After sitting down to interview JV for my blog entry
two, it was definitely clear that linguistics is an essential component in
learning a new language. As JV points out that when coming to the United
States, words were used that she didn’t use or either had a different meaning.
The text book, Foundations for teaching
English Language Learner, states morphology through compounding is a form
of borrowing words from other languages to create new words (Wright, 2015, p. 32).
This can be a major obstacles for many students when they are learning English
as a second language. The reason I believe this is an obstacle is because the
English language borrows from many other languages and many of the English words
can have multiple meanings. This obstacle can be difficult to overcome but if
teachers incorporate Filmore and Snow five functions which are; teach as
communicators, teachers as educators, teachers as evaluator, teachers as an
educated human and teachers as agent of socialization (Wright, 2015, p. 28-29),
than the student will have a greater understanding of the language. Learning
English as a second language is not just about learning a new language but also
about understanding that language. Like with learning any subject in school,
learning English as a second language doesn’t start and end within the
classroom. JV states during the interview how communicating with others help
her learn English. This can be done through acculturation which allows a
student to integrate into the new culture they are learning without abandoning their
own (Wright, 2015, p. 20). If we as educators find a way to incorporate our
student culture and history while teaching them, we will have a higher success
rate with educating our students.
Wright, W.E. (2015). Foundations for Teaching
English language learners: research, policy, and practice. Philadelphia: Caslon
Publishing.
