Entry 3 : Interview with Mrs. Moore
Here is the link to my video :Interview
Reflection:
When
asked what students seem to struggle with the most, Moore said that vocabulary
is what students struggle with the most. According to Gass and Selinker “Second
language learners are known to have difficulty with vocabulary learning” (Gass
& Selinker, 2008, p. 456). She also
noted that learning the rules of English and understanding when a word is used
as a verb or noun is also difficult. When explaining this, Moore gives an
example of the word “bat” which can be used as a noun when referencing towards
the mammal and that can be used as a verb when referencing towards playing
baseball.
When
asked what type of motivation is most noticeable among Moore’s English language learner students. Moore noted that her students have a lot of self-motivation.
As stated by Ortega, “Motivation is usually understood to refer to the desire
to initiate L2 learning and the effort employed to sustain it” (Ortega, 2011,
p.188). She notes that they have self-motivation because they want to interact
with peers, order from a menu, and to be able to complete other tasks.
According to Ortega these reasons are known as Orientations. Orientations are “Reasons
for learning the L2, which in turn may influence the intensity and quality of
motivation of a learner’s experience” (Ortega, 2011, p. 172).
Moore
also noted that students also experience motivation through their families. She
noted that sometimes a student’s family can serve as motivating factor because
they push them to learn English and make it known that they want their child to
learn the language. According to Ortega, this is known as social support.
Social support is, “Support from significant others (including parents, siblings,
peers and teachers), since believing that they want one to learn the language
creates rewards and reinforcements that may be important in boosting motivation”
(Ortega, 2011, p. 172).
In conclusion, Moore is an experienced ESL teacher who really highlighted the
struggles, experiences, and process her students face when acquiring a new
language. She highlighted that English language learners struggle with
vocabulary, learning the rules of English and understanding that some words
have multiple meanings and can be used as a noun or a verb depending on a
sentence. She discusses that her students do have a lot of self- motivation and
how they also acquire motivation from their families.
Gass, Susan, M. and Selinker, Larry. Second Language
Acquisition. New York: Routledge, 2008. Print.
Ortega,
Lourdes. Second Language Acquisition. London: Routledge, 2011. Print.
Hi Ruth!
ReplyDeleteWow, 27 years in the field! I’m sure Mrs. Moore has a lot of advice for us as future educators. She talks about how ELLs have difficulty translating when their L1 is structured differently than their L2. However, “...sometimes certain L1 - L2 similarities do not seem to help…” (Ortega, 2013, pg. 32) ELLs with learning difficulties. The English language is known for its complex rules and exceptions, so it is not a surprise that ELLs struggle with vocabulary and language structure.
As Mrs. Moore elaborates on her students’ intrinsic motivation to learn English, I also identify the biological drive to survive. The students that have made the connection between learning English and easily communicating with others understand the benefits that come with learning the dominant language of their environment.
Reply to Vivian Nguyen under Ruth Frausto
DeleteYou made a very good point about the biological drive to survive. With this, students make the decision to learn and practice the L2 to be successful in the L2 environment or to not. In Gass and Selinker’s book, Potowski talks about individuals making an investment in the target language. He points out, “… investment takes into account the factors influencing a learner’s decision to speak- or to remain silent- and in which language,” (Gass and Selinker, 2008. P. 428). So, students have to decide if they want to invest in the language and will receive a return on the investment or not. This determines what they will learn and how quickly.
Gass, Susan M., and Sleinker, Larry. Second Language Acquisition. New York: Routledge, 2008. Print.
Hello Vivian,
DeleteI do agree that Mrs. Moore's English language learner students have made that connection that learning English will allow them to better interact and communicate with their peers. This is an important experience to note because it serves as an orientation for the student. More specifically, it serves as a integrative orientation. As stated by Ortega " Endorsement of reasons for learning the L2 related to interaction with L2 members...[is known as] integrative orientation" (Ortega, 2011, p. 171).
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ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteRuth,
ReplyDeleteAs I read your reflection and watched your video, I saw that Mrs. Moore stated that students have self-motivation in order to interact with their peers and perform tasks just like any other English speaking person could. According to Ortega, I would consider this type of motivation as integrative motivation. Ortega defines this as "...related to identification with the target culture and a genuine desire to become more like others of the L2 group" (Ortega, 2013, p. 173). As students become older, they want to be able to interact with the world. They also want to be involved and not feel left out because they can't speak/understand English. I believe that students have that sense of belonging, and love feeling that they are part of a community and therefore, they motivate themselves to continue to learn English.
References: Ortega, Lourdes. Second Language Acquisition. London: Routledge, 2013. Print
Reply to Kenia Reyes under Ruth Frausto
DeleteI too, have noticed have difficulty with vocabulary seems to be a challenge for ELL. You are also right about many rules that have to be learned because the basic phonetic rules we teach our students do not apply. I agree with your view on motivation as well. Gass and Selinker refer to this as integration, “Which refers to an individual’s disposition toward the L2 group and the extent to which he or she desires to interact with and even become similar to that group,” (Gass and Selinker, 2008, p. 426). If students are wanting this integration, they will practice their basic vocabulary words and apply the rules they have been taught to not only figure out the vocabulary involved in class, but also be able to communicate more easily with classmates.
Gass, Susan M., and Sleinker, Larry. Second Language Acquisition. New York: Routledge, 2008. Print.
Hello Kenia,
DeleteI do agree that her English language learner student's have self - motivation and that individuals learning an additional language should have self- motivation. Sadly, that is not always the case due to anxiety. As stated by Ortega, " foreign language anxiety...[is] considered key in predicting motivation" (Ortega, 2011, p,173). This is critical because if a student has anxiety they may not want to attempt to talk in the language that they are learning in front of their peers and lose motivation. However, it could be possible for anxiety to have the opposite effect and push the student to learn the language so that they don't have anxiety when speaking it.
Hi Ruth!
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed your interview with Mrs. Moore. She had a lot of great insight with all her years of teaching. When discussing the difference between bilingual and monolingual students, she brings up the home life of the students. She talks about how bilingual students do not have the reinforcement at home that would help them. I think she makes a great point. Her bilingual students are more than likely all naturalistic learners because they have the opportunity of talking at home with their families. "Naturalistic learners learn the L2 through informal opportunities in multicultural neighbourhoods, schools and workplaces, without ever receiving any organized instruction on the workings of the language they are learning." (Ortega, 2011, pg. 6) From the way she describes it, the students are able to develop their language through the everyday use of talking to those around them. Monolingual students do not have the opportunity, which may be why it takes longer for them to grasp another language.
Hello Allison,
DeleteI do agree that Mrs. Moore English language learner students are naturalistic learners. However, I do also believe that they are instructed learners as well. As stated by Ortega, " In our globalized world, multifarious opportunities for L2 acquisition arise from travel, employment, migration…Most people...learn additional languages from a mixture of both naturalistic and instructed experiences" (Ortega, 2011, p. 6). Her students did migrate to a new country and are learning through studying at school as well. Therefore, I believe her students are both naturalistic and instructed learners.
Hello Ruth,
ReplyDeleteYou bring up a lot of good points about motivation because of how experienced the teacher you interviewed is. 27 years in the teaching field is a very long time I'm glad you got the chance to interview her because it is a very good learning experience for you and for us! According to the reading, I think you talk about integrative motivation because integrativeness is "related to identifications with the target culture and a genuine desire to become more like members of the L2 group..." (Ortega, pg. 173) Because the students wanted to learn the target language due to interacting with peers, ordering off the menu, and the completion of other tasks, the definition of integrativeness can be reflected. Integrativeness is said to be the biggest factor that motivates children and students in their English language learning. The connection the students make with their L2 and their wants and interests is a great and important thing that will help them progress faster and efficiently.
Ortega, Lourdes. Second Language Acquisition. London: Routledge, 2011. Print.
Hello Ruth!
ReplyDeleteBased on your interviewee Ms. Moore, I also experencience vocabulary being the most difficult for my ELL students. ELL students have not acquired as much vocabukary words and also have trouble with pronounciation. Ms. Moore also speaks about how some ELL are motivated by there families and or some my motivate themselves. According to
Gardner (2001), integrativeness is an attitude defined as ‘a genuine interest in
learning the second language in order to come closer to the other language
community. Sometimes students want to learn things badly enough so they push themselves to learn it.