Blog 3

For my teacher interview I interviewed Lena Hernandez. She is a teacher at Gonzales High School in Gonzales, Texas. Lena teaches Spanish 2, 3, and 4 AP, and is also the English Language Learners chair at her school. She has noticed that while teaching English Language Learners they tend to struggle most with understanding that their teachers are not able to speak Spanish, though they are ESL certified, they are not required to learn Spanish. Students also feel that their expectations are set just as high as those students who already speak English, which is not the case. The students need to understand that it is beneficial for them to be bilingual and learn English, because in today's society it is essential to be able to speak English. It is the most common used language and without it, it is hard to communicate with those around you. Please watch my video to learn more about what Lena has to say about English Language Learners.

Click here to watch my video

Comments

  1. UnknownJune 23, 2018 at 7:46 PM

    Hello Nayab! I can definitely understand the struggle and confusion of the students when their teachers do not speak Spanish. I wish that there were more teachers who are certified to teach ESL were bilingual for better communication, but in the end the children are supposed to be learning English. I love how they are trying to teach monolingual students another language. It is super beneficial especially living in Texas. However, I think there could some issues or challenges with having students learn another language other than English. According to Rowland, "However, monolingual children learning all of these languages routinely go through a stage in which they drop objects frequently and freely in their speech, as if they think it is grammatical" (2014, pg. 183). Although this is not a huge problem, it is something to keep in mind as a teacher when trying to teach an English student another language.

    Rowland, Caroline. Understanding Child Language Acquistion. New York: Routledge, 2014.

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    1. UnknownJune 27, 2018 at 11:59 PM

      Hi Harlie. I agree with your statement about wishing that there were more teachers who are certified in ESL who were bilingual. As an ELL myself, I found it difficult in those beginning years to communicate with my teachers because they did not always have a background in Spanish, which was frustrating. Even though students are supposed to be learning English, having that communication can be very comforting to an ELL if they are struggling to grasp the language. As you mentioned being bilingual is beneficial in our culture, but as Rowland mentions “ language mixing does not mean that children are confused about their two languages (Rowland, 2013, p.178),” so it is important that we understand when there is an actual problem at hand in their learning and when a problem could very will fix itself.

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    2. UnknownJune 28, 2018 at 7:27 AM

      Hi Harlie! I agree with you, it must be difficult being an ESL teacher when you are unable to speak spanis and communicate with those students who's first language is Spanish, but it is not required for ESL certification. I believe you are right more teachers should be bilingual for better communication but it is not necessary that every ELL speaks Spanish. Some could speak Hindi, Chinese, or even Japanese. If an ESL teacher learned every language that they came across it would be a lot for them to have to take in.

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  2. Ila HyamsJune 25, 2018 at 2:47 PM

    I find this topic heartbreaking in its realism. Rowland mentions student expectations and comprehension levels being tied to their ability to understand the meaning behind the language, not just the grammar and how the language is set up (2013). However, the students you mentioned in your reflection are too often seen in classrooms around the nation. I think that we need to fix this disconnect between students' feelings on learning the English language and teachers' abilities to speak other languages. Simply being certified is not an ideal method for instruction, and while having certification is much more effective than having no training whatsoever, it should not be the only thing we require of our teachers. Of course, we cannot have our teachers learn every language, however, having a basic understanding of the language and culture behind it can go a long way towards lessening this gap in misunderstandings between our students and teachers.

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    1. UnknownJune 28, 2018 at 7:30 AM

      Hi Ila! I agree with you that we do need to bridge a connection between students and ESL students but teachers are not able to learn every language spoken around the world. Yes, Spanish speakers may be the majority of students that go through the ESL program but they are not the only ones. There may be students that speak other languages besides Spanish, so if an ESL teacher did speak Spanish but also had students in her classroom that did not, those students may feel that the Spanish speakers are getting extra attention over themselves.

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  3. UnknownJune 25, 2018 at 5:12 PM

    Nayab, your interview provided a unique perspective on teaching English language learners at the high school level. Your interview was the first one I have watched that discussed students of this age and it provided some surprising differences compared to other's experiences working with elementary aged ELLs. Specifically, I found it interesting how your interviewee pointed out that many high school students lack enough motivation to reach their full potential in their language development. This reminded me of Ortega's account of Wes, a man who learned enough English to be successful, yet struggled with English grammar because he lacked enough intention to learn it (Ortega, 2013, p. 56-58). Specifically, Ortega states that, "learning will not happen unless the learner engages in active processing of those data" (Ortega, 2013, p. 58). Therefore, even if the learning environment is optimal and the best learning resources are provided, the learning will only occur if the individual has enough intention of learning and motivation. Perhaps one of the most important areas of ELL research is finding the best ways to increase students' intrinsic motivation so that they will benefit from all external learning factors.

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    1. UnknownJune 28, 2018 at 7:36 AM

      Hi Morgan! Lena did mention how students have a lack of confidence in their ability to learn a second language, and you are right if we provide the proper learning environment along with adequate resources it may increase the students motivation. You, as a second language learner, have to want to learn the second language. It is not something that can be forced on a student, even though it is beneficial for them in the long run. I think you are right we need to invest more time into researching ways to increase intrinsic motivation because without it the students will not want to retain what they are learning.

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  4. AnonymousJune 28, 2018 at 4:49 AM

    Hello Nayab!

    I noticed you, as well, interviewed a high school teacher. In your interview video, Mrs. Hernandez mentioned that one of her ELL students lacks confidence and did not believe that he or she could be a valedictorian. I think there is an enormous difference between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. In my opinion, when younger children are motivated extrinsically, later on, it can become a habit. I think it is important to remind them that it is purposeful to be able to communicate through a second language. If we try to engage intrinsic learning, there would be “consistently higher levels of achievement” (Ortega, p. 175).

    References
    Ortega, L. (2009). First Signs of Renewal: Self-Determination Theory and Intrinsic Motivation. In Understanding Second Language Acquisition (p. 175). London: Hodder Education.

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    1. UnknownJune 28, 2018 at 7:54 AM

      Hi Gabriela! I believe that lacking motivation is a common problem among English Language Learners. I agree with you that at a younger age the use of extrinsic motivation is more helpful but once students have reached high school level it is primarily intrinsic motivation. And you are right if you provide too much extrinsic motivation in the beginning it may become a habit making intrinsic motivation lower in high grade levels. I believe that learned a second language, whether it is English or Spanish, is vital in today's society and that is what should be used to provide motivation for students.

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    2. AnonymousJune 28, 2018 at 9:15 PM

      Nayab, thank you for agreeing with me on how intrinsic motivation is seen more through the later years. I want to comment on how we should emphasize to younger children that a positive attitude can boost motivation considerably. Ortega states that, “attitudes towards the formal learning context have been shown to exert a lasting and important influence on motivation” (Ortega, p. 190), That being said, we should encourage more on creating an optimistic environment in the classroom.
      References
      Ortega, L. (2009). Summary . In Understanding Second Language Acquisition (p. 190). London: Hodder Education.

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