Discussion and Journal 8

¶ … teach English to students who have a different first language. Teaching English as a second language is very demanding and requires the teacher to understand not just the nature and methodology of reading, but also the nature of the learner. ESL is used in situations where the first language of communication is not English so there is a difference in the language input and output and the environment in which it is being taught.

Theory Free Methodology is a method based on theory of language learning so it can be used as a technique; while Grammar Translation is being used since the nineteenth century across Asia, America and Europe and is taught in the native language of the learner. Pre-behaviorism includes the Series method and the Direct Method. The series method was not successful since the Grammar Translation method was in full swing.

The Direct method however was used to replace the monotonous approach of Grammar Translation; the main aim of this method was to listen and speak comprehension without any translation by using imitational methods. Behaviorism introduced the Audio-lingual method whose aim was to help the learners learn to communicate in the targeted language effectively. Teachers, who are proactive, come up with different practices and theories to help the students in learning a different language. This includes their ability to understand the political, historical, social and cultural nature of the learner.

Based on the ESL experiences, a learner fails to fulfill his goals when he does not follow instructions in the classroom; mostly because they are not prepared for what to expect in the future regarding the language they are learning. Critique Chapter 4 The first myth mentioned in the chapter is that learning a non-native language is completely different from learning the native language but in reality, learning both of them contains similar steps.

A child learns his native language by observing situations and imitating their parents and even making up their own principles until they start learning it in school. Similarly, the students learning the second language also make the same mistakes. The second misconception is that the young learners are more efficient in learning a language as compared to the older learners, but in reality it is the opposite.

The third myth is that the learner has lesser problems of second language learners once they become fluent in it, but in reality, the fluency does not ensure effective use of the second language by the learners in different situations. Content variation in language can make it hard for the learner develops skills to be used in everyday situations. The fourth myth is that all the learners face similar challenges in English language learning, while in reality, the environment of the student plays an important part in that.

Lastly, students from the Asian countries are not more successful as compared to other background students, but learning the language depends on several social, environmental and cultural factors (Samway & McKeon 2007). Chapter 7 This chapter talks about the assessment myths regarding English language learners and the first one states that these students should only be assessed based on ELL; however, different purposes are needed to be fulfilled in order to determine the effectiveness of the program as well.

The second myth equalizes the ELLS as well as the native English speakers, but the teachers need to know about their students in order to understand them and provide them with a good experience of learning. The third myth is that Language Assessment Scales and Bilingual Syntax Measure are enough for assessing ELLs, however, these scales are used for specific purposes only and the teachers still need to assess their students.

Another myth concludes that placement center are not useful for assessment, but in reality, they provide thorough assessments of ELLs. Similarly, it is important that the teacher carries out informal or formal assessments of the students rather than sticking to the state mandated tests. Most of the ELLs find it difficult to cope with learning the language, which is not because of inexperience of the teachers but because of different environmental and academic factors that become a barrier for the ELLs (Samway & McKeon 2007).

Chapter 8 and 9 Language policies are created for the schools to decide the program models to be used in schools that help them decide which language they are going to use for the instructions and how they would be distributed across the curriculum. The principles guide the decision-making process in which the first one involves working for educational equity; while the other three talk about addressing cultural and linguistic diversity through different means.

Combining these principles together, they can help the school to assess, reflect and shape up practices and policies and also guide them at different levels of classroom including materials and curriculums, community and parental involvement, assessment and various instructional approaches (DeJong, 2011). Children who are bilingual face several problems the day they enter school as they start negotiating between their cultural and linguistic identity.

The teachers in this regard play a very vital role, as they have to successfully involve the students and help them identify their identities by lessening that confusion. The Principle of affirmative identity has helped a lot in this regard, as it talks about the importance of avoiding a negative approach that lessens the cultural and linguistic difference among the students, without diluting individual cultural and linguistic differences (DeJong, 2011).

1) How is the "principled" approach described in the chapters assigned this week, different from the "model" thinking that has characterized many language-in-education policies? A Principled approach recognizes a set of principles, instead of setting standards, which help the policymakers to develop appropriate practices and policies of language in diverse contexts. This helps the policymakers to identify the quality teaching and delivery in order to measure the program success (Mahboob & Tilkaratna, 2012). Modeling on the other hand requires the students to observe the thought processes of the teachers.

This includes behavioural strategies which encourage the students to learn the language (COFFEY, 2008). 2) What.