This was fascinating. I love how they compared language to literacy. I also appreciated the Basic language skills compared to the Academic language. They are VERY different! I have met so many people who are illiterate in Spanish...so the Spanish handouts are pointless, even though they speak it fluently on a daily basis. So we try...anyway. I am bilingual and my students LOVE it when I throw in some Spanish words...as some communicate the idea better than in English. They ALWAYS smile and then they all open up and talk about their own "Spanglish" experience! It's fun to see them take the walls down.
Students who speak more than one language may be processing differently as they translate from their native tongue into English. If an assignment is to be completed in English, encourage the multi-language speaking students to actually do it in English rather than in their native tongue and then translating it to English.
Language can influence student perceptions of the course material.
I learned the importance of taking into consideration the native (mother) tongue of the learners in an effort to enhance the learning experience.
the module showed me that we need to allow multiple language learners to use their native tongue when they are trying to learn a new language.
In "English Only",", I found it very interesting in the study that bilingual children matured earlier, are more comfortable with diversity, exibit social adaptability, and identify with ethnic groups. If the study shows this . Why are there not more shools starting children at a younger age being bilingual in the United States?
In alaska the culture is how you speak the english as much as what you are saying.
This module highlighted the need to allow multiple language learners to access their mother tongue as it actually helps the student when learning new languages. It helped me to recognize the need to be mindful of this and promote whatever strategies are effective for each student in the learning process.
Language is the articulation of the culture.
I have appreciated dabbling in a variety of languages through my travels and feel fortunate to have experienced being a minority, as an English speaker. It was truly humbling and an important experience for me to better understand my English language learners. I also have become more critical of 'literacy' programs that fail to make the connection to the local languages that we are trying to also assist students in understanding. Typical reading programs feel like a complete recolonizing of our local students to me.
Language is a part of one's culture.
As an instructor, I should learn more about other languages and cultures and encourage students and provide anything needed so a student with a different language can understand for enhancing their knowledge
Excellent dive. Thank you.
It is fascinating to learn about language and literacy as describe in this session. The idea of using inter communication instead of cross communication is an interstin concept. Cross communication presents itself as talking against and doesn't affirm or validate differences in communication.
Allow students to use their "mother tounge" to help them become literate in the English language.
Second language of a student matters and contributes to understanding the subject they are learningand thank you for highlighting it!
This has been my favorite topic thus far.
Being a multilingual person myself, I think it is very important that we encourage students to access their mother tongue when they learn a new language since it helps them to earn easier. As a matter of fact, being multilingual, helps students to process several languages that helps their brain development. According to studies from Penn State University. students’ cognitive ability increases due to bilingualism. Language and literacy are interdependent. Literacy is the ability to use the language. This is something to keep in mind and focus on all students regardless their linguistic background.
This series has been helpful to me to better understand cultural differences and how ones "Mother Tongue" figures into it.
