English Language Development Teacher and Student - Essay Example

English Language Development Teacher and Teacher When we consider the teaching-learning process it deals with the student -teacher’s interaction and as part of the learning process, monitor progress and evaluate new ways to improve. (“Road to Teaching”, n.d.) English teaching interviews are a powerful tool and are considered valuable to communicate and find the new ways to preach something that can be taken as an example to improve the performance and do better. ELL Teacher Interview The interview enable the Student to pose questions and improve their communication skills while making them familiar with the teacher’s thought process and learn from it. The Student can start with the simple questions like, Tell me a little about yourself. How did you get started with teaching position? (Sparapani, n.d.) I am from Columbia and had my childhood spent for 12 years in the same country and we speak Spanish and then our family moved to New Orleans, Louisiana and have lived in various parts of the U.S. since college. I live in Texas. So I am an immigrant and I had difficulty learning English at the initial stage and since I had the habit of going through dictionaries, watching English movies and so forth, it helped me to comprehend and gradually I started picking up words and communicate effectively. When I completed my graduation I wanted to become a teacher and have been inclined towards the English subject. I looked for teaching opportunities. As a bilingual classroom teacher, how do you find it? As I am familiar with other languages I find it easy to understand the needs of the bilingual student and this makes me plan the lesson keeping them in mind and this way the new concepts are explained and the students find it easy to comprehend. What training did you receive to become a teacher of English learners? I had no experience, but was given training in the first school I joined that was helpful and I even received a certificate that I excelled in the training process. I have taught in a metropolitan city of Madison, Wisconsin, a hillside village in Pennsylvania and on Macbeth Avenue, Fairview Park, in Ohio. (Sparapani, n.d.) How long have you taught in classroom settings with English learners? I taught ELL for around seven years. What grades have you taught? I have taught for Middle School and Higher Secondary. Do you speak a language other than English? (How did this help you teach ELL’s?) Yes. I speak French and Spanish. As I am familiar with these languages when I come across any student facing difficulty understanding the concept, I explain in bilingual language which helps them to relate and comprehend much faster. How many of your students are native English speakers? What percent are English speakers? What languages are represented in your class? In my class, 20 percent of the students are native English Speakers and the other 60 percent are English Speakers. The rest of them comprise of students who are non native speakers. The languages that represent in class are French, Spanish and there are students who are familiar with other languages. Do students mostly interact amongst themselves in their native language, English or equally in both? They speak their native language occasionally as they need to focus on English speaking. If they are unable to understand or use the English vocabulary then they can speak both but provided they try improving. What kind of program for ELL’s is available here? (SDAIE/Sheltered, bilingual/pull-out) Both the programs are available and its opted by the student as per the convenience. Their teachers make the curriculum accessible to them by planning for accommodations to their content instruction. (Bassoff, n.d.) What skills should a teacher possess to work effectively with English learners? Teachers must have the concept clear and adapt to the student’s requirement and work effectively by providing them the right supervision and use the simple and interactive technique that make them familiar and be enthusiastic while learning English. What assessments or information are used to determine if a student is proficient in a target language? The teacher must focus on their daily performance and see the various aspects where they find the difficulty level, and train them on a regular basis. They can conduct activities like role play, dramas, group quiz and so forth where they participate and find themselves confident. What variables have you found impact how well ELL Teacher’s acquire academic English? Be patient and listen. Try to get a feel for where your students are coming from, what their needs, abilities and limitations are, and design lessons accordingly. (Sparapani, n.d.) What is teaching in English, what do you do to make the content accessible to English learners in the classroom? The teaching has to be interactive. When the lesson has to be explained the teacher has to make the planning as how they are going to grab their attention, bring new concepts, use live examples and make them do any activity related with the topic that they are conducting. This kind of preparation makes the student to be enthusiastic and be curious to learn new concepts and apply it effectively. (Sparapani, n.d.) What is the most important thing to you about being an ELL teacher? I find that my experience as a teacher has informed my work in other areas. It is a never-ending process of learning what works well with the profession that I have chosen. (Sparapani, n.d.) What do you find rewarding about this work? The job satisfaction when you get after the child completes the academic sessions and talks with confidence that makes them feel to be at the top of the world. (Sparapani, n.d.) What impact has teaching ELL Teacher had on your life overall? Teaching has shown me things about myself, about others, about the world, that I would not have gotten in any other field. It has made me more patient, responsive and understanding. (Sparapani, n.d.) Introduction: In order to optimize the learning experience of English learners, Teachers are responsible for selecting educational materials and activities at the right level and of the right type for all of the children in their classes.( Fillmore & Snow 2000 ,p.7) and they are the embodied as a Communicator, Educator, Evaluator ,Educated Human Being and an Agent of Socialization. (Fillmore & Snow 2000, p.9) Methods: English is not the subject of instruction; rather it is the medium through which a majority of the schools academic content is taught. In most immersion programs this includes math, science, social studies and other subject areas. Language immersion is an approach to foreign language instruction in which the usual curricular activities are conducted in a foreign language. (Bostwick, n.d.) Discussion: Instructional supports of ELL’s: The teachers can use the technology and visual aids that make them comprehend visually at the initial stage. (“Instructional Strategies that Support the Success of English Language Learners”, p. 8) Role and place of assessments: They can be accessed on the basis of prefunctional, beginning, intermediate, advanced, and proficient and on different domains such as listening, speaking, reading and writing. (Instructional support, p.10-26) “When responding to ‘errors’ during interlanguage stages, teachers should be seen as providing feedback, helping reshape the process rather than telling students they are wrong”, (Instructional support , p.9-26) Conclusion: The teacher interview unfolds many aspects and the preparatory steps that are used on the new English learner .They have to be trained professionals as it helps the student to make the best use of the teaching skills and make it remarkable. I would like to use the same strategy as a teacher and to make the student learn effortlessly. ELL Interview Demographic information on ELL student (age, gender, home language spoken, how long they have been learning English, where did they learn English) Where are you from? I am from China. How long you been in the country? I lived in China for 15 years and then our family moved to Texas. Where were you born? I was born in our hometown Bale in China. How long in Texas? I have been living since 4 years. Who live here now? I live with my family. I have one younger sister. How old are you? I am 19 years old. How many languages do you speak comfortably? I speak Chinese and English. How is learning English when compared to other language? As I was small I learnt Chinese fast, but English it is hard and difficult from all other language because of my age. If I were a little bit younger I would have learnt faster. What do you feel comfortable doing Writing, reading or speaking? There are some words difficult to understand and once we translate it means many things. I am least comfortable writing. At what age did you learn English? Before coming to America I learnt a little bit by watching movies and finding words in the dictionary. What language do you speak when you are at home? We speak in both the languages. CELDT Listening and Speaking and any other test results CELDT stands for California English Language Development Test. Students in kindergarten through grade twelve whose home language is not English are required by law to take an English skills test. This test helps schools identify students who need to improve their skills in listening, speaking, reading, and writing in English. Schools also give the test each year to students who are still learning English. (“California English Language Development Test”, 2012) The English learner has taken the test and has scored good marks in it. Review of their ELD (English Language Development) Portfolio (Student School History): In the Student School History it is reflecting that the English learner is in a position to comprehend with the subject and is effective while writing, reading and speaking. Artifacts to show levels in L/S/R/W The level is comparatively high and is well in L/S/R/W. Identify and discuss the Second Language Acquisition Methods used by class room teacher: Second-language acquisition or second-language learning is the process by which people learn a second language. Language is learned not for its own sake but in order to communicate and to find out about the world. So we need to adopt the methods that can make the student comprehend and apply effectively. Each topic must consist of linguistic tasks, and incorporates study and computer skills. (Methods, n.d.) The Literary Method: Learners are essentially taught to imitate in this method. (Methods, n.d.) The Grammar Translation Method: It was mostly comprised of translating sentences back and forth and was less effective to do with the principles of speaking or listening. (Methods, n.d.) The Direct Method: The subject was taught directly in the same language. (Methods, n.d.) The Audio-Lingual Method: The focus is mainly on oral discussion and very little on grammar rules. Language Immersion: The goal of language immersion is to provide learners with an environment in which they have to learn the second language (L2) in order to do well. (Methods, n.d.) The Communicative Approach: It is thought that learners need to have knowledge of the rules of use in order to generate language appropriately for certain situations, and to have strategies to communicate effectively. (Methods, n.d.) In the starting phase the student finds it hard to comprehend but gradually as the classes are conducted in English from kindergarten through high school they find it easy and as they are given instructions on a daily basis. They can make themselves feel comfortable while listening, reading writing and speaking. It caters to the needs of the students and woks with the aim, To achieve competency in the foreign language (listening, speaking, reading, writing) To acquire the same first language arts skills as students in regular schools To master content area skills & concepts To gain a greater understanding and appreciation of other cultures. (Bostwick, n.d.) So the student was given training in the immersion method and has used the communicative approach. Describe the challenges that you faced learning English. As new to the language I found it hard to be on par with my friends and classmates. I am a bright student but had to work hard and spend more time than my classmates who knows English. I was slow while writing; I missed my breaks and had no time to play during recess time. I had to spend extra hours for learning spellings and had to improve my reading skills. This way I had to compromise on many things and this made me feel low sometimes, but I had taken this as a challenge. Did you have support? Who gave you the most support? The best thing I would consider during this phase is my teacher’s support who was there to help me while I am writing, reading. My teacher spent extra hours to teach me the lessons and translated if necessary. There were audio lessons that I would listen to and this way it helped me to pronounce the words that were difficult and made me confident while speaking. The library had many activity based books, dictionaries, translators and so forth that helped me to get familiarized with the words and its meaning. At home, I used my computer system to find the words and this helped me to get the information at my convenience. Where were you successful? How were you successful? The best thing that helped me was the teacher’s guidance on a daily basis as the interaction with the teacher helped me to find the way to learn English. I was successful and topped my exam during the second semester with high percentage of marks in all the subjects including English. What about their fears, self –esteem, relationships, treatment etc.? As I am a teenager and had to learn the new language I couldn’t face my classmates with confidence. I couldn’t talk to them as they were fluent in English and I was facing difficulty even understanding. There were lots of fears that I couldn’t be able to speak such a difficult language. There were students who made fun of me as I am an outsider and this made me feel bad but took it as challenge .Gradually it changed, and the students have approached me when they have any doubts and I felt happy about it. What do you wish would have been different? Easier? Why? As language is the effective tool of communication and I wish that I would have learnt English during my young age as it would have helped me to learn faster and this would have helped me to have more friends. But nevertheless with the strong determination and with right guidance I am able to speak and make the learning and reading process effective. Similarities: Immigrants: The teacher and the student who has been interviewed have been a non resident of US and have shared their experience which shows the initial hiccups what they face while they study. Proper training: The teacher has to be eager to teach and the student must show eagerness to learn .If this is the process, then it would be achievable. The training has to accomplish the task of making the student aware of the concepts and the teacher has to be trained to provide the right information. Regular process of learning: It is a slow and steady process. “Second language learning by school-aged children takes longer, is harder, and involves more effort than many teachers realize.” (“Myths and Misconceptions about Second Language Learning”, 1992, p.4-8)This has to be focused upon and the learning has to be upheld. Planning: The teacher and student must plan to make it achievable. The teacher has to prepare the lesson plans effectively so that the bilingual student can comprehend. The student has to prepare themselves and apply the learning by reading, writing and listening carefully. English skills test: The teacher has to conduct the test on timely basis to assess the performance and increase the level of content. The student has to learn and write the test and improve their performance gradually. Listening, reading, writing and speaking: The teacher needs to focus on these aspects and ensure that the students accomplish the task effectively. Achieve competency: The teacher and the student has to focus on the same goal of to get efficiency in the language and by constant effort and determination they can achieve this. Differences: ELL Teacher and ELL Learner: As they are immigrants we can see that there was huge difference in the teaching learning process. The student finds the teacher more informative and there are new ways by which the student can learn. The technological advancement enable them to do the learning conveniently. When it comes to the teacher they have the ability to understand the minds of the individual. They have experience and have exposure to the psychology of the student and can apply the most suitable methods according to the student’s behavior. The student in this regard is different from the teacher. The teacher has the skills that are important to mould the child and to make them learn the new subject with more enthusiasm and has to fulfill the task with more conviction. The learner has the ability to be receptive and to learn new concepts and the new language. The teacher may not be so effective like the student in this regard. If we can come to a common understanding about the direction of our ELL program and the goals we are trying to achieve, then our approaches will be unified and our results effective. (Bassoff, n.d.) So it is rightly said, “Teachers need to be aware of these misconceptions and realize that quick and easy solutions are not appropriate for complex problems.” (“Myths and Misconceptions about Second Language Learning”, 1992, p.6-8) Reference Bassoff, Tobey Cho. So what’s the Difference between ESL and ELL? New Teachers Online How-To Articles: Teachers Network. Retrieved from http://teachersnetwork.org/ntol/howto/eslclass/eslell.htm Bostwick, Mike. What is Immersion? Katho Gakuen. Guide of Immersion Program. Bilingual.com. Retrieved from http://www.bi-lingual.com/school/INFO/WhatIsImmersion.html California English Language Development Test.( March 21,2012).California: California Department of Education. Retrieved from http://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/tg/el/ Fillmore, Lily Wong & Snow, Catherine E. (2000) .What Teachers Need to Know About Language. University of California at Berkeley. Journal . Retrieved from http://faculty.tamu-commerce.edu/jthompson/resources/fillmoresnow2000.pdf Instructional Strategies that Support the Success of English Language Learners.AYP Handbook. Retrieved from http://dpi.wi.gov/ssos/pdf/ayp_ell.pdf Instructional Support. SLP Role in Supporting CRP in the Classroom. Retrieved from http://www.omnie.org/guidelines/ell/CLD%20GUIDELINES%20PART%20IV%20Instructional%20Support%20KJ.pdf Myths and Misconceptions about Second Language Learning. 1992. Eric Digest. Eric Development Team. www.ericdigests.org/1992-1/myths.htm Road to Teaching: Blog, Resources, and Teacher Interview Questions. WordPress. Retrieved from http://roadtoteaching.com/teacher-interview-questions/assessment-teacher-interview-questions/teacher-interview-question-how-can-assessment-improve-student-learning/ Sparapani, Jason. English Teaching Interviews. ESL teacher. English Teaching Info. Retrieved from http://www.english-teaching-info.com/interviews/jason-eslteacherinterview.html Read More