Foundations of Second Language Acquisition

Brown and others suggest that we teach the way that we were taught. Think back on your own language learning experience and discuss the setting (formal or informal) and age you were and what theory do you think informed your instruction. Have you found yourself teaching the same way that you were taught? If you have learned more than one language, compare the differences in the learning experiences.

There is a tendency among language (and perhaps all) teachers to do this to some extent, particularly at the beginning of their teaching experience. It appears to be a natural instinct to bring in our personal experiences. What is interesting to me is that we do this, no matter whether or not we felt that it was effective instruction.

In my case, as a second language learner of Spanish, my language classes in K-12 were taught in a predictable fashion that most closely resembled, and surely came out of, the Grammar-Translation Method. As Brown states, this method "does virtually nothing to enhance a student's communicative ability in the language (p.16)." I would have to agree with this comment. It felt like rote memorization, and the goal most certainly did not seem to be communicating with anyone in Spanish! I am fortunate to have studied Spanish again in college, and after the first (Grammar-Translation-esque) semester, I took a wonderful conversation and culture course, followed by a school trip to Mexico, and I FINALLY got it!! I started speaking Spanish in my sleep almost immediately, felt highly motivated in class, and began speaking to the locals in Merida right away. I loved my own language and I am very social, so when it meant the means of expressing myself and understanding others, I had immediate buy-in. I went back to school, changed my minor to Spanish, and have been traveling and learning languages ever since. It is amazing to me that those two months essentially changed my life!

Later, when taking Korean and Mandarin (Chinese) classes, I realized that there was definitely a way my teachers taught that helped me learn and a way that left me frustrated and baffled. I have great empathy for my students because of this, and always try to keep in mind what they must be feeling and how well they are progressing. Because of this, as a teacher, I have always tried to emulate the more communicative method that I learned so much from in college, tying meaning into form and getting students to interact with each other as much as possible. As I have had the chance to work with and observe many wonderful, bright, and talented ESL/EFL teachers throughout my career, I have incorporated many of their great ideas and methods. Teachers should always be willing to learn more about teaching and to improve themselves, their methods, etc. The more open we are to new ideas, the better we can refrain from falling back on teaching the way we learned (or didn't learn) our second or third or fourth languages.

Foundations of Second Language Acquisition course

We are starting a new semester and a new course, this one in the foundations of second language acquisition, and we are using these blogs for reading reflections and other class assignments, so stay tuned!

I will post the links to our classmates' blogs and the whole course blog as well.

ESL Podcast--First Day of School

First Day of School
By Joleen J., Rosario K., and Max T.
Suggested ELL level: intermediate-advanced students, ages high school to adult

Our ESL podcast introduces the typical schedule in a U.S. High
School. We present this information in the format of a one-on-one interview
(talk-show style), with informative or humorous narration throughout.
Rosario, Max, and I filmed this based on the Kidspiration® graphic
organizer and storyboard that Rosario created, shown here. We wanted to
present a mini cultural lesson by talking about how many U.S. high schools
are organized.

The interviewer, Joleen, introduces Rosario and asks her about the
upcoming school year. We find out about “A schedules” and “B
schedules,” where high school students have different classes on
alternating days, as well as some typical classes a high school student may have,
such as Art, Science, Math (Algebra II), and Study Hall. We find out
what Rosario is interested in and what she is looking forward to in her
classes this year.

High School Senior played by: Rosario, Interviewer played by: Joleen, Narrator: Max



Follow-up activities:


1) Using the graphic organizer that supports this interview (above), have students compare and contrast the classes and activities from the interview. Then have students use the graphic organizer and the podcast as a model for them to write and perform their own, similar interviews in pairs or small groups. Students should present them to the whole class in person, or as an audio podcast on http://audacity.sourceforge.net/ (if technology is readily available).

2) Have students research to find more information on some of the cultural icons and references from the "Where are they now?" section at the end of the podcast and throughout the narration of the podcast.

You may even have recognized the immortal words of one of our favorite muses, Homer J. Simpson (created by Matt Groening), when Max said "Mmmmm...Algebra II...Doh!!" "Mmmmm..." is what Homer says when something sounds delicious to him, and "Doh!" is what he says when he makes a mistake. See more on the Simpsons and our other cultural references here, or you might try searching for them on www.google.com:

http://www.thesimpsons.com/characters/home.htm

http://web.mit.edu/aboutmit/

http://www2.oprah.com/index.jhtml

http://www.history.com/

http://www.lonesailor.org/about.php

And last, but not least: http://www.kraftfoods.com/main.aspx?s=search&m=search/knet_search_main&u1=search&u2=cheese%20whiz%20

New Slide Show

Dr. Wright asked me to repost this link, so here it is. I made another random slide show with pictures from friends and traveling and so on to show you more cool features. Again, this one doesn't have any advertising that would be unsafe, so it would help perfectly with Marysol's idea of having ESL students create their own presentations with this feature.

There are lots of friends here, some of whom have passed away, and family, and even a few wedding shots. Enjoy!

Software Evaluation 3: Reading Smart

Title of Software: ESL Reading Smart

Producer: Alloy Multimedia, Inc., Houston, Texas

Target students: Grades 4-12

Proficiency level: They provide help for students from Newcomers to Advanced, with four different levels. I've chosen to review "Beginner" or ESL Level 1.

Description: ESL Reading Smart is based on improving ELLs' reading proficiency (and test scores) through guided, scaffolded practice that provides spoken, written, and graphic support for readers at various levels. For the "Reading Selections" section, they provide choices of five different types of genres ranging in scope from literary to informative passages (no functional passages). The passages are illustrated, with an option to listen to it or read it oneself. The creators of the software provide lesson plans for the teachers (chosen according to either student level or selected genre).

This program is colorful and bright, but not too busy. The producers included enough graphic support for it to be helpful to ELLs, but not enough to be too distracting. They have kept reading as the main focus. It looks very nice, and there are a variety of tasks for the students, from Pre-reading to follow up activities. The lesson plans for teachers are detailed, with several printable components, as well as instructions for in-class interaction and modeling on the board. It (the lesson plan) comes close to how the teacher would normally go through the reading process--with graphic organizers and vocabulary practice, etc., and it provides options for arranging the introduction and practice of various tasks/activities (such as the vocabulary, grammar, and writing components). Each passage provides writing practice as well, depending on the level.

Although I figured it out after a few tries, I found a few functionality quirks with the software. navigating through the system was not entirely straightforward, even though the activities were interesting once I got there. The students would need a tutorial on the system, just as when they use any other new software. One glitch was that in the story ("myths and legends") on the Mayan Creation, when I tried the word search, the screen would go blank. This activity worked in the Haiku lesson, however. So, the functionality is not perfect, but there are some real positives here.

One wonderful thing the authors have provided is a wealth of cultural options. In each genre I saw, there were selections from Asia, Africa, South America, Europe, and North America. This is a great way to show the students we value their cultures and for them to learn about each other's cultures. Plus, for beginning students, there is a lot of usefulness in providing a story that is familiar to the ELL from their own background.

Language skills targeted: Primarily Reading and Writing

Evaluation:
What are the program’s strengths or weaknesses? As noted above, the strengths here are that the authors have considered and included a nice variety of genres and of multicultural, diverse stories. The detailed lesson plans for teachers make it very user-friendly. I like that the authors assume the teacher will be a present and active participant in using this software and in the children's reading experience, even though there are some sections students can complete on their own.

Do you feel it would be effective for helping ELLs learn English? Why or why not? Sure I do; anything that will motivate our ELLs to read in English is a positive! I think the stories are high interest and diverse enough to motivate the students, especially if the teacher varies the readings and/or gives the students some free choice in what they will be reading.

Would you use it in your classroom? Why or why not? Yes, it would be a good way to provide some variety during the reading lessons, and it would be good for the students to have as an option for their silent reading time.

What method or approach to language teaching does this program appear to represent? It seems to be in the realm of whole language instruction, although I know that term has "gone underground." It is definitely written with a top-down perspective.

Cloud Gate

Amazing, Cloud Gate, The Bean, Chicago, Illinois, by Anish Kapoor: http://www.millenniumpark.org/artandarchitecture/anish_kapoor.html

March 22, Idiom-Action! - Look what the cat dragged in!

Idiom lesson: I like how this is straightforward, short, and clear. Well done, Action English guy!

Class reflection

This class has been a wonderful resource for inspirational and innovative ideas for CALL and for using the latest technology for our ESL classes. Dr. Wright has been so dynamic in finding a variety of resources and a wealth of ideas that we can easily use in the classroom.

All of us in this class have been excited and intrigued about the technology we are using, and the variety of activities we are learning about that can help our ELLs (whether adult learners or students in K-12). I like that we are looking at and discussing collaborative projects and action research. I feel challenged to incorporate so many of these ideas into the classroom, when I return to teaching. The most obvious ideas that I can see being incredibly helpful and useful are the blogs (for reading reflections, online journal writing, or collaboration with other groups/students/classes, etc.), creating a research project that can be published as a Wiki (www.wikipedia.com or www.wikispaces.com or even www.wikihow.com), and the www.Flickr.com photos as endless resource for visuals and writing prompts. I have been a fan of using Webquests in the past, and now I am super eager to get the chance to teach using some of these other tools, not as the foundation of a language class, but as excellent, innovative, and effective support for our classes.

I am intrigued by podcasting, but I have learned that it is not as easy as it looks. In the future I hope to have more time to develop fabulous podcasts for ELLs around the world, but for now, I'm just proud that we have created our simple one!

Conditionals lesson for ELLs

This is a paper/lesson plan we did in our language analysis class. Conditionals can be really fun! Enjoy!

Grammar/topic: Present Unreal Conditional (with review/practice with Future Real Conditional)
Level: Intermediate to advanced
Present Unreal Conditional Background: This structure is created by the use of a dependent if clause (if, unless) with the verb in the simple past and an independent result clause with the auxiliary verb in the past modal form (would, could, might, etc.). We use this tense to describe something imaginary that is impossible in the present (If Martin Luther King, Jr. spoke at my graduation, I would be so honored.) or something that isn’t realistic at the moment, but isn’t impossible for the future (If I knew more about biology, I might understand more about the life cycle of brown bears.)

One exception in this structure is that the verb “to be,” when used in the if clause, is always used as “were,” no matter who the subject is (I, He, She, they, it, etc.). This can also cause confusion for a language learner, and is, in fact, frequently misused by native speakers—even those with a high level of education. For example, the question, “What would you do if you were filthy rich?” should be answered with “If I were filthy rich, I would build a huge open-air house on Kuta Beach in Bali and donate a million dollars to the Food Bank.” However, many people use the expression “If I was…”

One other important feature is that the order of the clauses does not make a difference; that is; one can say:

a) If Juanita and Ana called me to meet them at the Roxy Club, I would definitely go.
OR
b) I would definitely go if Juanita and Ana called me to meet them at the Roxy Club.

Future Real Conditional Background: This structure is created by the use of a dependent if or when clause (if, unless) with the verb in the simple present and an independent result clause with the auxiliary verb in the future/present modal form (will, can, may, should, etc.). We use this tense to describe something expected in the near future: (When Mr. Yon returns from the bank, we will remind him about the payroll.) or something that is probable (If Ying passes her comps, she may move back to Hong Kong.) or a habitual truth (If the pollen count is high, I will sneeze all day long.)

These structures may be difficult for ELLs because: a) we are using the past to talk about the present, b) the verb “to be” is unusually created in this structure, c) learners need to have a good grasp of modals first (will, may, might, could, would, etc.), and d) it is created by putting two clauses together (independent + subordinate=complex syntax). Page545, ch. 27. Also, we rarely teach the habitual/factual conditionals (If you cut me, I will bleed.), even though they are very common.

Activities:
Practice 1 (pair work): Make the sentence with If or Unless
a. You do not live in France. You do not eat escargot.
b. You have a newborn baby at home. You don’t go out very much.
c. Your family lives in another city. You only have the opportunity to see them about four times a year.
d. Janette will stop by your house this afternoon. You have a birthday present for her.
e. Your friend Mei Lin rides to the park every Sunday. She is in great shape. (negative)
f. Anita lives in Mexico City. She doesn’t call you very often because it is so expensive.
g. Your neighbor, Khon, hates mushrooms. You never cook any dishes with mushrooms for him.
h. Anna Sylvia plays the drums. She does not play in a band.

Practice 2 (whole class work): Scenarios—What would/will you do?
a. Tomorrow, Konstantin will pay you back the $100.00 he owes you. You have an $88.00 electric bill that is due on Friday.
b. Your flight to Chicago has been delayed for four hours. You are hungry, but there is no restaurant at the
c. I do not know how to swim. There is a beautiful pool with manmade waterfalls in my apartment complex.
d. You are entering a karaoke contest tomorrow night. You have practiced really hard. The prize is $500.00.
e. Your best friend is planning to visit you in San Antonio this weekend. He has been to San Antonio a few times before, and he doesn’t want to see the Riverwalk again. Where will you take him?
f. You are scheduled to fly out to New York tomorrow morning for a teaching conference. There is a snow storm moving in tonight.
g. You have class tomorrow night and a big project is due. Your colleague has just invited you to a party.
h. Your favorite sport is soccer. San Antonio is trying to get a (professional) Major League Soccer team to move here.

Practice 3 (small groups): Worst-case scenarios
(Teacher chooses various examples from the website: http://www.worstcasescenarios.com/mainpage.htm )
They read and decipher scenario as a group; teacher helps with vocabulary questions; students then prepare and give short presentation.

Practice 4 (whole class, either in a circle or throwing a ball to designate a turn): Conditional chain activity for “to be”
Teacher starts chain with one sentence. Then next student uses second half of first sentence to build second sentence. For example: 1) If George Carlin were our English teacher, he would make us laugh in class every day. 2) If we laughed in class every day, we would enjoy that class. 3) If we enjoyed English class, we’d pay attention in class. 4) If we paid attention in class, we might learn more…

Practice 5: Songs with “if clauses”
Examples include: Hannah Montana (for kids) If We Were a Movie (for kids): “ If we were a movie/ You'd be the right guy/ And I'd be the best friend/ That you'd fall in love with/ In the end” and Alison Krauss (for adults) If I didn’t know any better: “Your heart is pullin'/ If I didn't know any better/ I'd be fallin'/ Deeper and deeper it's true”
*If it is an advanced group, have them read the words to John Lennon’s Imagine and contemplate the meanings, then write out as much of the song as possible using If, When, or Unless clauses. If there is no stated conclusion, have them come up with one.

Grammar book structure treatment critique:
A) Greenbaum, S. & Nelson, G. (2002). An introduction to English
grammar. Great Britain. Pearson Education Limited.
This book provides a thorough overview of grammar, covering a huge number of grammatical points. It provides short and clear explanations (with examples) of how the structure is formed, and when and why it is used. It is a good reference book for an ESL/EFL teacher or student, but it would be just a reference book, as it does not provide activities or suggestions for activities; it merely presents the structures. The conditionals are presented as “Past and past subjunctive.” The authors describe the variations on the present and past unreal conditional as something “very unlikely or contrary to the facts,” but do not cover the future real concept. Therefore, I think it is incomplete. One thing I do like is that the authors discuss the descriptive and prescriptive uses of the past subjunctive of the verb “be,” telling the reader that it is correct to use “were” and that “In less formal style, the simple past was is generally used…(p. 155).” Overall, this book is primarily a reference source (pp. 63-64, 154-155).

B) Jackson, H. (2002). Grammar and vocabulary: A resource book for students. New York, N.Y. Routledge.
This book approaches grammar from a different perspective than what is out there for students; that is, Jackson presents and analyzes English grammar in paragraph format rather than with the paradigm and step-by-step structure, describing the underlying meaning and uses of the given structure. It is very detailed and gives the student the whole story behind a concept, including the linguistic research and exploration of the concept. It seems to be at a higher level than the majority of ELLs and they might find it frustrating not to have the structure rules laid out more clearly. However, it may appeal to reflective learners who like to look at things in depth. It seems to be made for native English speakers. This book only treats the conditional as part of the chapter on clauses, particularly the if clause as a subordinate clause, without presenting the rules of the conditional structures, so it is not very valuable for studying/teaching this concept (pp.22-23).

C) http://esl.about.com/library/grammar/blconditionals.htm
This website provides a structural layout of how to form the future real, present unreal, and past unreal conditionals. It gives an explanation of when and how to form this structure with a chart. The chart and explanations are followed by an interactive quiz practicing the forms. This is helpful for self-study or review, but in and of itself is not a sufficient tool for learning.

Devastation

This week has brought another tragedy, the mass shooting at Virginia Tech. My heart goes out to the other people who were shot and wounded, the families of those people, and to all students, faculty, and others associated with the school. It is a sad, sad day. You will remain in my thoughts for a long time. I cannot imagine what you are going through.

I also am shocked to find out the shooter was from South Korea. It is something I know is breaking the heart of every generous, loving Korean right now, as they will surely see it as shameful, although there are crazy people and violent people in every culture. Koreans tend to feel and respect the overall sense of a Korean community no matter where the Koreans are. So I know this is a shock to Koreans everywhere, as it is to all of us.

It is also tragic to see this happen with an international student, and I worry what this will mean for international students coming here to study in the future. I worry what the general public will think, and I hope this does not promote xenophobia in our society. What happened is appalling and heartbreaking, but there are dangerous loners in every society. It was an isolated incident with a very, very disturbed young man.

My thoughts and prayers go out to Virginia Tech and its community.