lpa1 reflection questions cos version 6.docx

LPA1 Reflection Questions Module 1: How Languages Are Acquired Characteristics of English Learners 1. Why is using a singular label to describe students who are not yet proficient in English problematic? Which ones have you heard used in your school or program? Which do you prefer? Why? a. By labeling a student who has not yet learned English, we are telling them they are different and I will never be able to acquire the language. b. The labels that I have heard the most are ESOL or ELL. c. For me, both of these terms are interchangeable. 2. Some flaws in the assimilationist “melting pot” metaphor was introduced. Do you agree with the author’s assessment? Why or why not? Do you feel that the alternative metaphors “salad bowl” and “third space” are a better fit when discussing cultural identity? a. I believe that while a melting pot is great in theory when you stop to break it down a melting pot requires that everyone conform and have no differences. While to me a salad bowl is more of what we have. Everyone is allowed to have their own culture while also being able to coexist. 3. How can poverty affect the teaching and learning of English learners? What is the danger in attributing LPA1 Reflection Questions v6 Page 1 of 14

students’ underachievement to cognitive deficits, rather than seeking to understand sociocultural factors that can affect students’ opportunities to learn? Describe your own experiences or observations related to this issue. a. Low-income schools are less likely to have the resources to deal with an English Language Learner and, as such, place them in a special education classroom meant for students that have learning deficits which will, in turn, discourage the student from trying to learn the language. Native Language Acquisition 1. Based on what you learned in the video about first-language (L1) acquisition, give three ways children’s L1 acquisition benefits from generalization. a. 2. Based on what you learned in the video about first language (L1) acquisition, is overgeneralization a help or a hindrance to L1 acquisition? Why or why not? Introduction to Linguistics 1. As a language speaker, you use vocabulary and grammar every day that you may not understand or even think about. However, as a teacher you are both a model and educator of language and its use. What are some reasons for you to learn to understand language and to think linguistically about English as well as the first languages of your EL students? LPA1 Reflection Questions v6 Page 2 of 14

2. Which nonlinguistic topics regarding language and its use do you find most relevant to understanding and supporting your EL students’ journeys toward becoming English speakers? 3. What items from this reading made you more aware of your own language use? Language Acquisition Theories: Chomsky and Krashen 1. What are some strategies and activities you can use to increase your students’ exposure to English i + 1 level? 2. Which theories, approaches, methods, or perspectives from this reading are most helpful to you in planning English language instruction and support for your EL students? 3. If you were to learn an additional language now, which approach, theory, or method from this reading LPA1 Reflection Questions v6 Page 3 of 14

would you want your teacher to use to instruct you? LPA1 Reflection Questions v6 Page 4 of 14

Total Physical Response (TPR) 1. Why is wait time so important for English learners’ success in the classroom? Considering your own experience as a teacher or learner, can you recall instances for which wait time could have been implemented more effectively? If so, how? 2. How is oral language related to literacy? What happens to English learners in classrooms that neglect oral language development and focus on teaching word-level decoding skills? 3. What are some advantages of using total physical response (TPR) in the classroom? How can TPR be used to teach vocabulary and concepts? How have you, or might you, use TPR in your own classroom? LPA1 Reflection Questions v6 Page 5 of 14

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