Reflection #9

I had a year of French in high school. Then, in college, I continued taking French. In my second semester, I went through a personal loss, and it affected my language learning. Expressing yourself in your L1 during a traumatic time is sometimes difficult enough. I think I couldn't open myself up to a new language. The cognitive load was too much.

Because my French was limited, I couldn't express myself fully. Therefore, there was no way for me to accurately represent myself in French. I could only speak about frivolous things. No one knew how I really felt.

Reflection #8

While direct instruction is necessary at times, I believe most of the instructional time should consist of meaningful interaction. As Brown (2007) discussed, students should use language, "productively and receptively, in unrehearsed contexts" (p. 241). I think grammar should be addressed both explicitly and implicitly. But, students will achieve grammatical and linguistic competence--as well as other competencies--when the focus is on "pragmatic, authentic, functional use of language for meaningful purposes" (Brown, 2007, p. 241).

Reflection #7

When I was in college, I experienced a personal loss. This affected my language learning. I feel I was unable to accept something that was entirely new at that moment. I acquired more vocabulary, but I fossilized at a conversational level.

Motivation involves a variety of factors, including physical (e.g., fatigue, illness, injury, disability, delayed motor skills, etc.) and emotional. I think you can determine why a student is unmotivated and work to create an environment where they feel motivated. Motivation comes from within, but you can help create a positive, risk-free environment. You can tap into student interest, and student interest is an intrinsic motivator.

Reflection #6

I know that my father, whose first language is Malayalam, has said that some emotions, concepts, and jokes cannot be expressed in English. In some cases, the meaning is changed when translated to English. Unfortunately, I cannot remember specific examples at the moment.

I believe that culture is not something to address on specific days or months of the year. Multicultural education is not accomplished by scattering a few examples of important historical figures from diverse backgrounds into social studies class. Implementing culturally relevant pedagogy in the classroom means that the curriculum and methods of the classroom are responsive to the needs and sociocultural values of the students. Culturally relevant pedagogy is dynamic and context-specific.

Reflection #5

CAH is the concept that interference of L1 with L2 is the principal barrier to SLA. According to CAH, an analysis of the contrasts between the two languages can alert linguists and language teachers to the kind of L1 interference a student might experience.

I believe error analysis could be a valuable tool for teachers of second languages. Personally, I have used this technique in emergent reading in English. Error analysis yields a variety of useful information. For instance, suppose I am working with a student on rhyming. I might ask, “What rhymes with ‘cat’?” The student might reply, “Dog.” Through error analysis, I know that the student is providing an associative word rather than a rhyming word. With another student, I might ask, “What rhymes with ‘box’?” The student might reply, “Ball.” Through error analysis, I know that the student is attending the beginning sound of the word. While I know that rhyming is still an area to work on, I have discovered that the student can attend to beginning sounds. Further assessment on beginning sounds is, of course, necessary. But, in both of these cases, error analysis provides a form of ongoing student assessment.

Reflection #4

One reason why it is probably difficult for CPH researchers to agree is that they come at the issue from different approaches. Some researchers study neurobiological considerations. For instance, Scovel (1969) suggested that lateralization is connected to second language acquisition. Others look at cognitive considerations. These researchers look at the cognitive changes that occur with age and their effects on second language acquisition. There are also researchers who look at affective considerations. In this area, researchers study how affective factors (e.g., empathy, self-esteem, extroversion, inhibition, imitation, anxiety, attitudes) are relevant to second language learning. For instance, Krashen (1982) claimed an "affective filter" is strengthened at puberty and prevents adults from native-like attainment. Finally, some researchers examine linguistic considerations (e.g., bilingualism, interference between first and second languages, order of acquisition).

Personally, I believe affective factors play a large role in second language acquisition. With regard to CPH, I know many, many people who have attained second-language proficiency in adulthood. My high-school French teacher learned French when she was in high school. She was able to attain a native-like French accent. She used to say that people would ask her if she was from France.

Perhaps there are prime cognitive years for second language acquisition. However, the same is said for other knowledge areas, such as geometry.

Reflection #3

According to the learning style inventory, my learning style is mostly verbal and solitary. I have taken various learning style inventories. I have also taken the Meyers-Briggs test.

Currently, I am not teaching in a classroom. However, I have been tutoring a student for over a year. She is entering the first grade this coming year. I meet with her once a week after school. I try to use strategies that incorporate kinesthetic, visual, and tactile experiences.

I do not have experience with SLA students. However, the student I tutor is an emergent reader and writer. Her mother has a behaviorist approach to her learning. Therefore, I try to provide more authentic ideas that support reading and/or writing through their interaction. I have had to come up with ways to address the concerns of the parent. I need to satisfy her desire to help her child while discouraging her from overwhelming her child with unnecessary activities.

Reflection #2

The functional approach--especially the aspect of creativity--relates to my first language acquisition experience. Interaction with language, not just exposure to it, occurred in my house. Both of my parents were teachers during my early life. They involved us in conversation, reading, singing, and play. I have a twin sister. In accordance with Piaget and Vygotsky, social and physical interaction during imaginary play were key elements of my language acquisition.

My father is from India. Therefore, I am familiar with families and languages from India. While I am familiar with other languages, I am most familiar with Malayalam. However, I do not speak it. I feel that the child-parent interaction of the non-English-speaking population is quite similar to that of the English-speaking population during first language acquisition.

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