https://drive.google.com/open?id=1hMYAArRk5JEIZErSl7oH6qyzsqjmKUth
Hello everyone, for my vlog #2 I interviewed Abbas Isfahany. I enjoyed this interview because it gave me a new perspective on other ELL students. As I was interviewing Mr. Isfahany, I found it interesting that he had said when people think of someone speaking a second language here in the US that it is first assumed to be Spanish. I feel like that is partially true, especially for Texas there is a large Hispanic population. It made me think that often times we can forget that there are other races that struggle as an ELL learner. Also, we as future educators need to remember that there are not just Spanish speaking children but children of all races and languages who need our support and guidance when it comes to learning English. It is how Wright (2015) says, “ELLs vary widely by race, ethnicity, home language, level of schooling, socioeconomic status, parent’s level of education, parent’s proficiency in English, proficiency and literacy in their home language, and proficiency in English” (p. 2).
Hello everyone, for my vlog #2 I interviewed Abbas Isfahany. I enjoyed this interview because it gave me a new perspective on other ELL students. As I was interviewing Mr. Isfahany, I found it interesting that he had said when people think of someone speaking a second language here in the US that it is first assumed to be Spanish. I feel like that is partially true, especially for Texas there is a large Hispanic population. It made me think that often times we can forget that there are other races that struggle as an ELL learner. Also, we as future educators need to remember that there are not just Spanish speaking children but children of all races and languages who need our support and guidance when it comes to learning English. It is how Wright (2015) says, “ELLs vary widely by race, ethnicity, home language, level of schooling, socioeconomic status, parent’s level of education, parent’s proficiency in English, proficiency and literacy in their home language, and proficiency in English” (p. 2).
As
the interview went on, it was nice to hear that Mr. Isfahany had a good teacher
that helped him a lot during his early childhood schooling. That the teacher
would take the time to see how he was doing and asking him questions on what interests
he had. She would try to get him involved with talking with other students and try
to have him be a little more social when he was still learning English.
Teachers are much more than just educators, now the thought is of “teacher as communicator,
teacher as educator, teacher as evaluator, teacher as educated human being, and
teacher as agent of socialization” (Wright, 2015, p. 29). I feel that educators
need to know that they are not at a school to just teach children, but they are
also there to get to know the children and help them grow as an individual.
Reference:
Wright, Wayne. Foundations for
Teaching English Language Learners: Research, Theory, Policy, and Practice.
Philadelphia, PA: Caslon, 2015. Print. Second Edition.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteCaroline, I absolutely loved watching your interview with Mr. Isfahany. As an ELL from Pakistan, I can agree with Mr. Isfahany that while English was used to read and write in Pakistan, the way it was taught is different than the US. We were taught to write and read in English, not to have conversations in it. So, while I was able to read and write, I didn’t know how to communicate in English at all. It is so beneficial for teachers to understand that ELLs learn best through conversation and interaction. This reminded me of when Write discussed that “learners need opportunities with other speakers and reach mutual comprehension” (Wright, 2015, p. 53). By assigning a partner to an ELL, teachers make the transition of learning the new language easier for the students because students feel comfortable and at ease through peer interaction.
ReplyDeleteWright, Wayne. Foundations for Teaching English Language Learners: Research, Theory, Policy, and Practice. Philadelphia, PA: Caslon, 2015. Print. Second Edition.
This comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteHi Kani, I do agree with you on that providing second language students with at partner helps the transition of languages easier. When I was reading the textbook, I saw the sentence “learners learn a language through using it to communicate” (Wright, 2015, p. 62). I feel that this is true. When assigning a partner to the children it helps them get more comfortable speaking and becoming familiar with words and meanings. The interactions are what students are going to be doing all through their school life, and if teachers help ESL students by assigning them with a peer it will help them feel more comfortable when conversing.
DeleteWright, Wayne. Foundations for Teaching English Language Learners: Research, Theory, Policy, and Practice. Philadelphia, PA: Caslon, 2015. Print. Second Edition.
This comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteHey Caroline,
DeleteBeside pairing students with partners, I believe that teachers should be aware of the culture shock that the ELLs feel. I am not sure about Abbas, but I experienced a huge cultural shock when I moved to the US. The US culture and Pakistani culture are completely different it made adjusting to the new country so much harder along with the language barrier. I am thankful that my teacher introduced me to the holidays and customs of America from time to time. This made me feel inclusive and made the transition of learning English easier. I believe that instruction can be delivered effectively when teachers take the time out to get to know the students because that way, they can “provide appropriate instruction, activities, and opportunities for meaningful instruction” (Wright, 2015, p. 65).
Wright, Wayne. Foundations for Teaching English Language Learners: Research, Theory, Policy, and Practice. Philadelphia, PA: Caslon, 2015. Print. Second Edition.
Hey Caroline, I was intrigued by your video because my interview was with Kani, who also came from Pakistan at an early age and her first language was also Urdu. She also told me about the huge benefit of being assigned a classmate as her partner to help her at times, which was great because her partner also spoke Urdu in addition to English. After listening to Kani and now Abbas speak about their experience in school and how their student pairings helped them in their process of learning English, it makes me think this kind of strategy, where ELLs get the opportunity for listening and conversing to a single student, should be extended even further and used more frequently in the classroom. That's why I made note of when Wright pointed out that "cooperative learning focuses on the use of small groups within which students collaborate to solve problems or complete academic tasks [and] appeals to language teachers because it offers rich opportunities for students to engage in meaningful communication. (2015, p. 63). This is similar to those meaningful experiences Abbas had with being paired up to another student, because cooperative learning offers ELLs a smaller group of students to speak with and learn to understand in the classroom. I will definitely incorporate this strategy with my future ELLs. It's also important to note how Abbas said his teacher would accommodate his needs with classwork and tests by giving him extra time to finish or by reading off the questions, but that the most important thing to him was being able to have real conversations with his peers and teachers, and being pushed to learn how to actually understand English and be able to speak in conversations. The Communicative Language Teaching Method (CLT) draws on these ideas where "the focus is on learning language to actually use it to communicate in the target language with other speakers" (Wright, 2015, p. 61-62). The principles under CLT largely promote an ELLs ability to genuinely learn how to communicate meaningfully to peers in and out of the classroom and to develop authentic language skills and fluency in conversation, which I believe should be a primary teaching method utilized by teachers with ELLs at all grade levels.
ReplyDeleteWright, Wayne. Foundations for Teaching English Language Learners: Research, Theory, Policy, and Practice. Philadelphia, PA: Caslon, 2015. Print. Second Edition
Hi Megan, thank you for watching my video! I thought it was pretty cool that Kani also had a partner helping her in school when she was learning English. It seems to be that having a classmate as a partner is very helpful when it comes to leaning a new language for children. As Wright (2015) points out in the text that “learners need opportunities with other speakers and reach mutual comprehension” (p. 53). Leaning through interactions with one another is much more beneficial than learning through books or worksheets so, when ESL students get the opportunity to have a partner that is what I would want to make sure I give them.
DeleteWright, Wayne. Foundations for Teaching English Language Learners: Research, Theory, Policy, and Practice. Philadelphia, PA: Caslon, 2015. Print. Second Edition.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteHi Caroline,
ReplyDeleteI loved watching your interview with Mr. Isfahany. I like how you pointed out the stereotype that mostly anyone from Texas who speaks a second language, that their first language is automatically Spanish. Wright states, “it is important for educators to understand their students’ cultural backgrounds and be diligent at avoiding these stereotypes and generalizations” (Wright, 2015, p.17). Texas is a vary culturally diverse state. As future educators, we must be cognizant of this and be culturally sensitive to it as well. Many different students come to us from all different backgrounds, and if they are an ELL learner, then we must know what is culturally respectful to them in order to help them the best way that we can.
Wright, Wayne (2015). Foundations for Teaching English Language Learners: Research, Theory, Policy, and Practice. Philadelphia, PA: Caston, Second Edition.
Hi Mackenzie, thank you for watching my video. Yes, the point that Abbas made when he talked about the stereotype for some Texans on the assumption of ESL student just being Spanish was also interesting to me. I agree with what he said and how often times that there can be stereotypes when talking about a student who is ESL. When we take out the stereotypes, we can see who the student really is and teach them with not judgement. As Wright (2015) points out that when we start to know the student teachers “can provide appropriate instruction, activities, and opportunities for meaningful instruction” (p. 65). When there is no bias towards students, it allows for proper instruction.
DeleteWright, Wayne. Foundations for Teaching English Language Learners: Research, Theory, Policy, and Practice. Philadelphia, PA: Caslon, 2015. Print. Second Edition.
This comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteHi Mackenzie and Caroline!
DeleteI agree that as future teachers, we must be aware of the different cultures. I remember when my peers would assume that since I did not speak English, I spoke Spanish. It was frustrating explaining where I was from and the language I spoke with my family. There were times when my teachers were not even aware that Pakistan is a country and that me feel extremely alone and different. Thankfully, there is more cultural awareness in classrooms now, but ten years ago- there was little to none. I hope we can continue to educate ourselves and students about the different cultures around the world. Wright says, “It is important for teachers to understand the students cultural background and how their culture influences their learning (pg. 17).
Wright, Wayne. Foundations for Teaching English Language Learners: Research, Theory, Policy, and Practice. Philadelphia, PA: Caslon, 2015. Print. Second Edition.
Hi Kanwal,
ReplyDeleteI feel that as educators it is important to understand all of our students' cultures and backgrounds. Wright says, "We want our ELLs to adapt to new language and culture without having to sacrifice their own" (Wright, 2015, p.19-20). I am so sorry that you did not have this experience in your own classrooms while growing up. As future educators, we can use your experience to make sure that we don't do the same to our students who will be in our classrooms.
Wright, Wayne. Foundations for Teaching English Language Learners: Research, Theory, Policy, and Practice. Philadelphia, PA: Caslon, 2015. Print. Second Edition.
Howdy Caroline,
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed watching your interview with Mr. Isfahany. I have many friends that are from Pakistan and speak Urdu and have similar stories to him. He mentioned that before he came to the United States, he did not have any formal instruction in English while living in Pakistan. This was very interesting to me because a third grader going to an English speaking school with no English background, could become disconnected with learning the new language. However, he seemed very optimistic about learning a new language and working with classmates. In the text, it is stated that "L1 tests appear to be the best accommodation" because if students are given a test in their native language, they will typically score higher. In his case though, his teacher would give him 15-30 extra minutes on tests and assignments and would read quizzes and directions to him in English (Wright, 2015, p.122).
Although primary language support can maximize ELL's comprehension of the English language, he believed what helped him most was the one on one help he received from his teacher (Wright, 2015, p. 282).
One thing I took away from this interview was the importance of parents that come from a different country, not allowing their children to forget their native language. I love that he said he's still fluent in Urdu because many parents fear their culture and tradition will be erased. Thank you for sharing and good luck with teaching! :)
Hey Caroline! I really reading your blog and watching your interview. I feel like I could somewhat relate to some of his experiences. Even though English is not my second language, it is my first, we have had some same experience. For example when I tell people I am bilingual as well, they automatically think I speak Spanish. "Schools today are also seeing an increase in the number of students from Middle Eastern, Asian, and African countries, including Iraqi, Afghan, Somali Bantu, and Sudanese and other Darfuri refugee students." (Wright, pg.14) The fact that I have dark hair makes them think I am a Spanish speaker as well, so my appearance plays a roll in peoples assumptions. I wish I knew Spanish, but I actually speak Arabic as well as English. I think as educators its important NOT to make assumptions, because it could come off offensively to some. I think we have to be professional about it and know who each particular child is, where they come from, and the educational history on that child in order to help them succeed at the best of our abilities.
ReplyDeleteHello Kirstie,
DeleteThank you for sharing your response. You brought up a point that I had not thought of before: the assumption of language. Unfortunately, we all have our own stereotypes and biases but to assume the language a person speaks based on looks, is ignoring the fact that some languages are spoken by people that look nothing alike at all. According to the text, there is an increase in ELLs coming from countries all over the eastern hemisphere. Therefore, we should be mindful of what we say but also what we think about foreign people. Thank you for sharing, that as future educators we should not assume, but we should ask. When we know more about our students, we can provide the most effective and intentional help possible. Thank you for this take away! good luck in teaching :)
Wright, Wayne. Foundations for Teaching English Language Learners: Research, Theory, Policy, and Practice. Philadelphia, PA: Caslon, 2015. Print. Second Edition
Hi there! I really enjoyed your interview and getting to hear how Abbas had first hand experience with the theory that students need interaction with others to truly gain understanding of the language. I think we see how beneficial pairing up students can be throughout the educational day. As teachers we use think-pair-share strategies that help our students think, relate and explain information they are learning. It’s really neat to see that this can also be applied to English learning acquisition and how helpful it was to Abbas! It’s always comforting knowing that the strategies we are learning as future teachers are truly going to help us help our children in our own classroom.
ReplyDelete