Language Beliefs and Learning - Essay Example

Language Beliefs and Learning Introduction It is evident that education is open to all students from all over the world. Due to different backgrounds, these students have diversity in beliefs. There are various theories that are used to explain the learning process of a person. These theories have been used by teachers in the past to ensure that success in student learning is achieved. This paper seeks to give an in-depth analysis on language and belief in studying in the United States of America public schools. Language Beliefs Our schools are going through change especially in the areas of instructional methods, curricular materials and assessment practices. These transformations have been studied closely and modified to realize the great changes that have been made in our school systems. The transformation of schools, now increasing in momentum is a response to educational practices of the past several decades that have not been effective in promoting the academic achievement of all students (Soto, 2007; Friedman, 2004). Students with close connections to their bilingual/bicultural heritages have been underserved especially by U.S schools. Policy issues regarding how these students are served have evolved around power relations between groups in the broader society and thus have not been effective in addressing the problem. When educators view particular groups of students as having problems in need of remediation, the deficit perspective tends to reinforce social status relations between groups that exist in the wider society (Piper, 2006). According to our chapter readings this week, most of the countries that speak English for example here in the United States, consider bilingualism to be out of norm. Due to diversity of culture and languages in schools, most of the children in the world speak more than one language by the time they finish high school. From various researches undertaken, English is observed to be the second language adopted by many students across the world. All languages have a systematic learning approach which makes them easy to learn. For instance, our language consists of twenty-six alphabet letters, morphemes, vowels consonants and digraph blends. In other languages, the same systematic concepts of presenting the language to be learned in their culture are used. It may not always match up with the lettering, but yet it has a way of linking communication with the letters, sounds and symbols in their culture the same way as the American English culture. From previous researches conducted on languages, it is observed that when students have a strong background in their primary language, transition to a second language is easier (Ovando, Collier & Combs, 2011). Learning Theories There are various theories that try to explain the acquisition of second language and they include behaviorist theory, cognitive theory, humanistic approach and postmodern or constructive theory. The theories have been proved by various researches that have been undertaken in the field of second language acquisition. A. Behaviorist theory. This theory revolves around positive and negative feedbacks, body language, repetition and direct teaching. In explaining the human personality, this theorem culture is very strong and it outlines the life of a person response to learning. The information learned by a person exists in his surroundings. As the person interacts with his environment, his behavior is observed to change to effectively match with it. This is not only applicable to the normal behavior but also the learning process. When studying, the environment one studies in has some positive and negative attributes. In such a case, the person takes the positive neglecting the negative attributes. In the class context, the teacher may have introduced a systematic structured environment over the period of teaching. This is observed in learning process which develops from small concepts, building up to complex structure. In such a learning process, the students are observed to easily learn and adopt the second language despite the challenges that may be present. In such learning, it is observed that it is not very effective to large groups of persons as it is to individuals. Behavior theorem thus concentrates on the division of the entire learning process into smaller parts which eventually are very essential in the overall learning process. For a teacher, keeping track of students’ progress and providing guidelines in areas of amendments is very essential in the overall success of the student in learning. The teacher should have direct interaction between him and the students and encourage and motivate the students on various achievements. Due to the broadness of behaviorism theory, it accommodates various teaching approaches applied by different teachers. Some examples of activities on behaviorism theorem include games, simulations, tutorials and integrated learning system among others. B. Cognitive Theory This theory is mainly based on individuals thought in determining his response to various activities, interaction with the surroundings and thus his personality. The investigations on cognitive theory argue that it is directed related to our behavior and emotions. Changing of thoughts affects the other activities a person is indulged in either positively and negative. Cognitive development is a step by step improvement of a person’s skills and knowledge. In research conducted by Piaget, he argued that human are very active in taking in the information and processing it rather than being entirely driven by the environment. He thus claimed that the human development entails sensorimotor stage, preoperational stage, concrete operations and formal operation stage. The stages have differences in ages and the capabilities of a person. Another researcher who has a big contribution to cognitive theory is Vygotsky. Cognitive is often used in the understanding of the human learning process. Contemporary cognitivism takes into consideration the mental development in relationship to learning process of people. Thus for effective learning, the teacher is supposed to be effective in administering the necessary learning materials to the students in a way expediting their learning. C. Constructivism theory It is evident that a person usually develops his knowledge on various depending on his previous knowledge. In case a person has some fundamental knowledge in an area, then he is most likely to be in a better position to develop it further than a person with no idea. This is the basis of constructivism theory. The theory argues that the learning process is continuous with the learners building new concepts on the already existing knowledge and skills. In gaining knowledge, general concepts may be applied to the real world. Due to its broadness, constructivism is observed to entail active learning, discovery learning and knowledge building. In ensuring proper learning by the students, the teacher should ensure that the students have a stronger base in the fundamentals of their education. This empowers them to be able to handle various challenges they encounter during learning. The fundamental knowledge also brings about curiosity in the student and leads to their exploration in various fields. The main role of the teacher in such a case is to facilitate and encourage students to discover various principles by themselves. D. Informal And post-modern theories It is not necessary for a person to undergo formal learning process in order to gain knowledge. To some persons, they usually gain knowledge through practice. This is evident in most technical situations where a person is observed to perfect his skills without attending a class. In some cases, such people are observed to be better placed than their counterparts undergoing formal education. This is mainly because their performance is usually driven by passion and thus they are curious to learn. In ensuring that all the student potential is tapped in his learning so that they can be successful, the teachers should ensure that both formal and informal knowledge are incorporated in the learning process. There are other learning process theories used in explaining the learning process and they include Transformative learning theory and educational neuroscience. Each theory has its strength which makes them useful in handling specifics in the learning process Classroom Teacher Roles As a teacher, I must meet the needs of my students to assist them in achieving their set goals and objectives. In order to achieve this, I have implemented effective strategies to address specific needs of the students while serving them on various academic levels. In teaching English learners, my contribution is evident in the use of small group instructions which allows educators access language proficiency levels. The results of these assessments have been very useful in instructional planning, so that the needs of each student can be academically achieved. Thus in order to ensure success is achieved in the learning process; teachers must make sure that students receive equitable education as well as equal opportunity to learn in a comfortable environment (Flood, 2003). Conclusion Learning is a process that requires proper coordination between the parents and the teachers. Proper understanding of the theories of learning enables the teachers to effectively assist the students get the best out of their capability. As an educator, my goal is to gear my students towards academic success. From experience, I have come to understand that academically successful students are better suited in their academics despite them coming from different backgrounds. Thus despite the challenges present in American public schools, proper understanding of the overall education system is necessary to all stakeholders in order to elevate it. References Flood, J. (2003). Handbook of research on teaching the English language arts. London: Rout ledge. Friedman, C, I. (2004). Education reform. New York: InfoBase Publishing. Ovando, C. J., Collier, V. P., & Combs, M. C. (2011). Bilingual and ESL Classrooms: Teaching in Multicultural Contexts. New York: McGraw-Hill Companies Inc. Piper, T. (2006). Language Learning: the home and school years. New Jersey: Pearson Merrill/Prentice Hall. Soto, L, D. (2007). The Praeger handbook of Latino education in the U.S. Westport, Connecticut, USA: Greenwood Publishing Group. Read More