Blog Entry 4 Class Learning Reflection

In Class Learning Reflection

Learning a second or additional language can be seen as a long-process for learners. Because of the conflict between learners’ native language and second language, there are many potential difficulties which relate to the cultural and the linguistic among their learning. According to Wright, “ELLs are a diverse group, despite the misleading unifying label. ELLs come from a wide range of ethnic, cultural, linguistic, educational, and socioeconomic backgrounds”. Therefore, ELLs may have many obstructions from both their internal ‘weaknesses,’ such as the language speaking habits and their external ‘threatens,’ such as the difficulty during their learning.

        For the ELLs, creating a good starting for English learning can help them to enter the language learning smoothly. After taking this class, I realized that teaching ELLs could not just use a one-size-fits-all teaching strategy to satisfy all students’ needs. Indeed, students have their own learning situations, such as their personal learning advantages and disadvantages. They should not be treated by a changeless teaching approach. Wright suggests that “when teachers know their ELLs’ language, literacy, content, and culture strengths, and needs, they can compare them to the students’ language, literacy, content, and culture instructional goals.” This viewpoint believes that teachers should understand their students’ different learning situations well. According to the learning from this class, I understood that the class observation is a very important strategy for teachers assessing whether the teaching material is suitable or not and whether the students are learning effective or not. For instance, in order to assess ELLs’ learning process, before taking this course I used to believe that adopting the exam type of tests is the most effective way to understand students’ learning situations. However, after combining the theories from the class and the experience from my professional practice, I realized that teachers should adopt a various assessment method to understand their students. As long as truly understand students’ needs, teachers can adjust the teaching concept and the teaching material, such as the lesson plan and the learning activities, for improving the teaching performance. Meanwhile, the class observation is one of the effective ways to understand ELLs. Wright highly suggested the class observation should be adopted in the ELLs classroom in his book. After participating in several ELLs teaching classes, I found that the class observation has been used few in the real world. Even though the teachers have tried to adopt the class observation strategy in their classes, the using frequency is also lower than I imaged. For instance, there is not enough communication between the teacher and students, and even not enough interactions among students
       Throughout this course, I underhanded in the future for me to improve my ELLs teaching skill and teaching performance, I will pay more attention to class observation in my future professional practice, especially for the students learning interactions. In my own experience, before taking this course, my personal philosophy of teaching is more general beliefs of why I want to be a teacher and how to make a difference in students like. Now after taking this course, it impacts me to re-think about how to help my students to achieve their goals of learning and add the enjoyment of learning. Therefore, cultivating a logical and effective learning environment among my ELLs is my future achieving goal.   

Wright, Wayne. Foundations for Teaching English Language Learners: Research, Theory, Policy, and Practice. Philadelphia, PA: Caslon, 2015. Print. Second Edition.