they should. In the text it says, "Schools serving poor, minority, and ELLs usually have the least experienced teachers and the fewest resources" (Wright, pg. 14, 2015). Secondly, he was asked how easy or difficult it is for a student to learn the English language. I have heard that learning the English language is not easy. It is one of the hardest languages to learn. Just like anything, it is easier for children to absorb new information compared to an adult. As an adult, not only is it harder for their brain to absorb this information, but like he said, they have to adjust to the new culture too.
Hi Tori! Glad you enjoyed our video interview. As you mention the factors that could possibly influence students learning "English" are key. Paulino as you stated mentions that students might not receive the best quality of education as they should be getting. Wright mentions that for this to be resolved there should be way more experienced teachers to help aid, on this issue. Adjusting to a new culture may take time, but in the end you manage to get it done and start to learn different things. Such as language, culture etc... It's never easy to learn these things but practicing surely will help, if you never try however, then you will have a difficult time adjusting to the language.
DeleteWright, Wayne (2015). Foundations for Teaching English Language Learners: Research, Theory, Policy, and Practice. Philadelphia, PA: Caslon, Second Edition.
Hello again,
DeleteLooking back in the text where it talks about educational achievement, it continues to talk about how ELLs and this issue, but with a positive outlook. "Although limited resources and the challenges of learning English may impede opportunities to learn, ELLs can learn and reach the highest levels of academic achievement..." (Wright, 2015, pg. 15). I agree, it will take time for a ELL to adjust, as their is a lot that comes along with a new culture. Their will be several challenges, but ELLs will overcome these with time and a lot of practice.
Hey Jesus,
ReplyDeleteI agree with Paulino when he said that many ELL students unfortunately do not receive the proper education they deserve and sadly ends up with some of those students dropping out of school. As stated in the text, “The stated purpose of the Title I is to ensure that all children have a fair equal and significant opportunity to obtain a high-quality education and reach, at a minimum, proficiency on challenging State academic achievement standards and State academic assessments (Wright, 2015).” Sadly, even though this is the goal that schools are required to honor, not many of their students truly benefit from this law. I can recall some of my friends from high school telling me that sometimes it feels like there is not point in going to school because they feel like a bother more than a student. On the other hand, there are teachers that go above and beyond what is required of them and those are true heroes in my book! I think his recommendations for what teachers could do to help their ELL students was a fantastic suggestion. I also think Spanglish should be embraced. I use it daily!
Wright, Wayne (2015). Foundations for Teaching English Language Learners: Research, Theory, Policy, and Practice. Philadelphia, PA: Caslon, Second Edition.
Hi Juan, I agree on your point of view as well as ours, it's unfortunate how some children don't receive the quality education they deserve. As a result some students do end up dropping out of school. The students as you mention what Wright said, "students should be able to achieve high-quality education and be able to obtain proficiency on challenging state academic achievement standards (Wright, 2015).” There is that select few teachers as you mention that go above and beyond to try and help these students to help them. Also Spanglish should be embraced since it shows that you know more then one language and may struggle with a few words here and there, but in the end you still know what it means.
DeleteWright, Wayne (2015). Foundations for Teaching English Language Learners: Research, Theory, Policy, and Practice. Philadelphia, PA: Caslon, Second Edition.
HI Jesus,
ReplyDeleteI agree that one as an ELL can reach their full potential in acquiring a new language if one can relate it to their own culture or familiarity. As a teacher, the teacher plays many roles that a ELL student may only encounter outside their home. A teacher is a communicator, educator, evaluator and an agent of socialization (Wright, 2015, pgs 28-29). I believe if one at the same time can embrace their own culture at the same time as receiving a new language outside of their culture, one will be more receptive to the new information.
Wright, Wayne (2015). Foundations for Teaching English Language Learners: Research, Theory, Policy, and Practice. Philadelphia, PA: Caslon, Second Edition.
Hi Jesus! I think it is absolutely true that student’s cultures should be celebrated within the classroom. Teachers should take students’ cultures as a teaching opportunity and should embrace the differences and even the similarities between cultures. For this reason it is sad that the following statement is true: “Schools serving poor, minority, and ELLs usually have the least experienced teachers and the fewest resources” (Wright, pg. 14, 2015). I also think it is important to note how you said that people who know two languages can give you a boost when looking for jobs. America is a diverse country and being able to accommodate a wide range of people, languages, and cultures is important.
ReplyDelete