Week 15

When reading the articles of the week I definitely thought about my own grading and what I would do in my own future classroom. I believe that when grading, some errors should be ignored when students are just learning English. There needs to be an in between in standardized English and diversification. As long as it does not affect the overall meaning of the sentence it should just be let go so that the student does not get discouraged when learning a new language. Language continues to change and we need to teach all types of Englishes so that they are aware of all the varieties of language. We used to be a syntactic language and now we are not so we need to raise the awareness of non-dominant forms of English. For example, we can teach the students what vernacular English. For example, the video we saw in class showed how the students knew how to code-switch into Standard English. English is learned through interaction with other people that it why when I have my bilingual classroom I will not want to isolate them from the mainstream classroom. I hope to conduct project and activities so that both groups of students are able to interact and get to learn about each other.

We also saw Writing across Borders made me realize that we cannot deduct points for ELLS when or non- native English speakers. I would just grade the concept that the student came up with and the content of the paper. Writing is different than speaking so it should be graded differently but also with caution so that they student does not get overwhelmed with errors. How do we assess growth if we aren’t grading or taking points off for minimal things? I think that even ELLS should not all be held at the same standards because they are not all the same and they come from different backgrounds. This goes the same way as for English native speakers. “A” work isn’t the same for all students but it becomes very difficult to draw the line of what is fair.  

Why are some cultures more valued than others? I think that it is become some cultures have a negative connotation. For example, some people after 9/11 have a negative image about people in the Middle East. Usually people who speak English or are from the United States are put on a pedestal because the country is big and wealthy. People all around the world learn about the United States however we don’t often learn about other country and it most cases we don’t even know where small countries are.

Week 14

I found it interesting to learn about accents because we solely touched on them in one of my bilingual classes. I find accents interesting and I at times wish I had a unique accent. As far as I know, I don’t have an accent even though I have a different L1. I believe that I don’t have an accent because I began learning English in school when I was six years old. I believe that L1 accents are very different than the American regional ways of phonetically speaking.

For example, L2 accents are accents that are produced due to the person’s way of having learned their L1. I always thought that it was so interesting that if a child starts speaking an L2 before the age of 12, there is a lower opportunity for the child to develop an L2 accent because they are better able to retain the information and pronounce the words because their pallets have not yet finished forming.

The author states, “…dialect is perhaps nothing more than a language that gets no respect” (43). I would have to agree with what the author states about how dialects usually don’t get much respect because they differ from the language. There are different varieties or “dialects” of the same language based on regions people live in or depending on how their parents were raised and what languages they are exposed to. In my future classroom I would like to discuss the different dialects so that students are not made fun of because of their dialect or accent. I believe that having a different dialect or accent makes the person who they are and they should not be embarrassed for sounding different.

McKay Chapter 2 & 3

I was introduced into a new perspective by learning about Britain and their English education. The British policies were to mainstream immigrants and not show separation among students. It argued that the withdrawal classes “establish and confirm social and racial barriers between groups” (32). Moreover, if students were to be segregated then that would highlight the differences between the students and may cause more problems among the groups of students. 

On the other hand, the critics of the Swann Report state that it promotes linguistic assimilation, fails to recognize the link between the first and second language development and also fails to see the connection between language and culture. The main belief behind the idea is that if the students are not separated then the students will lack behind because they are not being adequately taught and language policies are not being well implemented. The United States favors the withdraw programs for ELLs and many are not aware of what bilingual programs really are therefore they are opposed to it in the school system. Bilingual education is controversial because it will come with change in the schools and in the community. I feel that a lot of people are afraid of the change that can occur and they feel that immigrants will take over the dominant culture and language. I want to find ways to advocate for the education of language minorities because ultimately they want to go to school and not all of immigrants are here to do bad things like they are stereotyped to do for example to steal, get in gangs, prison, etc. I would like to get involved in the communities to learn more about my culture and unite with surrounding communities to help support bilingual education. Moreover, the demographics will continue to shift especially if it is estimated that Latinos will make up 50% of the U.S population in the year 2030.

In our many bilingual classes we have discussed the controversial case study of Lau Vs. Nichols. The case came about when 12 Chinese parents protested and filed a claim again the school system because their students were denied bilingual education because there weren’t enough student to provide the adequate support of instruction. Cases like this aren’t completely out of sight because in our classes we discuss how bilingual classes are not provided unless there are at least 20 students who share the same language. I believe that it is unfair because if there were for example 17 or 19 students of the same language they would not be provided with a bilingual education instead they would just be given aids or be placed in pull out programs. This becomes harder for students who speak Korea or polish because it would become harder to find 20 students in order for them to receive the services that they deserve.Hopefully things change in the near future because many students would benefit from these bilingual programs.

Week 11: English in The Era of Globalization

McKay Chapter One

At the beginning of the chapter McKay explained the purpose of the chapter was to examine how English has developed as a global language and how the development has impacted the status and use of English and other languages. How has English affected other languages?

The chapter explores how the spread of EIL affects local languages and how English has implications when we consider it the international language. I really enjoyed the way McKay displayed the reasons why English grew in status and power. The English language comes with great economic status and people view English speakers as having power and if someone doesn’t speak English then they are seen as a deficit in society. McKay also states that there are incentives for learning English. Some incentives are economic incentives, educational incentives, and mass media incentives.

“..it is essential that language educators work to ensure that the spread of English proceeds in a manner that supports the integrity and development of other languages” (p 1). This quote from the chapter really stood out to me because as a bilingual ed major I need to make sure that students learn English while also learning new content in the classroom. Most importantly it will be my duty to teach them to maintain their native language while acquiring English at the same time. 

For example, I can relate to the importance and status of English because my parents felt the need to learn English after arriving in the United States because only then would they be able to communicate with the rest of the people and because it was essential in the workplace. 

When interviewing the student for my cultural exploration paper she mentioned that many people in Korea learn English because they want to get good jobs and because then they will be able to better communicate with other people because everyone learns English. She also mentioned “Yes for their future to be successful. They think that in order to go to a good college and a get good job English is the language that you need to learn.” Most people learn English for the purpose of business and also travel.

English can also be seen as having a high economic status because some people might live in poverty and do not have the same opportunities to attend school institutions or to learn English. Moreover, McKay problematizes this idea by demonstrating the economical divide created when government institutions decide who should have the opportunity of learning English.

Week 8

Racial stereotypes are often found in textbooks due to the fact that they are not very multicultural and in my opinion the textbooks mirror what the greater population looks like which is white Males in the business world. “A common held notion is that images in EFL textbooks are neutral, apolitical, or even an enjoyable part of learning English” (Taylor-Mendes). I believe that the images represented in the textbooks send a message of who is included or excluded in society and unfortunately it is depended on race. Furthermore, certain images can create opinions and make a statement indirectly and that’s why I feel that images cause conflicts in textbooks. In my opinion it is important for the students to have texts that they can relate to and see themselves depicted in so that they feel included in the classroom.

The article by Cosette Taylor-Mendes, depicted a study that explored how the images in textbooks, which represent English culture(s), shaped students' and teachers' impressions of the target foreign language culture. The study took place in Brazil and there are various schools where English is taught for the purposes of business or travel as we previously stated in our class discussion. The study allowed the EFL instructor to view her teaching differently because her students called her out on her racial privileges and now she views EFL textbook images, her students, and her own position in the world in a different way. She mentioned that she was offered three jobs with in the first week of her arrival and for other Brazil residents they last months or years without jobs.

Some of the results were that the participants “expressed enthusiasm and concern about the importance of English in their work or education; thus, they study English (a) to communicate with foreign management; (b) to further their professional opportunities within their companies, or to apply for positions which require one to communicate in English; and (c) as a personal interest”(Taylor-Mendes).

What does an English speaker look like? What does a Spanish speaker look like? What does a _____ speaker look like? All of these questions can appear as biased or prejudice as the article stated. “What does an American look like? The answer is simple: White, wealthy, powerful, isolated with members of their own race, and free of problems” (8). These are the portrayals that diverse students see in EFL textbooks. They are unable to relate to them because of the difference of appearance among other things.

After reading the article I began to wonder about my own classroom. What can we do to eradicate racial stereotypes in textbooks as well as our own classrooms? 

I personally plan to promote multiculturalism in the classroom and equity by making sure that all students are represented around the classroom. For example, I want to depict every student in bulletin boards and posters so that they do not feel excluded from the curriculum. It will also promote diversity in the classroom and I want to teach my students to accept difference and embrace who they are. Students will understand multiculturalism and equity because of the environment they are in within the classroom and the school.