Language Immersion Vs. Classroom Learning: Second Language Acquisition
Source 1: Teaching English in Asia
Valle, Galen Harris. "The Teacher." Teaching English in Asia: Finding a Job and Doing It Well. Berkeley, CA: Pacific View, 1995. N. pag. Print.
http://www.amazon.com/Teaching-English-Asia-Finding-Doing/dp/1881896110
In this book, the author addresses activities that the teacher should do and how they should be helping their students in order to better the understanding of the language. One of the main suggestions made for the teacher is that the teacher should be doing warm up activities daily or have the students play games in order to get them engaged in the classroom. This should be done at the start of class so that the teacher engages the children and draws their focus in from the very beginning. The author also talks about how, specifically in Asia, it is beneficial for a teacher to understand the local customs and day-to-day life because it will help him connect with his students and teach them more effectively. There is an emphasis that the teacher must have specific topics to teach for each class to focus on different day-to-day life skills. Furthermore, in order to teach children how the language is used, it is important that a teacher tries and teaches certain idioms or expressions and use common gestures to fully immerse the children in the language that they are learning. My summary discusses the points that Valle makes about teaching methods; however, he makes a lot of specific statements about being an EFL teacher in Asia, which I do not address.
Valle, Galen Harris. "The Teacher." Teaching English in Asia: Finding a Job and Doing It Well. Berkeley, CA: Pacific View, 1995. N. pag. Print.
http://www.amazon.com/Teaching-English-Asia-Finding-Doing/dp/1881896110
In this book, the author addresses activities that the teacher should do and how they should be helping their students in order to better the understanding of the language. One of the main suggestions made for the teacher is that the teacher should be doing warm up activities daily or have the students play games in order to get them engaged in the classroom. This should be done at the start of class so that the teacher engages the children and draws their focus in from the very beginning. The author also talks about how, specifically in Asia, it is beneficial for a teacher to understand the local customs and day-to-day life because it will help him connect with his students and teach them more effectively. There is an emphasis that the teacher must have specific topics to teach for each class to focus on different day-to-day life skills. Furthermore, in order to teach children how the language is used, it is important that a teacher tries and teaches certain idioms or expressions and use common gestures to fully immerse the children in the language that they are learning. My summary discusses the points that Valle makes about teaching methods; however, he makes a lot of specific statements about being an EFL teacher in Asia, which I do not address.
Source 2: Second Language Learning Through Immersion: A Review of the US Programs
Genesse, Fred. Second Language Learning Through Immersion: A Review of U.S. Programs 55 (1985): 541-61. Print.
http://rer.sagepub.com/content/55/4/541.short
The article talks about the origination of the language immersion programs in Canada with the French language. It defines the language immersion program as institutions in which students learn all subjects in the second language they are learning. The immersion program was created so that students could learn a second language under the same conditions under which they learned their first. The same way that, as children, our parents consistently talk to us in one language so we can hear it and eventually speak it, is the same in the language immersion program. The belief is that students will pick up how to naturally communicate in the second language because they will be dependent on it to do well in school, across all subjects. According to the author, the success of the program is dependent on the student to teacher relationship and how much communication they share. The article discusses that the students’ native language should only be used to help them understand minimally in the beginning. My summary points out the main points that Genesee describes of the immersion program, but I do not talk about the success of the immersion program for students across all subjects, which he provides data on.
Genesse, Fred. Second Language Learning Through Immersion: A Review of U.S. Programs 55 (1985): 541-61. Print.
http://rer.sagepub.com/content/55/4/541.short
The article talks about the origination of the language immersion programs in Canada with the French language. It defines the language immersion program as institutions in which students learn all subjects in the second language they are learning. The immersion program was created so that students could learn a second language under the same conditions under which they learned their first. The same way that, as children, our parents consistently talk to us in one language so we can hear it and eventually speak it, is the same in the language immersion program. The belief is that students will pick up how to naturally communicate in the second language because they will be dependent on it to do well in school, across all subjects. According to the author, the success of the program is dependent on the student to teacher relationship and how much communication they share. The article discusses that the students’ native language should only be used to help them understand minimally in the beginning. My summary points out the main points that Genesee describes of the immersion program, but I do not talk about the success of the immersion program for students across all subjects, which he provides data on.
Source 3: Cultural Immersion in the Foreign Language Classroom: Some Narrative Possibilities
Kearny, Erin. “Cultural Immersion In The Foreign Language Classroom: Some Narrative Possibilities.” Modern Language Journal 94.2 (2010): 332-336. Academic Search Complete. Web. 24. Oct. 2013.
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1540-4781.2010.01028.x/abstract
The portion of the source that I read focuses on cultural immersion in the classroom. The author talks about how, previously, people used to look at the teaching of culture and language as two completely separate categories. However, Kearny emphasizes the importance of teaching culture alongside language. The author talks about how, now, textbooks and teachers make an honest effort to incorporate little bits of culture in their classroom curriculum because it will give students a more in-depth understanding of how culture affects language and the way people behave that speak the language. He mentions that the reason for this shift is because as time has progressed, we need to be able to communicate with people that speak different languages but we also need to overcome the cultural differences that separate us normally. He emphasizes the importance of exposing children to the culture so they can overcome cultural boundaries with those they meet in the future. My summary provides an accurate description of what the author is addressing in this portion.
Kearny, Erin. “Cultural Immersion In The Foreign Language Classroom: Some Narrative Possibilities.” Modern Language Journal 94.2 (2010): 332-336. Academic Search Complete. Web. 24. Oct. 2013.
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1540-4781.2010.01028.x/abstract
The portion of the source that I read focuses on cultural immersion in the classroom. The author talks about how, previously, people used to look at the teaching of culture and language as two completely separate categories. However, Kearny emphasizes the importance of teaching culture alongside language. The author talks about how, now, textbooks and teachers make an honest effort to incorporate little bits of culture in their classroom curriculum because it will give students a more in-depth understanding of how culture affects language and the way people behave that speak the language. He mentions that the reason for this shift is because as time has progressed, we need to be able to communicate with people that speak different languages but we also need to overcome the cultural differences that separate us normally. He emphasizes the importance of exposing children to the culture so they can overcome cultural boundaries with those they meet in the future. My summary provides an accurate description of what the author is addressing in this portion.