Language Learning Journey

In the classes I teach to non-native Spanish speakers, students whose Spanish skills are unequal to their English ones oftentimes decline to participate in class, inhibited by insecurity. Although Jacob had privately confessed to me that he struggled with such insecurities as well, they never stopped him from regularly discussing with his classmates topics as linguistically demanding as poetry analysis, U.S. foreign policy, and gender theory. Nor did they prevent me and the class from getting to know Jacob's intellectual sophistication, sense of humor, tact, and likeability, which are personality traits very dependent on nuance and which more often than not withdraw when the possessor must communicate extemporaneously in a second language.

As Zentella has studied within these three families, she finds an assortment of variation, even in individuals that come from the same family. The author argues that children coming from similar backstories range differently in their expertise in the language of their immigrated parents and the standard language of their residency. She concludes that because each family’s outlook on learning a second language and each individual’s preference challenges one another, one’s ability to learn a second language varies as well; there is no solid explanation as to why some people from the same background are more advanced in Spanish rather than English, and vice versa. Most people would not have taken into account of all the different contributions that this author describes, including gender, social preference, location, and personal beliefs. The common person would assume that acquiring a second language is possible for these families because they are surrounded by it, and that they would be able to maintain both their primary and secondary language. However, the author does analyze the contrasting opinion through observing the differences found in her study. She finds that the development of each person greatly varies to where each has different learning abilities and preferences. Where they live, whom they are in contact with, gender, and even their own personal behavior affects their unique growth. Since all have varying opinions, their decisions and values are placed accordingly to their own desire; in conclusion, these are all major factors in how people’s language skills

There are both positive and negative aspects of learning a language, but people are likely to equalize two sides and try not to lose the relationships with their family and the society. Amy Tan, in “Mother Tongue” and Richard Rodriguez in “Aria: A Memoir of a Bilingual Childhood” explain how they viewed their private and public languages through their experiences and how they managed these two languages and established themselves in the society. Tan initially felt ashamed of her private language and favored the public language; however, in the end she showed that she could manage the balance between the languages and finally utilized both in public. On the other hand, Rodriguez preferred his private language which made him feel comfortable;

The curriculum for English-Spanish Learners (ESL) or English-Language Learners, was created to assist students who do not speak any or little English. Angela Valenzuela describes in her article, “Subtractive Schooling, Caring Relations, and Social Capital in the Schooling of U.S.~Mexican Youth,” that

Many of their learning needs are similar to those of other children and young people learning in our schools. However, these learners also have distinct and different needs from other learners by virtue of the fact that they are learning in and through another language, and that they come from cultural backgrounds and communities with different understandings and expectations of education, language and learning”. (NALDIC, 1999).

There are two Educational philosophies that Rodriguez had utilized in his younger years. The philosophy of supporting Bilingual Education was to help Students acquire the skills of a classroom crucial for public success. Supporters would report that children miss out a great deal by not being taught in their family’s language. “They say that children who use their family language in school will retain a sense of their individuality- their ethnic heritage and cultural ties” (Kindle 6236-6237). Supporters would also say that children will have a sense of individuality that retains their family’s language. Giving children something to feel different and have something special. “But then there was Spanish. Español: my family’s language. Español: the language that seemed to be a private language.” (Kindle 5982-5983). Rodriguez shared how it was hard fighting between assimilating to American culture and keeping his connection and heritage alive within him.

Learning a new language seems to have only positive effects. However, for a Mexican American, accomplishing this goal brought him drawbacks in the interaction with his family. In his essay, ‘’Public and Private language,’’ Richard Rodriguez describes the difficulty in learning a new language and the sacrifice he makes to accomplish his goal. Richard Rodriguez shares the difficulty for older people, as they learn a new language; however, for younger generations is easier to learn a new language. Also, the new language creates a lack of communication for Richard Rodriguez.

In addition, learning Spanish will break the language barrier between myself and all the Spanish-speakers of the world, which I find remarkable. I cannot imagine a more efficient method to achieve bilingualism than complete submersion in Spanish language and culture. For this reason, I have decided to study abroad in Costa Rica for six weeks in the summer of 2016. Over these six weeks, I will take two Spanish courses at the Latin University of Costa Rica, and live with a host family in which I will communicate with only through Spanish. I am certain that I will return from this voyage with more confidence in my Spanish-speaking capabilities, greater knowledge of the language, a heightened passion and appreciation for Costa Rican culture, experiences that will be applicable throughout my life and future career, and memories that I will cherish forever. Moreover, I anticipate that by studying Spanish and studying abroad, I will acquire valuable communication skills in both Spanish and English, become more competitive with my peers, and diversify and enhance the overall knowledge that I will acquire from Oklahoma State

People of all ages constantly learn how to speak multiple languages. Children are taught to become bilingual, which increases their knowledge. A young boy named Richard Rodriguez grew up in San Francisco, California with a household of Spanish speaking family members. Rodriguez barely knew English when he entered his early years of Elementary school. Through the course of his education Rodriguez took note of how different he was from his family, and slowly began to lose his heritage. Rodriguez’s family embarrassed him since he was categorized as a Scholarship boy, which means a good student yet also a troubled son whose moderately endowed (Rodriguez 19).

Within this paper we will take a brief look at the Language Acquisition Principles and how they work on the behalf of ELL students. We will see how these principles can be applied within our own learning environment. There is much information from Walqui article that gives a brief overview of ELL students and how things looked in the past for these students. Now that times has change we will see how educators can make the requirements for ELL students better and more effective for teacher and students. Hopefully, as we look at ways of changing learning for our ELL students we must remember that every student learns differently. Even if you follow the principles from

Like mentioned in lecture, “children learn English and some American ways, but retain parents’ language and cultural norms,” in Jose’s case, his own native language. Jose recalls how when he began elementary in the United States, he would complain that the “light was hurting my eyes because my school in Mexico did not have electricity.” Jose mentions the lack of resources in his home country but doesn’t seem to see it as negative, instead is appalled by this strange thing he wasn’t used to, light. He has learned to appreciate the English language and the American culture but prefers to stick to his native country and speaking Spanish. He said Spanish is easier. He often goes back and forth between both languages, “Now I often catch myself thinking in both languages but mostly in Spanish.” Even if he does choose Spanish over English, it is not a sign of downward assimilation, at least not in his case. Jose is 34 years old and has a Master of Arts in Education with a specialization in English Language Learners. The emphasis he decided to go for shows how much he values the language and wants to provide other students with the knowledge he has gained through his studies and personal

Richard Rodriguez, son of Mexican immigrants, was born and raised in California. As a result, he was exposed to several languages during his childhood. Rodriguez grew up listening to Spanish at home, but English was a strange and foreign language for him. In his essay “A Memoir of a Bilingual Child,” Rodriguez compares his native Spanish to the English that surrounds him. Through characterization and the tone, Rodriguez gives the reader a better understanding of the similarities and differences he finds in the two languages present in his life.

Often, immigrant parents will push for their children to learn the official language of the country they live in. These parents claim that their children will be more successful in life if they acquire that second language, because of the pressure of versatility in society. By quickly enforcing second language, the children find themselves taken over by this incoming force. Constant exposure is the most efficient method of learning, but requires an immense amount of time and effort. Due to frequent subjection of practice, the second dialect will outweigh the original, taking its place as the most proficient language a person uses. Most importantly, the learner must have the eagerness within themselves to truly acquire a second language. Non-native speakers can be uncomfortable with residing in a country whose official language is not their primary. Virginia Gonzalez’s and Ana Celia Zentella’s reports analyze Latinos’ standard of living and the possible outcomes of children of immigrant families in an English governed community. Other works such as Aria by Richard Rodriguez reveals advantages from learning English, such as being able to communicate confidently and feeling included. However, the risk of losing the first language outweighs the advantages. The negative effects are often overlooked and unexpected as shown through the scholarly works of Lily Wong Fillmore, Monique Bournot-Trites and Ulrike Tellowitz. As I will argue in the paper, the common notion that learning a

This article speaks of different cultures and how different cultures have different languages. It talks about how many different languages affect the students. Students may speak Spanish at home and then once they are at school their teacher is speaking English. It takes time for these students to adapt to the change. It is harder for them because they have to learn both material and the language at the same time. “This language barrier has presented unique educational challenges to Hispanic students that African American students generally did not face” (Donnelly 2015). This article supports education for everyone and talks about how it is difficult of people of Spanish decent because they have to learn two languages. The article thinks

Over the past four years since John started school in Australia his level of English has improved a lot; especially his receptive use of the language. John is a talented language student and is achieving great results in both additional languages he is studying at the moment, English and Japanese. Due to his cultural background John does not volunteer to speak freely during class. This makes it hard for his teacher to find the degree of depth of his understanding of new concepts learned in class. However, he is a passionate language learner and his focus is to perfect his knowledge in both additional languages.