A Language Learner

Posted: lunes, 22 de abril de 2013 by DarkWolfSnow in
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What is a language learner?


I have been an English Language learner since I was 5 years old. It a never-ending process that will remain for all my life. Being taught to learn a second language can be more natural for others and at the same time it can be harder for the ones which have not had a wide input in L2. Despite this fact we all are language learners. Each one is different. This is linked to the different theories that have been studied during these last decades. There are internal and external factors that will affect the way you learn a language. It does not matter the age, sex, Mother language you speak; these factors are visible in every single way for L2 learners. Some of them are the input, social factors (external) and cognitive, sociocultural and linguistic approaches (Van Patten,2010).

I will define what a language learner is according to my experience as a student at my school and my experience in the practice of the Modern Languages major. I think that a language learner is the person who is becoming a L2 speaker, writter and a participant of a second language input whereas you can be part of the language itself. If you are a language learner, the first thing you have to keep in mind is the reason why you are learning languages, and those reason have a strong relationship with the type of motivation you have to do so. I consider that if there is no type of motivation, there would not be any type of real learning process. Despite the fact not everyone is willing to learn a new language, somehow the would be a sort of motivation to achieve this goal in each one of us.

When I was at school I have to confess I did not find motivation when I had my first L2 input. I found it when I realized I actually could understand English as a whole concept of language because I made a link with my external reality. There was something beyond the grammar tasks, there was the life. A life that taught me that English would be there, with foreign speakers, written tasks, travelling, music, tv shows and books. I realized I became a L2 learner when I found the source of my motivation. Afterwards, I built my way to L2 learning when I decided to study modern languages. I was conscious of this decision as well as I discovered a new part of myself as a learner. I am not learning just for me, I will be learning to teach to others. That kind of emotions were a new type of motivation, because it has to be with interlanguage and how we express to others. If I feel that knowing a second language I can help others, that would be very pleasant for me.

In conclusion, being a language learner is a unique experience and the best way to achieve what you desire is to find your own way of motivation. In that way, the proccess of learning will be easier for everyone.
REFERENCES

 VanPatten, Bill; Benati, Alessandro G. (2010). Key Terms in Second Language Acquisition. London: Continuum.

BELIEFS: Tercera Entrega - Enseñanza de lengua Extranjera

Posted: sábado, 30 de marzo de 2013 by DarkWolfSnow in
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Methaphors and beliefs have a very close link with the ways of thinking and feeling the world towards the subcounscious interpretation of meanings. For this reason, I wanted to implement  the method that Gölge Sefero lu, Sibel Korkmazgil and Zeynep Ölçü (2009) used to understand and observe the different kind of methaphors that a student and teacher create about what it means to be a teacher. The first thing I wanted to know was related to understand the view of the teacher I am observing, who has a strong and emotional connection with the profession:

This is a writing task that I told T to do. She decided to write it down in Spanish; for that reason I will leave the text in its original language and then analyse it.(March, 20th, 2013): 


"Considero que una de las labores más hermosas pero a la vez de más responsabilidad es la del docente, quien es un guía, un orientador, es aquel que le muestra a sus estudiantes el camino pero finalmente ellos son los que deciden andar por éste o no. Recuerdo un proverbio chino que leí alguna vez: "Teachers open doors but you must enter by yourself"  esto nos muestra que el docente es quien abre la puerta pero finalmente el estudiante es el responsable de su aprendizaje, el docente le brinda las herramientas pero es el estudiante quien debe asumir esa responsabilidad pues en verdad creo que nadie aprende algo que no quiere, por esto considero también que el docente debe ser a la vez un motivador, alguien que impulse a sus estudiantes a un mejor nivel. Es también un formador, no se nos puede olvidar que estamos formando a los estudiantes para la vida que enfrentarán allá afuera y aún la que diariamente enfrentan con sus compañeros en el aula y en sus casas, es por esto que debemos formarlos en valores y principios morales. Por último, considero que el docente debe amar su labor, su vocación y llevarla acabo con pasión." (Teacher T, 2013)

I found this definition a very wise and clever concept. Although the vision of a open door might seem ethnocratic, there is no "real obligation" to enter to that door. The door is there, but the student has the final decision to get in there. Nevertheless, this metaphor can bee understoond as if the teacher is the only way to acquire knowledge, but at the same time the teacher focuses in the passion of teaching and explains that it is necessary that a teacher loves his/her profession. Otherwise, that door could be open, but it would be difficult to enter by that door.


STUDENTS RESULTS


This student wanted to describe the teacher as the one "who has plenty knowledge". A wise person.
This student wanted to describe the teacher as "the all seeing" one. A person who is always watching and the one who is worried about your process.
This student wanted to describe the teacher as an open book that is willing to give you knowledge during your process of learning.
This student wanted to describe the teacher as the "typical stereotype" of what a teacher is. He said that to describe a teacher, you will always see a board behind him, no matter what he/she is teaching. The source of knowledge.



References
Seferoglu, G, Korkmazgil, S & Ölçü, Z (July 2009). Gaining insights into teachers' ways of thinking via metaphors. Faculty of education, Middle East Technical University. Educational studies. Vol. 35, No. 3, pp. 323 - 335
Teacher writing task. March 20th, 2013). Requested by Viviana Mariño

Segunda entrega Enseñanza de lengua Extranjera

Posted: sábado, 9 de marzo de 2013 by DarkWolfSnow in
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Viviana Mariño (2013)

At this entry, we will explore about teaching methods, revewing this concept with post-method studies seen at the Enseñanza de Lengua Extranjera; the recollected data will be linked with the observations of the educational institution I am currently working with. 

Firstly, I made an interview that was proposed in my University's class that was based on the structure of our teacher (Moya, 2013) to study and analyze the teacher's methods, personal view, assumptions about teaching and learning in ESL.

 It is relevant to clarify that the identity of the teacher and the name of the institution will remain private and the providen information will be used for case study only.
This interview was made to the teacher I am assisting (Teacher, 2013. Personal Interview) Interviewed by Mariño, Cindy. Bogotá.

1. M: What teaching methods do you try to implement in your classroom?
    T: The school applies the Communicative Approach in L2 classes; although the book is grammar oriented, I try to create different activities so the book will not be the only resource of language teaching.

2. M: What teaching resources do you make use of?
    T: I use the textbook, artistic materials, cards, games (competitions in which students participate) and role plays in which boys and girls play a role in a context-situation exercise. 

3. M: How would you define effective teaching?
    T:  Teaching with passion is the starting point. It depends on the attitude of students towards English. If you love what you do, everything will be easier. The effective teaching implies to become a student motivated and conscious of the impact of a second language. You should give them tools to improve their English at home and try to make English meaningful for them. 

4. M: What is your approach to classroom management?

    T: I follow the approach of the school that is Communicative Approach.

5. M: What are the qualities of a good teacher?

    T: A good teacher should overcome difficulties. There is a fragmentation of L2 student's level. There are students that have a good knowledge of language and also there are students who are being introduced to English so they are just starting to learn something new about it. So there should be a balance of the L2 teaching input. Confidence in the classroom should be respectful. I will not let a student to mock of one of his peers, because I give rules at the beginning. This is why I don't aloud a student to laugh of others.

Later, T added this information to question number 5.

According to the previous question you asked me, I can add that students can make questions with confidence. A good teacher should give to their students positive reinforcement. If a student lacks of motivation, it's better to talk directly and personally with him/her. This will make them feel more conscious that even though they do not like English, he/she can make a try to improve. This is because if he learns English, this knowlegde will be useful for him/her for his/her future. We are counselors of their improvement.

End of the interview.

According to the interview, I made a reflection about what we saw in ELE Class with the given information. Regarding the theory of method and post-method, it is important ti differenciate both subjects.

Method, defined by (Kumaravadivelu, 1994, p. 29) is  "a single set of theoretical principles derived 
from feeder disciplines and a single set of classroom procedures directed at classroom teachers” 
In ELE Class we saw that in order to construct a method, it is necessary to follow a structure or a plan that is oriented by an specific approach. In this case, T (The Teacher) told me that the School followed the Communicative Approach. One of the most important observations I had is that the L2 Courses have a textbook that has a huge grammar orientation. Therefore, both students and teachers must apply what the textbook activities say; for that reason, there is a conflict between the academic proposals of the book and the kind of method it follows with the teaching strategies of the teacher. 

In fact, according to the definition of post-method given by (Kumaravadivelu, 1994) "construction of classroom procedures and principles by the teacher himself/herself based on his/her prior and experiential knowledge and/or certain strategies" implies that the teacher wants to guide the class according to the life-experiences and teacher's beliefs. Preparing the interview helped me to determinate if the teacher follows a method or a post method in his/her courses of ESL at the school. Although every teacher must work with the textbook, this is not the only source of knowledge. They follow a syllabus of English according to the School; nevertheless the teacher wants to make English emotionally meaningful for the students. This kind of belief could be driven towards a post-method, but not completely. It is necessary that they integrate English as part of their lives and not only because of a grade. 

This last term has a deep link with the topics we saw in class about the assesment system of Educational Institution and Linguistic Policies that determinate the L2 level according the course by taking the Common European Framework. As assesment is important to accomplish these policies, students and teachers were taught to be aware of them and apply it to the teaching and learning experiences. On the other hand, I could see that regarding grammar teaching, the type of method used has been influenced by the the Grammar Translation method used in the 50's. Memorization of words, vocabulary, grammar rules are still present in the classroom when it come to use the texbook. 

In this case, the teacher I am observing tries to make it different. When the textbook is not used, she uses techniques with game cards with words of different colors so their students identify the grammatical categories they are studying. Also, filling in the blanks is used when it comes to work at grammar. The L2 habilities are separated in some classes but later, the teacher wants to integrate them  in group work, where students can speak to each other about the topics they saw at class. 

There are some minimum references to post method, eventhough the is a transition between method and post-method.

About the situation in the class, the teacher and I realized there is a huge gap of L2 skills among the students of a same course. There were more than 3 courses that I observed and I realised there are students that are well-involved with the language and they enjoy the class. But at the other side, there are students who are not motivated with English at all and it seems to be frustating for them to learn, because as T said, "They have not found a reason in themselves to make them feel they can learn too".   Students who had more contact in English in their past, in every course were assembled in the same place of the classroom. Students who did not enjoy the class were together and because of the class organization (separated and straight rows of desks) the level of interaction was low among the whole group.

Therefore, a high difference of L2 levels and skills of the students in the same classroom with few opportunities to interact with each other make the Communicative Approach to be a transitional purposal and need to be observed, so the students will not be e"passive recipients" of knowledge as (Richards & Rodgers, 2001) stated. 

About the teacher's beliefs, one of his/her statements was the passion of teaching languages. At this aspects we can see that not only students need to feel motivated towards the class, but also the teacher. That is why T said that his/her main goal was to put into practice the profession he/she loves to make the experience of teaching more wiser, valuable and unforgettable for the experience as a teacher and for the students who are taking the L2 classes at the school. I consider that this fact is crucial to understande the kind of approach and belief that the teacher has in the ways of L2 teaching. Students can feel when a teacher uses his experiences of life to guide a class as a counselor of their learning process,with taking into account their experiences too in order to gain love and motivation during and outside the class for a second language.

REFERENCES

*Teacher (March 6th 2013). Personal Interview. Done by Mariño, Viviana. Bogotá.

*Kumaravadivelu, B. (1994). The postmethod condition: (E)merging strategies for second/foreign 
language teaching. TESOL Quarterly

*Richards, J.C., & Rodgers, T.S. (2001). Approaches and methods in language teaching. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Interview, model by Sindy Moya. Application and interview by Viviana Mariño.


Primera entrega Enseñanza de Lengua Extranjera

Posted: miércoles, 13 de febrero de 2013 by DarkWolfSnow in
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Enseñanza de Lengua Extranjera



According to the topics seen in the class of Foreign Language Teaching (FLT), I can see that one of the most essential tools when starting a formal observation within an institution, is ethnography. This is because one of its main features is the experimental nature of the research within a context which presents different situations, ideas and  ways of thinking. Additionaly, there is a continuous and simultaneous interaction with data collected along each session of study at the schools. The classroom can be a place where we can discover different ways of living, sharing and it an accurate place to observe cultural patterns of behavior. 

It seems that behavior is not only determined by individual characterictics but also shared and groupal interaction. This principle can be studied within a classroom, because there are different aspects we could analize; the organization of the classroom, the teacher's background and the experiences lived by both students and teacher can inffluence that way the class is developed. There is also a subject of high importance; the theoretical framework, in which we as observers make questions to the teacher about his actions during the L2 classes. This item is very useful to detect ways of thinking, expressing and attitudes towards a determinated place and time of the observation. 

 There is another characteristic inside etnography; the Emi-etic Analysis and Comparison. I think this perspective is required in order to link experiences of a group with the analytic language (linguistical terms) This means that linguistic expressions may have socio-cultral implications inside a group or society. One example of this can be the way students see the teacher and the role of being teacher (the word itself)  can define his actions and behavior inside the classroom and the type of social relations among his partners and his students. The etic part refers to the amount of traditions, expressions and ways to express ideas in fields of interaction with others. 

 As observers, we have different tools to begin the process of enrichment of knowledge about the classroom and the teacher we are going to analyse and observe. Firtsly, the recollection of data depends of the product of the social settings inside the context we are studying. Not every observer sees the same things; we are always evaluating different circumstances, moments and situations and our interpretations may differ; nevertheless the data collection also depends on the context we are studying, so it is important to recognise the type of school we are attending to, the values, mission and vision of the institution, the main beliefs of the teacher and getting into the context of the students. Who are they? What are their expectations and attitudes towards their L2 studies and the teacher? Everything inside the observation can be a key concept to interpret what we see. 

 One of the most relevant methods of observation could be the hypothesis-oriented. This is because automatically we define a goal that is creating a hypotheses with every observation; this method could be useful to describe and explain myths, assumptions of students and teachers during the L2 classes. Also is could be supplemented with the topic-oriented stage, because this method is more descriptive and we have the oportunity to use recordings that can make us conscious of things we missed during the observation. Furthermore, etnography as a whole can help us to recognize an uknown context to prepare ourselves in the future practices. 

 Language is dynamic. For that reason I consider that every class we observe would have a relevant aspect taht we should remember once we have recollected our data. Interaction is always happening and it can be showed  with controlled, natural, social, constructive ways. Depending on the school, there are classrooms that live the interlanguage constantly. There is not a high restriction of the L1 because the mother tongue can be used as the familiar key to connect the students with the L2 in a transition from L1 to L2 in ESL. In other cases the L2 is higher and the type of speech is modified in order to construct the methodology. 

Furthermore, getting into the context, I am going to be into an academic and bilingual education. Why is it that way? Because the classrooms will be a place where both teacher and student construct knowledge in L1 and L2. This is depending on the Language Driven and Context driven; the first one will have the goal to teach the L2 by using content of the class as a tool or vehicle while Content driven states content and L2 are equally important to learn in the classroom because that would imply a Bilingual Immersion.
The effectiveness of what we know and have found about Bilingualism is so huge that we need to express what sort of beliefs we have (also as stoudents of the Major of Modern Lnaguages). When would bilingualism be really shown and demonstrated among the institutions we observe? How does the competence is adjusted during the work relational process? The kind of students are Majorital or Minority? What about if the institutions claims it is multilingual?
All these facts about bilinguism made me think of the importance of being a teacher. There is a unique place for the student and teacher. Both can learn from each other depending on how the methodologies and strategies are produced, meanwhile students can learn from each others also, regarding the theory seen in Enseñanza de Lengua Extranjera.


REFERENCES

 Maybin, J. Researching children's language and literacy practices in school. Chapter 4, p. 88.

 Watson, K. (1998) Ethnography in ESL. Defining the Essentials. TESOL QUARTERLY, Vol 22, No4.