Review of Class
My understanding
of the learning of a second or additional language has been broadened through
this class. I, personally, had not realized how much research and thought had
gone into learning how we learn language. Ortega cites many other researchers
in the field of SLA. She recognizes that all research has been imperative in
growing knowledge about second language acquisition. The field is relatively new,
which contributes to some disagreement about different areas and ideas,
including if there are critical and sensitive periods in learning, or how
language is acquired. My ideas about learning a second language is in alignment
with Ortega’s text. I especially
appreciated investigation in L2 motivation research. I found this part of the
textbook to be most relevant to my future teaching career. My having a well-founded
understanding of what motivates my ELLs and how I can accommodate to their
intrinsic and extrinsic motivation will only help me to accelerate their
learning of the L2. I intend to become ESL certified after becoming certified
in teaching. At first, this was due to a need to be more hirable. After taking
this class, I now recognize that the need for an understanding on how to better
teach my ELLs is imperative to the advancement of all students in my classroom.
This class
will impact my professional practice in the future by having influenced how I
interact with ELLs. Something as small as contextual distinctions between
foreign, second, and heritage language learners is important for me to
recognize as an educator (Ortega, 2013, p. 6). Learning a second language is a
unique and personal journey that includes many varying factors. A young student
may have only been speaking a second language for weeks. Others learn a new
language at an older age. A student may struggle with a WTC due to suffering from
anxiety or a lack of confidence. This must all be taken into account while
teaching ELLs. My lessons must give support to these students.
I think
that changing how the content is assessed could be improved. One of the tests
was extremely difficult, even having read the material. It felt like the
questions were trying to trick me rather than assess my knowledge. I feel that
having smaller quizzes over the material covered for the week may prepare
students for what is expected on the tests. This is used in all of my other
classes, and it seems beneficial for chunking knowledge instead of just one
end-of-unit test.
I believe that the blog is the main
aspect of this class. I was able to communicate with other students in the
class, just like in a face-to-face classroom. It was interesting to read others’
viewpoints. This kind of interaction allowed for me to not be able to interrupt
during their end of the conversation and then be able to purposefully plan my
reaction to their ideas. I appreciate having this kind of environment setup in
my learning. I was also appreciative of having to cite sources, as this caused
me to make connections to the text.
