Week 11: Integrating Skills

Tuesday's readings both came from the Kuma book from chapters 9 and 10.  Chapter 9 focuses on how to provide the context for language learning for L2 learners, while chapter 10 looks for ways to integrate L2 language skills for the learners.  I think that both topics are very important, as they help to provide a language learner with a better way of understanding the language, but I think that you would need to really know your students well to be able to meet their basic speaking needs in order for these theories to work.

Week 10: Vocabulary

Thursday's articles focused on vocabulary. Vocabulary, of course, is important for students in any language classroom because it helps to build upon all other aspects of the language.  The two articles in the Anthology book as well as the Folse article provide interesting ideas for teaching vocabulary.  I  particularly like how both of the articles in the Anthology book discuss the importance of students being able to develop strategies for learning the vocabulary on their own.  I think that looking for words in context can be very beneficial for students because it allows for a greater understanding of the word.  I know from my own personal experience in learning a second language, seeing the word used in context in a sentence allowed me to be able to remember it much more than memorizing its definition from the list.  I really liked how in Hunt and Beglar's article they address what students should do in the classroom, as well as what they should do for independent practice.  I think dictionaries can be very beneficial, but at some point a student can't solely rely on one, so I like what they had to say about how to use dictionaries.  They note that while "bilingual dictionaries have been found to result in vocabulary learning" (263).  The important thing is for students to be able to understand how and when to use a dictionary and to help track their proficiency levels.

Week 9: Learning Strategies and Learner Autonomy

Today's readings dealt with how L2 students utilize learning strategies in acquiring an L2.  The Anthology articles, by Rebecca L. Oxford and David Nunan (respectively), and the article by Stephen Cary each provide different insights into this topic.
Oxford's article went over various aspects of how different learners use their strategies in L2 acquisition as well as talk a little bit about cultural aspects and how effective or ineffective the strategy can be.  Nunan uses a real life example of how students in Hong Kong are presented with different learning strategies, especially with the use of guided journals to help with their English acquisition.  Cary's article went a similar route, talking about how teachers use different strategies (the article talks about reading strategies like graphic organizers to help students) that provide students with a better understanding of the material. 
I have to say, that unfortunately in much of my learning of a second language, I was expected to use more rote memorization techniques rather than more natural methods.  I wish I had been able to use some of these other learning strategies that were talked about in the articles, I think that would have helped me become more proficient in Spanish.  In Oxford's article, I believe she mentioned something about cultural aspects and learning strategies needed to be further researched, I agree.  I think that there are many possibilities of understanding L2 acquisition more if there is more research done on the more subtle aspects like culture.  The Nunan and Cary articles were good in showing the application of different types of learning strategies that teachers can present their students with and in showing how effective each can be.

Week 8: Listening

This Thursday's readings dealt with the topic of the importance of listening in L2 learning.  Several writers in Section 10 of the Anthology present their views on how listening should be incorporated into L2 instruction.  

The three articles (by David Nunan, John Field, and Wendy Y.K. Lam, respectively) demonstrate different facets of listening learning in L2 instruction.  Nunan's views focus on more of a need for using listening as a means to build proficiency after other more schematic strategies have been implemented, listening should be done for specific purposes, and must be individualized according to each specific learner.  Field's article poses a design for using listening with three distinct sections--pre-listening, listening, and post-listening. Pre-listening consists of vocabulary, grammar, cultural topics, etc.  Listening consists of intensive/extensive distinction, questions about what is being listened to, tasks to do while listening, etc.  Post-listening is comprised of meaning making for words that are being taught.  He also focuses on some of the problems that need to be remedied with listening--such as teaching it rather than testing it.  Finally, Lam's article draws attention to the importance of using other materials (spoken and written) in teaching listening.

In thinking of the articles, I like most of Nunan's ideas, but I think that perhaps it may be a bit difficult if dealing with a large number of students to personalize listening instruction.   Field has some valuable points to consider in his essay, and I like how he describes how to go about teaching listening skills.  I agree with him that oftentimes students are tested rather than taught how to listen to their target language.  Lam's article I thought, sort of had similar ideas to that of Nunan and Field, but made them more concise and better to understand.

Final Project Idea

I think I would like to write a research paper for my final project about content based instruction and perhaps include aspects of the focus on form aspect of the SIOP model.

Week 7: Teaching of Reading and Writing

On teaching a second language, it is important for students to be able to read and write in their TL in order to obtain better proficiency in the language.  Without these necessary skills, it would be very difficult for L2 speakers to function in the TL's society without proper means of understanding and producing written means of communication.
The texts for this week focus on the various aspects of reading and writing for ELL students.  The articles talk about various strategies to help L2 learners in reading and writing proficiency. Both the Kuma. article on heuristics and the anthology readings (particularly chapter 28) focused on "the process of self-discovery on the part of the learner" and how important it is to being able to read and write competently in the TL.  As Kuma. states "activating the intuitive heuristics that every learner naturally possesses is a worthy goal to pursue, and...there are several options available to those L2 teachers who wish to pursue that worthy goal" (203).  Meaning that there are several factors that influence how students learn.
I particularly enjoyed these readings.  They helped me better understand why my reading comprehension wasn't always the greatest when I was learning another language.  I think what Kuma. has to say about heuristics is very important for us as future educators to understand because it helps in understanding how to better help our students.