Blog Entry 3: Interview an Instructor
As I was conducting this interview, I realized that it differed drastically from my last interview with an ELL student. Dr. Monica Gonzalez is an University of Houston instructor who teaches an educational course of Mathematics for future teachers. In the interview, she discussed methods that she utilized as an college instructor but also shared tools that she used during her elementary and principal days. She stated that motivation plays a key role when teaching her students and she always as to keep in mind the various entities in which each one learns. She believes that it is important to showcase various methods of motivation, whether visual, auditory, or physical. Many students who come into the classroom have different levels of English proficiency. Some students are able to capture the language more if it’s spoken while others may gravitate to the language in a written or signed form. According to Ortega, “Human language manifests itself in spoken, signed and written systems across more than 6,500 languages documented to date.” (Ortega, 2011 Pg.2). She says hat with the help of these different methods, we’re able to engage students a lot more. Dr. Gonzalez also touched based on students willingness to communicate and how to allow them to branch out and start to communicate with others. By allowing students numerous opportunities to communicate with their peers first and then discussing it with the teacher, can alleviate shyness or avoidance of speaking in class and promote confidence. “An individual’s communicative confidence in the L2 greatly contributes to her or his willingness to communicate in their second langauage” (Ortega, 2011 Pg. 203). Dr. Gonzalez stresses that when teaching future students it’s critical for the teacher to encourage students to take risk. Many of the times, students and even adults are looked down upon if they think an answer is wrong or not correct. Once they have that feeling, it is hard to shake that sense of fear. We as teachers need to encourage risks for our students, that way we are teaching them not to give up but also instilling resilience. Proper communication among teachers and students “engendered more personal engagement and afforded many more opportunities to take risks, enabling these learners to produce longer turns and more complex language.”(Ortega 2011 Pg. 77). With this helpful information, I feel that I’m more equipped with ways to provide a welcoming environment for my future ELL students and ways to stimulate learning.
To hear more from Dr. Gonzalez, click here!
Ortega, Lourdes. Second Language Acquisition. London: Routledge, 2011. Print
To hear more from Dr. Gonzalez, click here!
Ortega, Lourdes. Second Language Acquisition. London: Routledge, 2011. Print
Hello Celester,
ReplyDeleteThe interview with Dr. Gonzalez was great. Based on my observations and readings, I must agree with the variety of input and output methods that Dr. Gonzalez suggests. Dr. Gonzalez explains that the primary source of input is by first allowing the students hear the teacher speak it. Then giving the students opportunity to interact with their peers and lastly share with the class allows learning to occur. Through interaction the teacher provides the students the opportunity to practice the content and the language. By sharing the students will gain more confidence and will be able to obtain more feedback from the teacher and classmates. Overall, the strategies for input and output will create a learning environment. This is supported by the interaction approach, it “accounts for learning through input (exposure to language), production of language (output), and feedback that comes as a result of interaction” (Gass, 2013, p. 317).
Hi Jhoanna,
DeleteThank you for viewing my interview. I absolutely agree with your statements pertaining to input and output methods. I also believe that with Dr. Gonzalez history as an educator, she understood what strategies are beneficial for students within the classroom. According to Gass, interaction involves "a number of components including negotiation, recasts, and feedback", all of which are essential when communicating. Our author also advise that it is important to have "participants need to interrupt the
flow of the conversation in order for both parties to understand what the conversation is about."(Gass 2013, Pg 318). By having students involved in learning and in how they learn, sets the tone for their comprehension of future knowledge.
Celester,
DeleteI agree that the flow of conversation must be interrepted in order for the participants to fully understand what is trying to be said. This is supported by the negotiation process. The speakers will “negotiate the meaning” of an utterance” (Gass, 2013, p. 316). Therefore, there is less misunderstandings and the speakers explain to what they are trying to say.
Watching your interview with Dr. Gonzales was very interesting! Her insight about the primary source of input and the process she believes students should go through helped me trigger some ideas on how I can expand on my research paper. I think that allowing students to interact with each other through peer teaching can be a great opportunity for English language learners.
ReplyDeleteHi Shelly,
DeleteThank you so much for viewing my interview. I think it is great that Dr.Gonzalez's comments and responses triggered creative ideas on how to approach your research topic. By getting to hear others point of view of methods and tasks, especially those with experience, broaden our scope of knowledge and propels us to seek results. Having students interact with one another helps establish a learning experience where all are able to learn from their peers. According to Ortega, "in order to learn any
aspect of the L2, learners need to notice the relevant material in the linguistic data afforded by the environment"( Ortega 2011, Pg. 63). We as teachers have to realize that our students environment is conducive to effective learning. We also have to encourage opportunities for our ELL's students so they can be successful.
Hi Keyerra,
ReplyDeleteI couldn't agree more that children need to embrace taking risks with learning or speaking a new language. Many students refrain from taking risks because they feel they may make a mistakes or embarrassed. However, once students understand crucial risks can be in learning, they become more resilient when mistakes are made and open-minded and relaxed when speaking to others in their L2. Gass even suggest that "many of the strategies associated with good language learners involve a willingness to take risks." (Gass 2013, Pg 433). Overall, as future educators, we have to make it a point to encourage of future ELL students, despite the mistakes and risks that may follow.
Hi Keyerra,
ReplyDeleteIt is most definitely true to to encourage all types of motivation for our students in order for them to be successful. One way to encourage students to take more of a proactive or risk in speaking out in class is to establish a safe environment at the beginning of the year. This should be a base in many Classroom management models and in return, this can translate into many different benefits for students that are not only Ell but even students with a shy or quiet personality too. A lot of students would feel unsafe or embarrassed in getting something wrong in front of the class, so you can even ask them independently or have them write out answers and turn it in separately. There are many different ways to encourage motivation for students.
The most versatile advice that I was hearing from Dr. Gonzalez was the importance placed on trying new things as well as having multiple strategies in place to help our students be successful. Ortega highlights the importance that L2 learning is dynamic as opposed to static (190). Dr. Gonzalez gives advice all throughout her interview as to how to combat this idea that one thing will always work in a situation with different students. She strives to always more forward and try different things as a way to make all students more successful. Taking risks is important to help the changing learning processes of our students. We have to change with them.
ReplyDelete