CUIN 4361 Second Language Methodology

            Between taking second language acquisition and second language methodology, this has had to be my favorite course between the two. Even though I enjoyed learning about what factors can influence an individual’s learning process with a second or additional language, I was most intrigued with what Wright had to say about useful teaching strategies, policy, and about language programs in schools. Learning that our country has increased in its diversity made it interesting to learn about the need to have language programs that are suitable for English language learners who are at different proficiency levels. The programs that I most agree with are the dual language program, and sheltered English immersion program. Wright mentions the dual language program relies on teaching students content in both their native language and second language, which I believe can help students ease into their second language with less stress (2015). As well, this wa...

Click Here to watch my entry 3 video!  For my third interview, I spoke with Ms. Simms, who is a certified ESL teacher at Moreno Elementary. When I asked her about the school program offered at her school, she mentioned Dual language, which is one of the programs listed by Wright. Wright states that dual language is a program in which students are taught in two languages to develop bilingualism starting from kindergarten all throughout elementary, in contrast Ms. Simms explains that at her school they only really practice it in kindergarten (2015). This I found interesting, since it seems that it is better to have students in a dual language program more than just in kindergarten so that their transition from Spanish to English is smoother once they reach the upper grade levels. Ms. Simms also states her strong opinion against state testing as a form of assessment to check ELLs language proficiency. Wright mentions the NCLB Act as a reform that required schools to assess s...

Click Here To watch my Entry 2 video!                 For this interview, I spoke with one of my coworkers who I believed would be a good source of information since she didn’t start primary school in the United States until she was in second grade. What stood out from the beginning was that Laura was not tested in any form to identify her English language proficiency as what Wright states is supposed to happen following the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) (2015, p.3). After the interview, I did think back to Laura’s current age and the year in which she arrived to the U.S. and those did not correlate to when the NCLB Act was established, so it made sense she was not required from her particular school to be tested.                 As far as her learning process, Laura mentions that during her English as a Second Language (ESL) class...

Hi my name is Nancy Escobar! Click here to watch my introductory video.             Wright states that English Language Learners (ELL) refers to students who are in the process of attaining proficiency in English as their second language (2015). Now, as I've mentioned in the video my learning process with a new language consisted of simple everyday experiences such as my verbal communication with my siblings, televised entertainment, and having to communicate with my teachers and classmates, listen, read, and write in English in preschool. Wright also mentions English as a second language (ESL) teachers who works with ELL students during a few hours a week to help students meet their language and academic needs (2015). As far as I can remember I was never part of an ESL pullout group, but I do remember some of my friends being ESL students for a while and then they were no longer part of it. This explains how determining English proficiency consisted of ...