LLED 360307 – Fall 2017 Dr. Lorna Ramsay
Reading Analysis Reflection Date: 15 September 2017
Facilitator name: Justine Martins
Text Chapters: Chapter 2 of Coelho; and article by Nicholas Keung
Name of Outside Source: “Recipe project helps new immigrants connect with their roots,” Toronto Star, 15 December 2016, https://www.thestar.com/news/immigration/2016/12/15/recipe-project-helps-new-immigrants-connect-with-their-roots.html.
Main Themes
In the two different readings, English Language Learners find common connections with people in their community when coming to a new country. They are able to build these connections while still learning English and still keeping their cultures.
My Critical Argument or Thesis
Establishing relationships early on with English Language Learners is crucial in their development in the school community, as well as in helping to develop their English skills.
New Vocabulary
(Keung)The Recipe Project A project in Toronto in collaboration with an immigrant settlement agency in Canada meant to help connect newcomers to Canada to people in their new community with elements of cultures from which they came from.
(Coelho) L1 – The primary language a person speaks; L2 – The second language in which a person comes to learn
Looking at the implications of learning new languages and the proper way to welcome them to a new environment
- Assessment of newcomer students and how best to proceed with English-language acquisition while still progressing with academic support
Educational Implications
Insights and connections to educational themes and theories or more global issues
- Inclusivity for both students and parents in the school community
- Helps the transition into the new community
- First days are crucial in implementing effective classroom discourse and programing for ELL students new to Canada
- Understanding individual needs and competency of curriculum and the English Language
- Continue to foster and encourage the growth of an ELL student’s native language and encouraging them to continue to celebrate their cultures.
- For new students to Canada, helping to encourage their families to develop the new language as well
- Community events and ways to get the families involved in the school community.
Insights and connections on practical teaching strategies
- Open-mindedness and flexibility is crucial for creating a good classroom environment for ELL students, especially if the student comes from war-zone backgrounds
- Being willing in creating separate and individualised lesson plans for ELL students who may not be able to complete regular assignments due to the language barrier
Coelho
Tailoring lessons to individual students’ need based on their English language skills
Some curriculum is seen as without a culture – such as math and science – and may be easier to implement than other subjects
Assessment of Toronto Star article
- The article is a great example of English language learning opportunities for newcomers to Canada and create connections within their community. This program is great because it takes something that is relatable to all cultures – food – and creates a new setting for people to come together and share their cultures. As well, this program creates an informal setting for people to test out and develop their English language skills with other people.
Questions
- Is there an assumption that all ELL students will learn the language at the same rate?
- Is there a standardised proficiency level expected for ELL students?
- How can we incorporate ELL assessment and assignments into the mainstream classroom?
- Would it be more effective to have mainstream classroom teachers and ELL instructors communicate to create individualised lesson plans for ELL students?
Reflection
In reading this chapter, it showed me just how vital the first interactions are with new students who do not have the English in fostering a sense of community – both at school and at home – as well as accurately assessing their academic level. As well, this does not just apply to students, but their families as well. As well, many of the different assessments that Coelho outlines in the chapter, make a lot of sense and are very practical and easy to implement in the classroom and will be very beneficial to students who are learning English.
Comments on Discussion
Did a group member give additional information or critique the facilitator at any point?
- Yes, the group did, especially on the subjects of an initial assessment and welcoming students to the school community.
What was my contribution to engagement?
- My contribution to engagement was in the form of facilitating questions and by posing questions based around the ideas presented by my group, which helped to develop the discussion around the subject.
Was the group engaged?
- The group was very engaged in discussion
Did the facilitator use strategies to include group members?
- By asking open-ended questions, the group was able to take questions in various different directions and give different perspectives on the topic
- In having people in our group who aren’t from Canada and who themselves have had to learning English as a second, we were able to discuss what isn’t effective and ideas that could be more useful in the classroom.
Is there more research to be done on topics of discussion? If so, specifically state.
Critical considerations of the reading analysis presentation:
Were all the objectives met with rigour?
- Yes, all objectives were met in the presentation
What suggestions do I have as self-evaluation for growth in presentation content or presentation organization and delivery?
- Being more confident in my delivery and more authoritative in my delivery would help make the presentation more useful.