Response to Chapters 1, 2, 3 Thoughts on Language
Language, more specifically the English language, is fascinating form of communication. English is not a tonal language; rather the intonation and inflection of words are vital components in the construction of meaning in our sentences. Chapter two discusses the use of “prosody” (page 33) and gives a clear example of how improper emphasis of words in a paragraph muddles the message. I can imagine this being extremely difficult for English language learners, especially ones whose native languages are tonal or do not stem from any of the Germanic languages.
One of the interesting points brought up in the first few chapters was the idea of capital (social, cultural, knowledge, and linguistic) and how our institutions value them to varying degrees. It seems that without the proper tools of communication (linguistic capital) other admirable types of knowledge capital could be easily overlooked or under-appreciated, not only in school systems but in the job force, as well as social settings and navigating everyday life. If a student’s communication skills are weak or slow, they could very easily be lost in the shuffle or rushed along in an attempt to keep up the pace of a lesson, even if they have many valuable things to contribute.
When I taught preschool I had a very bright, innovative, and creative colleague who was interested in teaching English to some of our young ESL learners by engaging them through music. At the time we used a phonics program called “LetterLand” that leaned heavily on the use of narrative and song to teach basic letters, as well as blending short sounds. Perhaps these types of tools could be very useful in older classrooms as well in a more sophisticated way, especially for those who are still acclimatizing to the language. I feel that these sorts of strategies need not be limited to ESL students, but rather to any individual struggling with learning to speak and write academic English.
http://www.letterland.com/
Kathy Zhang