Reflection:
By interviewing Mrs. Le I learned about many challenges everyone faces in their life. However, they can also overcome those challenges with the support from their friends and family. When Mrs. Le was very young it was a very difficult time for her to communicate in school with her friends and teachers. Researchers have stated. "For one, in the case of very young children who are exposed to several languages, it may be impossible to determine whether the two or more languages in question are being learned simultaneously (that is, bilingually or multilingually) or sequentially (that is, as an L2)." (Ortega, 2011, Pg. 5). Even with many challenges and struggles she still continued to learn English. She then started getting pulled out for ESL classes, which was very beneficial for her. I can relate to that, because when I had first started attending schools in America I was struggling to comprehend certain instructions in English. So I started attending ESL classes which really helped me improve in my writing and fluency as well. Even though sometimes people may have to attend ESL classes for several years it is very beneficial for them throughout the upcoming years. For example, Mrs. Le had to attend ESL classes for several years and even though she was unable to speak English very well, she was still a good writer. Main way Mrs. Le received support was with her classroom friends and teachers as well. She wasn't getting help by having a translator translate a certain lesson to her. But her teacher and friends communicated with her in a well educated manner where it was easier for her to grasp the language in a new way as well. Mrs. Le also received help with her grammar because it was really different compared to what she had known. Researchers have stated, "Whether in second, foreign or heritage language teaching, the battles have been for and against traditional grammar teaching and alternative meaning-oriented proposals, including communicative language teaching, task-based curricula, content-based instruction and focus on form instruction." (Ortega, 2011, Pg. 8). With the help received with communication and certain instructions being presented to the students it made things easier for Mrs. Le to make connections and comprehend certain criteria better. When Mrs. Le used to live in a small community she faced few challenges where people would make rude comments when she would pass by them. Which would leave her to question her lifestyles compared to others. However, her friends in school never let her feel different around them. Researchers have stated, "Sympathizers of anti-immigrant movements in various countries lament that newcomers to their societies allegedly refuse to learn the language of
the majority and persist in settling for rudimentary survival language skills only, even after decades of living in their new country." (Ortega, 2011, Pg. 8). However, when Mrs. Le had came to America she was ready to learn English and overcome all the challenges she was going to be facing. Even with the daily struggles she was facing from her neighbors, that didn't stop her from becoming successful and becoming a leader for young individuals in her current lifestyle. Mrs. Le is currently a first grade teacher and teaches a GT class in the grade level. She also tutors children after school to help them with math or any needed subjects they may need help on.
To learn more about Mrs Le please click the link below. Thank You!
Interview of a Second Language Speaker Video
ReplyDeleteSeemin,
Your video was great! You conducted a very well and thought out interview with Mrs. Le. I liked the part where she discussed how ESL classes helped her and benefited her. I liked it because a lot of times students don’t benefit from the ESL classes being removed from their class and missing out on key information; though for Ms. Lee she found it beneficial and useful for her speech and grammar. Ortega mentions how, “vocabulary knowledge strength concerns the relative ability to use a given known word productively or to recognize it passively” (Ortega, 2011. Pg. 88) The mere fact that Mrs. Le continued to get the help she needed and never let the language barrier or her struggles interfere says a lot. I’m happy she used her knowledge and education to become a teacher and tutor students that were once like her. Seemin you mentioned Mrs. Le being a great writer does she continue to write now; any books she’s written? Is she ESL certified?
Ortega, Lourdes. Second Language Acquisition. London: Routledge, 2011. Print
Jolie,
DeleteI agree with you about how its rare for many students to benefit from going to ESL classes. Because most often times many students fall behind in their regular classes since they are missing certain parts of the lesson while they are out. However, for Mrs. Le it was different since her teacher and friends were supporting her throughout this journey. Researchers have stated, "It seeks to understand universal, individual and social forces that influence what gets acquired, how fast, and how well, by different people under different learning circumstances." (Ortega, 2011, Pg. 10). Mrs. Le was very social with everyone around her. She would always grasp the new concept quick since she was always able to ask any question if she couldn't understand. Because her teachers and friends have built the comfort around her, so she is very comfortable around them. So learning English wasn't a barrier of not doing certain things. However, as I mentioned in my video Mrs. Le loves to write any lesson plan or letters or certain essays. However, she hasn't wrote a book of hers yet. But she is ESL certified now and helps all her students comprehend a second language better by tutoring them after school as well.
Awesome video Seemin! It was really cool to learn more about Mrs. Le. I find it very interesting that she struggled more with the verbal aspect of learning English as well as the writing aspect. It is very unique that she felt her strong point was spelling! I think that is pretty cool because she would know how to spell certain words but struggled when communicating or writing. Ortega states that, "phonological decoding, which refers to the fluent ability to access spelling cues and automatically integrate them to identify words and retrieve associated meanings," (Ortega, 2009, pg.153). With her capability to memorize her spelling, she was able to decode and improve her reading and writing.
ReplyDeleteSara,
DeleteIt is always a struggle for many English Language Learners to have verbal issues while learning English. Because many vowel and phonemic words sound similar to them. I also agree with you how it was very interesting for Mrs. Le to have a passion for writing now when before she was struggling to spell certain words and disliked it. Researchers have stated, "It is clear that learners make ample use of memorized bits and pieces of language." (Ortega, 2011, Pg. 114). So I think once Mrs. Le started memorizing certain word blends and vocabulary for words it helped her improve in writing her spelling and made her start liking to write more.
Hi Seemin,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed watching your interview video. I wanted to start off by saying that Mrs. Le’s story is inspirational. She started off not knowing any English and now she teaches at 1st grade GT class. She was motivated and determined to learn a second language. Ortega states “In many parts of the globe, most children grow up speaking two or more languages simultaneously. These cases are in fact the majority in our species. (Ortega 4).” Mrs. Le falls into that category. I hope that Mrs. Le can help any students that she has who are struggling with English and make a difference in their lives.
Almira,
DeleteI would like to say that I absolutely agree with you when it comes to talking about Mrs. Le's story being very inspirational for us. Because many often times when you don't know a certain language especially English people give up and do things they are comfortable doing which is working around their primary speaking language. But Mrs. Le has been a huge successful person and is also making a difference in young individuals lives as well. Many often times individuals are always forced to learn another language and forget their current languages as well. However, Mrs. Le continued to speak her first language at home and continued to strive for excellence to learn English in school. Researchers have stated, "Many others will be forced by life circumstances to learn enough of the additional language to fend for themselves in selected matters of daily survival, compulsory education or job-related communication." (Ortega, 2011, Pg. 1). Within Mrs. Le's daily work life, after school she's always tutoring students to help them learn English and gain a certain strategy Mrs. Le had used to become a successful educator.
Hello Seemin,
ReplyDeleteYour interview video was truly a self-reflection for me. Mrs.Le's life journey and her ability to acquire the new language is very congruent to my own. I find it very amazing and inspiring ,that a person who once could not speak the language, is now in charge of teaching kids in the new acquired language. Unlike Mrs.Le ,I had trouble with spelling when I first began developing the English language. I strongly agree with her that social interaction is a great resource of helping a person acquire a new language at a faster speed. Mrs.Le stated that her motivation was to learn the new language in order to communicate with her friends. Rowland , described in her book that an individual environment can play a huge role when it comes to learning a new language (Rowland 17 ). In my opinion , Mrs.Le grew up in a great environment despite some issue that she faced along her journey. It sounds like she had a huge support from all her teachers. To wrap everything up , I really enjoyed watching and reading about Mrs.Le's journey .
Keyerra,
ReplyDeleteI think no matter what may occur within an individuals lifestyle to learn a second language its always going to be difficult for them to do so. However, it can only become successful if you work hard and keep a positive mindset about what you want to achieve. Researchers have stated, "Negative feedback can be provided in interactive discourse orally, but it also occurs very often in writing (both in classrooms and in non-school contexts for professional, technical and creative writing) and in the context of technology-mediated communication and study." (Ortega, 2011, Pg. 71). Mrs. Le faced many negative circumstances within her life where her neighbors and certain people around her wouldn't support her and make rude comments that would lead her to loose hope. However, Mrs. Le would just write about it without fighting back or giving up. With the constant writing about the negative comments she is now a successful writer and loves to write. There are always certain circumstances within an individuals life that cause students to give up but an individual should never give up and keep striving for success, just like how Mrs. Le had.
Emmanuel,
ReplyDeleteI would like to agree with you that people who can't speak a certain language in their earlier lifestyles, then throughout the years after getting a degree they are making a difference in peoples lives as well. I am glad to hear that you were also an English Language Learner yourself. And I agree with you that its really not easy to get out of the phase of not knowing something to finally comprehending things better and able to interact with other people as well. Researchers have stated, "Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL) is a school of linguistics that respecifies
grammar as a social semiotic process, that is, as the social action of meaning-
making, which always occurs in context and is driven by functions and purposes in
the lives of communities." (Ortega, 2011, Pg. 233). I think for Mrs. Le all the social interactions she had with her classmates and different teachers made her grammar become successful as well. Because the more social an individual may be then the more they start talking and throughout the time their grammar eventually improves as well. However, Mrs. Le's inspirational studies proves that you should always become very social around people because you can always learn new things and improve in certain struggles you may be having grammatically.