Hi everyone,
My name is
Shawn Lightener. I am a senior here at U of H. I am majoring in HDFS with a certificate
in EC-6 Teaching and Learning. I hope to become a fifth-grade math/science
teacher after graduating. Down below I have my blog entry 1 to introduce myself so
you can know a little bit ore about me and my experiences with learning second
languages.
Hey Shawn!
ReplyDeleteI also want to teach elementary math and science. I was also thinking of getting a master’s in education and administration. Right now I am a 4-8, but I was also thinking of getting certification in ec-6 after graduation. Have you ever thought of going to middle school? Don’t get me wrong, I love the middle school but I feel more at home when I taught at elementary. Anyways, Ortega says “as children grow older and their life circumstances diversify, different adolescents and adults will embark on very different kinds of literacy practice and use language for widely differing needs, to the point that neat landmarks of acquisition cannot be demarcated any more.” (2011). What she says is that people will begin learning languages based on their needs and exposure to settings. In your case, you grew up here not needing to learn another language. And as a result, no other languages were acquired although your mother is German. It would be cool to learn German though and maybe use that in your travels.
Ortega, L. (2011). Understanding second language acquisition. London and New York: Routledge.
Hey Joseph,
DeleteGreat point, there really is not a need for me to learn another language. I wanted to learn German for purposes of speaking wit family and traveling. But I also want to learn Spanish because it is dominant language in our surrounding area. Thanks for pointing that out! As far as teaching goes I have thought about teaching middle school. A lot of teachers at the school I am at now tell me I should investigate it more. Thanks for the post.
Shawn,
ReplyDeleteIt is so cool that you want to teach math and that it is your favorite subject. I grew up loving and appreciating math on so many levels because I found other subjects a bit more difficult. Unlike you, it took me a while to begin to read and I started to read in 1st grade. My mom purchased for me a commercial program called “Hooked on Phonics” and she hired some tutors for me. I was also in an ESL classroom for a couple of years in elementary school, surrounded by individuals that spoke Spanish, Korean, Chinese, and Urdu as their primary language. Through all that help in my early years, I can speak English way better than Arabic. Like you, I also want to vacation to many places just to be able to learn more about different cultures and hear and learn new languages. I hope I am given the opportunity to teach in a Spanish-speaking country so that I may learn the language much faster. According to Ortega (2011), learners of a new language learn through a mixture of both a natural and instructional way. In America, there are many opportunities to learn many different languages through a means of an instructional way, but no so much in a natural way. Here in Houston, we have many different languages spoken that learning Spanish for me or for everyone can be learned because there are many Spanish-speaking communities, schools, neighborhoods, and so forth. Although, the best way to learn any language is to immerse yourself in an area where only that language is spoken to force you to have to learn and speak it. That is why I hope to travel and live in different parts of the world. Thanks for sharing your goals and experiences, and go Rockets!
Go Rockets! Yeah, it is most definitely hard to learn a language when you aren't immersed in it. When I'm trying to learn another language right now, I listen to audio from the lesson books that I have bought everyday. I practice writing as well as speaking it to my father. It really does take a lot of dedication to learn another language but it is possible when you keep at it.
DeleteHey there Hussein,
DeleteI agree with you with what you said, stating how language is learned through a mixture of naturally speaking and instruction. I do think that learning a language naturally within a community or school is very beneficial. This is the strategy I use for now until I can fully immerse myself into the Spanish language. Thanks for your input and go rockets!
I would like to know more about your second language experiences? Did you study a foreign language in high school? If so, how successful were you? Are you able to speak any other languages?
ReplyDeleteHey there professor,
DeleteI did not study a foreign language in high school. I decided not to take a foreign language in high school because I my experience did not go so well in middle school. In middle school I learn some Spanish words and phrases, but I was not able to hold a conversation with an individual. So overall, I do not think my foreign language experience was successful. I am not able to speak any other languages, but I plan to learn Spanish and German. Thank you for the comment.
Hey Shawn,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed watching your video. I also want to teach math and science but I am leaning more towards the younger grades such as 2nd. I think trying to move up to administration is great, I hope I can also do the same. I think it’s good how you had Spanish in school although you didn’t learn much. According to Ortega (2011), some people learn a new language in a naturalistic and/or instructional way. I think the instructional part did not help you become effective, but if you were exposed more to the language outside of school you could have learned it a little better. Do you plan on trying to learn the language again? I hope you do, overall great video.
Hey axa,
DeleteYes, the instruction when I learned Spanish in middle school did not benefit me become an effective speaker of Spanish, the instruction was based more on learning phrases rather than speaking to one another in Spanish. Although now I am exposed to the Spanish language a lot more than I was before, so I am slowly learning. I am trying to learn Spanish again, along with German. Learning Spanish is coming slowly but I am gradually learning. I also plan to learn German, but my focus is on learning Spanish right now.
Hello Shawn,
ReplyDeleteI have numerous friends who's parents did not teach them a second language that they were fluent in. I always wish my mom had spoken English and been able to teach me in what Ortega (2011) talks about as the critical spot (p.13). Perhaps your critical time preceded the time most children have theirs as you mentioned be able to read and level of fluency being very advanced. I wonder if there is such a thing and will be interested to learn more!
Hello,
DeleteYou may be right that, stating that most critical time to learn a new language was already gone so it was harder for me learn a new language. There are studies that show that younger children can learn languages easier. The same thing goes with adults when learning new language. So, I am still going to try to learn Spanish and German, and I think it will be a lot easier now that I understand how language acquisition works. Thanks for your post!