Video: https://youtu.be/QLgkJOiQbFs
Hello, everyone. My name is Fei (Lori) Zhao, and I am a senior at the University of Houston Sugar Land campus. My major is teaching and learning with a EC-6 certification. I am doing my student teaching in 5th grade at Mission Bend Elementary School. The grade level I want to teach in the future is kindergarten. According to Ortega, students learn and practice syntax during kindergarten. The reason I want to be an educator is because I love children, and I want to make a difference and have a impact on their lives. I want to expand their knowledge about the world and influence them to become better individuals in the future.
I was born in China (inner Mongolia). My
first language is Mandarin Chinese, and I continue to communicate mostly in
Mandarin. When I was 10 years old, I moved to Houston, and that's when I first
started learning English as my second language. To me, learning English was the hardest and most
terrifying thing I had ever done. At the beginning of the school year, I barely
spoke any English, and my vocabulary was limited to very simple words. However,
the school provided me with a wonderful ESL class to help me with effectively
learn English. By the end of the school year, I was able to pick up on many
phrases. According to Ortega, “learners in which learn an additional language
through formal study in school or a university, through private lessons and so
on” (Ortega, 2013, pg. 6).
As time goes by, my English continues to
improve. I do often find myself still struggling with grammar. Ortega mentions
in the article, that "A Second language learner needs to learn the
grammar." (Ortega,2013). I still also have to constantly ask others to
help proofread my grammar in my writing assignments. Therefore, I definitely agree with Ortega on
how important grammar development is in the process of learning English.
In this class, I'm really looking
forward to learning another language. Ortega mentions that "Second
Language Acquisition, because of its complexity and its reliance on an import
for other disciplines, is not placed so easily" (Ortega, 2013). I
understand it is going to be challenging, but it will also be fun.
Refrences:
Ortega, L.(2013)Understanding Second Language Acquisition. Routledge
Hello Lori!
ReplyDeleteI cannot even imagine what it was like to move to another country and having to learn another language. What an experience! What is so interesting about your story is that although you were introduced to another language in your late childhood, but you also learned a second language in school and naturalistic setting as well! This supports Ortega's statement:"...most people...learn additional languages from a mixture of both naturalistic and instructed experiences...Ortega, 2011, pg. 6)." It also sounds like you had a solid support system and continue to learn and improve to this day. Do you remember how long you had been living in Houston before you felt like you could consider yourself to be fluent in English?
DeleteHey, Vivian thank you for taking your time watch my video. when I first start Learning English it was pretty difficult for me because I was never introduced into English in my early child life or school in China. Basically, I only knew one language before I move to United state. According to Ortega "In some parts of our world, most children grow up speaking one language only."(Ortega, 2013, pg. 3). I'm felt really lucky to have all the support I needed to learn English and friends who can help me. Even to this day, I still don't consider myself as a good English speaker. Sometimes there are still vocabulary words or phrase I can't pronounce and my grammar is really bad, I often need a friend to help me correct my self. I never thought about when did I start it to speak "fluent" in English, but I think is during 8th grade in middle school I can fully communicating with people. That takes me around 3/4 years.
您好! I am sure that your experience as a language learner will be a great asset in your becoming a qualified teacher since you are able to understand the difficulties ELLs face in their content class where they have to learn not only the content but also the linguistic aspects of their second language. Nice to hear you speaking Chinese.
ReplyDelete你好, Dr. Avellaneda ( 阿维拉达,博士),
DeleteI believe growing up as a bilingual, it gives me a great educational advantage benefits. In the future, I want to be certified and teach ESL class to all the ELLs Students. I'm really looking forward to learning another language in this class and understand how important is second language acquisition. Thank You 谢谢
Hey Lori!
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your experience of your struggles in learning english as your second language. I definately can relate to that because i also faced the challenge of learning spanish. According to Ortega (2013),"Children acquiring their first language complete the feat within a biological window of four to six years of age".Perhaps thats why you and I are having so much difficulty learning a different language due to missing the biological window of learning a new language.
Hi Katiana
DeleteI definitely agree with you. Since I learned my first language within the" biological window of four to six years of age"(Ortega, 2013, ) after growing older is hard for me to learn another language because of missing biological window of learning. Even as now, when I am trying to learn Spanish for this class I have too many difficulties to face.
Hi Lori!
ReplyDeleteIt was really great watching your video and also reading your English learning journey. I can some-what relate to what you experienced because I came to America at a young age only knowing Korean, however you probably had a harder time adjusting due to the fact I came at a way younger age! According to Ortega (2013)," ...most children grow up speaking one language only." Although you had went through a lot of obstacles and troubles, you are the other part of the most that speaks more than one language which is great! I hope this class allows you to experience and learn a lot of things about second language learning and hope you continue to better yourself in your English!
Joseph, I would like to read where Ortega (2013) states that "most children grow up speaking one language only" since this contradicts what Baker and Wrigt (2017), Montrul (2013), Grosjean (20120 claim that most people in the world grow up bilingual and not speaking one language as you state.
DeleteHi, Jeon tank you for taking your time watch my video. Growing up as a bilingual person allows me to understand how important is knowing two languages and be able to speak both the language. I believe practicing the language is what really improve the growth in learning another language. Even as now I am still practicing both the language, English and Chinese. I'm also looking forward to learning another language throughout the semester in this course.
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