Peer Response 2

· Review your classmates’ posts and respond. Compare the answers of your classmates to yours.

PEERS POST:

· identify how this teacher promotes comprehensible input.

The teacher in the video promotes comprehensible input by using visuals, songs, chats, actions, and site words for her younger ELL students. These strategies are effective for her students who have limited knowledge with the English Language. For the older students she does group work, modeling, story mapping, charts, and writing. These steps are done together as a class and modeling for her students to understand what they are being asked to do. This age group has a better understand of the English language.

· Explain some of the complications of teaching ELLs that are presented by this teacher.

Some complications of teaching ELL’s that are presented in the video are motivation, parental involvement, and limited resources. Some parents have little involvement with their child’s learning process at home which can affect their abilities to be successful in the classroom. Lack of motivation can make it difficult for the student to be engaged.

· What ideas would you have for a teacher to overcome those challenges, based on what we have been learning?

 

To overcome these strategies, I would recommend strong communication with the parents to help the student succeed in school and at home. I would also recommend getting to know the students background and what makes them special. These strategies can build strong relatives need to help the children feel comfortable in their environment and willing to learn.

· Infer some cultural challenges that teachers should be aware of.

Cultural challenges that the teacher should be aware of are the families’ beliefs, language spoke at home, and any traumatic events that may have occurred throughout the child’s life.

· How can this be impacted by Culture Shock?

 

Cultural shock can impact a child’s learning abilities based off of their background, limited knowledge with the English language, and dramatic change in the environment than they are used too.

· Distinguish the strategies this teacher recommends.

To overcome culture, shock the teacher recommends becoming familiar with their backgrounds and cultures to connect with the students.

· After listening to the teacher, outline strategies you would recommend.

I would recommend getting to know your students and their culture, involving families in their learning, and making the students feel involved and comfortable.

· Infer and describe how this teacher utilizes BICS, CALP, comprehensible input, silent period, language proficiency, total physical response, assessment, affective filter, scaffolding/differentiation.

The teacher describes basing work off the student’s proficiency level. For example, BICS students need more comprehensible input through visuals or gestures than a CALP student. She uses assessment to analyze a student’s language proficiency to set language objectives that help them reach their goals. Differentiated instruction is used in the classroom to meet each student proficiency level. To improve affective filters, she gets to each student, their background, culture, and what makes the special. Through body language, gestures, and modeling she can make them feel motivated, comfortable, and included in the classroom.

-Tori Davies

Allen, T. [Taylor Allen]. (2014, February 4). 

Interview with ELL teacher  (Links to an external site.)

[Video file]. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/OBL5orPLxyk

Piper, T. (2015). 

Language, learning, and culture: English language learning in today’s schools

. Bridgepoint Education.

MY POST:

Interview with an Experienced ELLs Teacher

How the Teacher Promotes Comprehensible Input

            Comprehensible input is an instructional technique utilized by EL teachers to enable learners to grasp, understand, and retain most concepts during learning. Allen Taylor promotes the technique through mapping to get ideas in a word pool, and the use of charts to stress the importance of visual aids in learning and speaking English to the learners through vocabulary work.

Complications Associated with Teaching ELLs Presented by the Teacher

            Some of the challenges encountered when dealing with ELLs highlighted by the teacher include, individual differences- the different abilities of learners to acquire the new language. Anxiety from the learners to learn the new language, and frequency at which the learner speaks the language- illustrated by parent and learner involvement in English language communication, and cultural challenges.

Ideas for a Teacher to overcome the Challenges Mentioned above Regarding the Course Content

            Ideas to help teachers overcome the mentioned challenges include mapping- enabling the learners to find words in a word pool and cycle similar words, pronounce them, and later make sentences using the words. The use of charts communicates an abstract idea, promoting content retention among the students, and engaging the learners in vocabulary work (Piper, 2015).

Some Cultural Challenges that Teachers should be aware of and how they can be impacted by Culture Shock

            Some of the cultural challenges include body gestures such as a child looking down (illustrated by Chinese learners), eye contact as in the case where maintaining eye contact by some communities is a taboo, thus might be difficult for such learners to abide by while in class, the language of communication- some words could be taboo in some cultures while other communities might be comfortable speaking the similar words.

Strategies Recommended by the Teacher and the Strategies I would recommend after Listening to the Teacher

            The instructor has recommended useful strategies to fight the above-mentioned cultural challenges. They include familiarizing yourself with various languages to ensure you do not mention words prohibited in some communities. Conducting thorough research on word order and the tonal articulation of different words, being informed of the latest drama surrounding your environment and your students’ (an example is an inferno that attacked a refugee camp habited by most of her learners), and cultural aspects such as eye contact and body movements.

How this Teacher Utilizes;

BICS and CALP
– The instructor utilized the two aspects of proficiencies by applying techniques such as pairing, asking and answering questions sessions, and engaging learners in reading and writing activities.

Comprehensible input 
– The instructor applies various input techniques such as mapping, and vocabulary work, and uses visual aids such as charts during classroom sessions.

Silent period, 
– The silent period is characterized by quietness from an ELL as they watch and listen to the instructors and English language speakers. The guide in the video utilized several techniques to help learners in the silent period; they include using a lot of body movements while with the learners, visual materials such as charts, and teaching the learners at the individual level.

Language proficiency 
– Taylor understands different languages, making her interact and teach the English language in a multicultural learning environment. Her objective to see her learners be able to speak the English language comfortably and interact with friends outside the school environment and in their higher endeavors, is a reflection of the level of her determination to help ELLs.

Total physical response 
– Total physical response is a teaching and learning technique that utilizes body movements to enhance language content retention. Allen Taylor emphasized body movements by instructors while interacting with the ELLs. Body movements enhance the visual representation of ideas thus enabling the learners to retain much of what is taught and can later dramatize in their free time.

Assessment, 
-The teacher mentioned assessments as key in tracking the learners’ progress in language acquisition since it enables the instructor to find out the strengths and weaknesses of the learners.

Effective filter
 – The learner’s attitude towards the success of second language acquisition. Allen (2014) argues that learners need motivation and a favorable classroom environment to fasten the acquisition of a new language. The instructor should therefore give correct instruction to the learners and ensure lively classroom sessions to enable the learners to enjoy the lesson.

 Scaffolding/differentiation 
– Differentiation involves incorporating various teaching and study materials, a good lesson plan that aligns with the content, and assessments to fulfill individual needs. The instructor highlighted thorough research on the teaching content, understanding of the learners’ strengths and weaknesses, assessments, and learner involvement in class.

 
 

References

Allen, T., (2014). Interview with ELL teacher. Retrieved from

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBL5orPLxyk (Links to an external site.)

Piper, T., (2015). Language, learning, and culture: English Language learning in today’s schools.