Entry 1
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Growing up a monolingual in Houston was interesting. I had
heard others speak different languages when we would go on vacations, and just
around the city of Houston, but I never learned those languages fully myself.
Like some people, I know a few words in Spanish, and enough to get by in French
which I learned when I was in high school, but not enough to get by living in
either of the countries that predominantly speak the language.
What I did not know, however, is that for most of the world, they are learning multiple languages by the age of four (Ortega, 2011). It is crazy to me to think that most people are learning so much whereas I only learned one language growing up. I have always had the desire to learn different languages, but I find it difficult to retain the knowledge when learning the language.
I would have stuck with French in high school, but I was not learning the way the new French teacher was teaching us, and classes that had more to do with education were more exciting to me. It is crazy to me to think that how a person teaches you a different language determines if you will enjoy and pursue the language even more, but the same goes with teaching anything really. And I never really thought about why/how some people can learn so many different languages easier than others but looking into this course/textbook I am excited to learn more.
What I did not know, however, is that for most of the world, they are learning multiple languages by the age of four (Ortega, 2011). It is crazy to me to think that most people are learning so much whereas I only learned one language growing up. I have always had the desire to learn different languages, but I find it difficult to retain the knowledge when learning the language.
I would have stuck with French in high school, but I was not learning the way the new French teacher was teaching us, and classes that had more to do with education were more exciting to me. It is crazy to me to think that how a person teaches you a different language determines if you will enjoy and pursue the language even more, but the same goes with teaching anything really. And I never really thought about why/how some people can learn so many different languages easier than others but looking into this course/textbook I am excited to learn more.
Ortega, Lourdes. Second Language Acquisition. London: Routledge, 2011. Print.
Hi Tobi! I loved watching your introduction and learning about your experience with second languages. I am also monolingual, only speaking English, and so are my parents. Before this course, I had no idea being monolingual makes me a minority in this way (Ortega, 2013). While I know a lot of individuals who are bilingual and some who are even multilingual, I did not realize how common that is world wide. Furthermore, I thought it was interesting how you said your French 2 teacher helped your class learn french by communicating with native french speakers. After reading from Gass and Selinker (2008, p.2-4), I realized that the teaching method for language learning is important. Specifically, the text points out that communication is more important that rote memorization of vocabulary words, for instance. Therefore, I assume that your teacher's method of having you communication with french students was more helpful compared to reading flashcards or a textbook.
ReplyDeleteIt was nice getting to know you!
I also had no idea that being monolingual was the minority. Gass and Selinker state how multicompetence, knowledge of two or more languages in one mind, is the norm or what is considered normal for humans (2013, p.30). They also explain that since the “norm” is knowing many languages, there should be a “re-evaluation of what it means to be a native speaker of a language”. It’s astonishing to think that the majority of people on this earth are bilingual or multilingual. This just shows how language has taken a large influence on everyone.
DeleteGass, S. (2013). Second language acquisition: An introductory course. Routledge.
Hi Morgan!
DeleteI completely agree with what you said about my French 2 teacher. Speaking with native speakers was so amazing and really helped me experience the language better than just sitting in front of the computer. I did not know that being a monolingual was the minority either. Language is such an important part of everyone’s culture, so it does make sense that knowing more than one language is the norm.
Tobi, I noticed that you mentioned that you know enough French to get by, however not enough to get by in a country with a predominately French speaking population. Perhaps this is because of the method in which you learned your French. Ortega discusses the extreme differences in exposure one has to their target language based on their language context. For instance, many of us who were required to take a foreign language course in school have only experience a fraction of the exposure of someone who is immersed in a community that speaks the target language (Ortega, 2013, p.16-17).
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ReplyDeleteHello Tobi! In your entry, you mentioned that your interest in second-language acquisition heavily depended on your interest in your teacher? Ortega mentions that monolingual households are a rarity, so I find it interesting that we share a commonality in this (2013). I also took French, and while I am not proficient, my inability to speak fluently mostly derives from my own lack of motivation. As it seems we had the same problem, if not the same cause for our lack of motivation, what are your thoughts on second-language as a future educator? Should we help cultivate this type of learning in our students, or should we let it be something a student has to show initiative in before we give them tools for learning another language?
ReplyDeleteHi Ila!
DeleteI think second language is so important as a future educator, but I think we have to find what works the best with each student. If we want students to be engaged and not lose interest in learning the second language. I think that is a really interesting question! I think it should be a mix of both. I think that teachers should help find ways but it should also be on the students to keep them motivated. Do you think it should be on teachers or not?
I agree that we need to modify HOW we teach languages to our students based on HOW they learn! I also think that it should be heavily influenced by immersion-type teaching styles, as those are the most commonly successful teaching methods overseas.
DeleteAs for whether teachers are responsible? I think it a mix just like you said. If we take on all of the responsibility, it forces the student to remain completely passive in their learning. However, if it is solely up to them to learn and engage, it is likely that very few students will ever learn or even master another language.
This might be because of a lack of motivation. What do you think? Motivation, or a fundamental flaw in how languages are taught right now?
Tobi, I really like hearing about yourself, and your second language experience. It was similar to my experience as well. While I did here many languages growing up due to Houston’s diversity, none of it really stuck with me. I took Spanish as my second language in middle school, but unlike you, I was not immersed in the language, so I lost most of the skills I was taught. Ortega says that learning a second language is quicker at an older age, but you don’t not retain as much as a child does even though it may take them longer to learn it (Ortega 2013, pg. 16). I think it was easier for you to learn French, because when you went into your French class that was all you spoke and heard for the time you were there, whereas my teacher still spoke to us in English with some Spanish.
ReplyDeleteReference:
Ortega, L. (2013). Understanding second language acquisition. Routledge
Hey Haylee!
DeleteBeing more immersed in the language definitely helped me retain some of the information better than not having that experience. I think it’s crazy that you can learn a language quicker than a child but they will retain the language more. In the French class we spoke some English, because we did not know all of the language, but she immersed us as much as possible
Hi Tobi,
ReplyDeleteI noticed you said that your interest in one subject took away from learning a second language for you. I can agree slightly with you on that. I, myself, didn't learn a second language because I was more interested in learning other things as well. I was distracted most of the time while I was trying to learn a different language. Ortega states that learning a language at a younger age would take longer, yet they would retain more than an older student (2013). I think we both can agree with this because of our experiences. I do think that I would be able to have learned a second language if I had learned it as a child. My nephew was taught American Sign Language in early childhood school age, because it was easier for them to use their hands than it was for them to produce words. And, like you, my niece is being taught Spanish at an early age because her father speaks Spanish and her mother speaks English. Even if these kids stopped learning these languages now, like you did, do you think it would be easier to learn it when they are older since they will have a subconscious understanding of it, or would it be like starting new?