Chapters 1, 2, + 3
Chapters 1,2, and 3
Growing up in small towns in northern BC, I rarely interacted with kids whose first language was not English. Even my high school was fully comprised of English speakers, and it wasn’t until I graduated and started travelling that I discovered the discouragement that can arise when trying to overcome language barriers. Because of this background, I have realized I will need to be very cognisant of the language backgrounds of my students and careful to include the needs of English language learners in my classroom. I have found the first few classes to be highly informative and they have encouraged me to think about the way I personally use language on a daily basis, as well as consider the kind of approach I want to take towards language as a teacher. I found it especially helpful to reflect in class on how different I felt in situations when navigating outside the realm of my first language, and how I often felt like I was being left out of some sort of club. It will be important for me to remember those experiences as I begin to teach.
I am interested in how we as teachers can equip students with the language skills needed to succeed, while valuing and affirming their own language and culture. The text mentions that while we encourage their progress in English, we “must be willing to push back against society’s narrow-minded expectations (often evidenced through tests, writing samples, and grading practices) and limited perceptions of our students’ abilities” (Zwiers, 2008, p. 12). Because I am not very well acquainted with curriculum yet, I am curious just how much flexibility there really is when a teacher wishes to adjust grading practices to better work with ELL students.
The text gives practical examples that illustrate the way teachers can build their student’s understanding of academic language while encouraging participation. I would never want to discourage or shut down a student struggling to comprehend, but I can see how I could get frustrated in a large class with students of varying language abilities. The tools highlighted in the text will be very important in combating impatient responses like that, and while it will take time to put this into practice, I feel more confident having identified these different language techniques.
Zwiers, J. (2008). Understanding how students use language. In Building academic language: Essential practices for content classrooms (Ch. 1, pp. 1-17). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.