Entry 2: Interview with a second language learner
In this second vblog I interviewed Jefferson Fernandez, a boy who was brought to the US (UNITED STATES) at an early age and without any knowledge of the English language. He explained that he learned very little English with the traditional way of using books and classroom methods. But it was not until he went to South Carolina that he felt forced and was bullied by classmates that he saw the importance and the need to learn English. His first years in the American educational system he felt like an outcast, it was difficult, and stressful to communicate or understand, no one could really help him because they were all white and did not know his native language. My guest mentioned that he was embarrassed by his pronunciation and that it was difficult to relate to his classmates. But now Jefferson is an overcomer that encourages all newcomers to be brave and fully immerse themselves in the language and practice every day until they get better.
Personally, I can relate to Jefferson's testimony and am currently living it with one of my new student this school year. Sherly just arrived from France and knows very little English. She is noticeably quiet; she does not show enthusiasm and hardly speaks to anyone in class due to the language barrier. As an educator, what I have done and seems to show improvement is what Wright suggested. “Want to know how they are progressing in listening and speaking English? Talk with them.” (Pg. 148) I talk to her about things outside of school, I play games like charades where the students act out and sees the picture, and we also read together during practice problems. I want to make a difference and work hard to help ELL students. I don't want to see other kids going through what Jefferson felt. I want to be a source of support and help.
Hello Suani! I really enjoyed your interview video! I think it's very interesting that the boy you interviewed tried learning English the "traditional" way of using books and classroom methods, which he found didn't work for him and so he decided to not learn until he was faced with adversity. I find that interesting because a lot of the time, and from personal experience, language is best learned when you speak to people who learn the language and read in the language and write in the language. Any other method just seems in-genuine and can dissuade the learner from continuing to learn. It is sad that he was embarrassed of his accent when learning and speaking English though, I can understand that fear of stepping into something as unknown as learning a language because you only know you're wrong when natives tell you you're wrong. This was a great interview!
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your thoughts.
DeleteWith all your respect Nana, I don’t think Jefferson had a choice on how or when to learn English. What I understood was that the teacher did not spend enough time trying to get to know her student on a deeper level. If the teacher would had instead more time maybe she would of discovered that traditional way was not the route. As educator we have to be aware of the type of learners that we have in our class and being able to contribute to their needs. Wright said, “Many ELLs are made invisible in very system that claims to be making them visible and addressing their needs” (Wright, Pg. 128) As a future educator I felt sorrow and it was an eye-opening experience because a lot of students go through this. Let's make a difference.
Hi Suani! First off, I really enjoyed listening to your interview with Jefferson. It was very professional and I could tell your questions were planned beforehand and well thought out. As I was listening to Jefferson talk about his language experience, I heard him say some things that reminded me of my own experience. Although I was not born outside of the US like him, I was still an ELL student as a child because I grew up in a Spanish-only speaking household. I also had a teacher that would make us only talk to her in English. I feel like this method really put me out of my comfort zone then, but at the same time I also feel like it helped me learn English faster. Like Jefferson mentioned, the more you practice it the easier it gets. One part of the interview that I found really upsetting as a future teacher is when he said that he was being bullied for the language barrier he had between him and his classmates. The United States is the most diverse country in the world, and as teachers in the US we need to educate children about diversity and about being respectful about other peoples' cultures. This can be done in many different ways. Teachers should involve other cultures in the curriculum so that all students feel like they are in a safe environment and feel accepted. Something else that I noticed during the interview is that he said that there were not many ELL student in the classroom, and out of those ELL students, he was the only one born outside of the US. I wonder if his teachers used cooperative learning in their classrooms since all of his classmates knew English. (Wright 65.) I believe this could have helped Jefferson with his language learning. This was a great interview, I really enjoyed it!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Paloma, for leaving that amazing comment. I could not have agreed any more with you on the following points: explaining diversity to student and incorporating strategies that Wright suggested. I believe these ideas will raise awareness, as well help students to be mindful with other classmates. This shoe fit everyone, especially the teacher. The teacher should model kindness and the expectations of how to treat other with respect and find way that can uplift ELL student or any other student. Wright said in page 123 “The appropriate models for a school must be determine by teachers and administrators working collaboratively to study the characteristics and need of the ELLs and other student the desires of their parents and community and the resources of the school”.
Delete