Critical reader response (1 page summary, and 2 pages of critical response) - Book Report/Review Example

Given the study, changes in teaching methods proved productive. For example, a change in learning sequences gave students time to discuss questions with partners before they gave answers in class. Students were also given time to prepare the texts of answers which could be shown to teachers and fellow-learners. This reduced self-consciousness in answering questions in class. The use of the mother tongue was also allowed and this added to class unity and academic success. The common work by teachers and students proved well in overcoming the climate of fear, embarrassment and anger in English language classes.

On a whole it was a success in the use of responsible pedagogy in teaching English as an Additional Language. CRITICAL READER RESPONSE The article aims to understand Speech and Silence as seen in a twelfth grade class in Northside Secondary School in Toronto where Chinese-Canadian students are the majority. A difficulty arises, however, since Hong-Kong-born Chinese students show lack of active participation in open class discussions, and so they are resented by their peers. This situation seems to show a gap between two groupings, as Canadian-born non-Chinese, and even Chinese students, think they are taking all the burden of learning while their Hong-Kong-born classmates apparently lack initiative and intelligence.

As an Education student studying principles and methods of teaching English as an Additional Language, it is important for me to know the difficulties I may meet with future students who speak their native language and are learning English as a second language. Immediately, I feel interested to know how the teacher in Northside School will solve this difficult problem. At the same time, I feel motivated to face similar problems when they come, having learned one important principle in teaching which is to attend to the particular needs of individual students, and not simply teach the whole class as a group.

The article differentiates “Speech” and “Silence.” Generally, Speech means assertiveness, activity and intelligence, while Silence means passivity, powerlessness, and lack of presence. But general ideas may not always apply. The article shows that Speech and Silence have deeper roots. When the school did a study, it was shown that the Hong-Kong-born students had fears about being possibly ridiculed due to their peculiar pronunciation of English words. Also they did not want to be seen as show-offs.

As an education student, I now see the need for a teacher to look deeper into problems and not rely on casual observations. I believe the school did well in adopting scientific research to solve the problem. More schools should adopt research to improve the curriculum and pedagogy. From the article, I also learned that it is better to resolve class problems through joint efforts by teachers and students. The need “to negotiate linguistic and racial tensions in multilingual and multiracial classrooms” was suggested by the article.

In addition, the article suggested the need to see the larger