It is so cool that you grew up learning Vietnamese, in addition to learning English. Like you mentioned, many, including myself to an extent, end up not being able to speak their parents’ or grandparents’ native language at the same level they can. I, too, comprehend Arabic to a much greater level than speaking it. I believe the reason is because we do not have the same opportunities to actually practice speaking that language to other people who speak that language. Here in Houston, there are not as many Arabic speaking individuals as the Middle East. Like you, I spoke and practiced with my grandma. I also watched many Arabic soap operas and listened to Arabic music. I am rooting for you to continue in your journey to become better! I want my future children to feel and be connected to my family’s culture. It was also nice to hear that you are practicing French with the app, Duolingo. I use this app to practice Spanish, occasionally. Ortega (2011) mentions that adults are better in acquiring a new language if they are put in an environment where that language is spoken over children up to a 1 year period. This had my mind blown. This tells me that we need to remove that belief that we, as adults, can’t learn a language as affective as a child can. After reading this, I am motivated to continue on to try to improve my Spanish and practice it to others.
Wow, that is very interesting to hear that adults are better at learning a language after being immersed in the environment! I have always believed this to be true, but not over children acquiring a language from birth. It's nice to hear we have similar situations. It is easier said than done to take the time to practice, but it will be worth it in the long run. Ortega states that "many people around the globe may learn, forget, and even relearn a number of languages... over the course of childhood," which is also comforting to hear (Ortega, 2013, p. 1).
Hey Shelly, I agree with Hussein about continuing your journey to become better in Vietnamese. It would be beneficial to you as you will be able to gain more knowledge in SLA and also be able to help your future ESL students. Perhaps, you will be able to better understand the struggles that your ESL students encounter and will be able to help them.
Jhoanna, I am actually very excited to experience reading about "SLA, it's findings and theories, its research paradigms and its question for the future" and apply these findings to my future classroom (Ortega, 2013, p. 1) After reading the introduction, I had a better understanding of what this course will entail.
Hey Shelly, I really enjoyed watching your video, it was very informative. One topic from your video that really stood out to me was how you plan to learn how to speak Vietnamese. I found it interesting that you were taught Vietnamese at a young age along with English, but as you went through grade school your Vietnamese fluency started to fade. I remember learning about how some languages are forgotten if they aren’t used enough in the second language methodology course, so that really stood out to me. I also like the strategies you stated for learning how to speak Vietnamese again. One strategy you said was that you plan to speak to your parents in Vietnamese. I think that would be very beneficial in helping you learn how to speak that language again. Another strategy you can try from chapter 2 in our book is to try study or speak Vietnamese for short periods of time so you can gain fluency. Ortega states, “Two studies found that adults and adolescents were better than children in terms of what they could learn in 25-minute instruction.” (Ortega, p. 16, 2009). So, taking a short period of time within the day just to speak Vietnamese with your parents can help you learn the language faster. Great post!
Shawn, Thank you for your comment! I liked your suggestion of studying and speaking Vietnamese for short periods of time to gain fluency. It's all about making small steps towards my big goal. I'm curious to see my growth and progress when implementing this idea you found in chapter 2!
To answer your question, the productive skills are the most difficult to acquire. Speaking requires constant practice and as we become older, we are more aware of our ego and we do not like losing face in front of people. Not being able to speak a language fluently can be a big hit to our self-esteem. But if you really want to, you need to try and most people appreciate your effort.
Thank you Dr. Avellaneda for your input. You made a very interesting point that we are more aware of our ego and we do not like losing face in front of people. Although I didn't address that in my video, it is definitely a reason why I'm hesitant today to try to speak Vietnamese. I'm glad I'm acknowledging it so that I can overcome this obstacle in my language!
Shelly,
ReplyDeleteIt is so cool that you grew up learning Vietnamese, in addition to learning English. Like you mentioned, many, including myself to an extent, end up not being able to speak their parents’ or grandparents’ native language at the same level they can. I, too, comprehend Arabic to a much greater level than speaking it. I believe the reason is because we do not have the same opportunities to actually practice speaking that language to other people who speak that language. Here in Houston, there are not as many Arabic speaking individuals as the Middle East. Like you, I spoke and practiced with my grandma. I also watched many Arabic soap operas and listened to Arabic music. I am rooting for you to continue in your journey to become better! I want my future children to feel and be connected to my family’s culture. It was also nice to hear that you are practicing French with the app, Duolingo. I use this app to practice Spanish, occasionally. Ortega (2011) mentions that adults are better in acquiring a new language if they are put in an environment where that language is spoken over children up to a 1 year period. This had my mind blown. This tells me that we need to remove that belief that we, as adults, can’t learn a language as affective as a child can. After reading this, I am motivated to continue on to try to improve my Spanish and practice it to others.
Wow, that is very interesting to hear that adults are better at learning a language after being immersed in the environment! I have always believed this to be true, but not over children acquiring a language from birth. It's nice to hear we have similar situations. It is easier said than done to take the time to practice, but it will be worth it in the long run. Ortega states that "many people around the globe may learn, forget, and even relearn a number of languages... over the course of childhood," which is also comforting to hear (Ortega, 2013, p. 1).
DeleteHey Shelly, I agree with Hussein about continuing your journey to become better in Vietnamese. It would be beneficial to you as you will be able to gain more knowledge in SLA and also be able to help your future ESL students. Perhaps, you will be able to better understand the struggles that your ESL students encounter and will be able to help them.
DeleteJhoanna, I am actually very excited to experience reading about "SLA, it's findings and theories, its research paradigms and its question for the future" and apply these findings to my future classroom (Ortega, 2013, p. 1) After reading the introduction, I had a better understanding of what this course will entail.
DeleteHey Shelly,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed watching your video, it was very informative. One topic from your video that really stood out to me was how you plan to learn how to speak Vietnamese. I found it interesting that you were taught Vietnamese at a young age along with English, but as you went through grade school your Vietnamese fluency started to fade. I remember learning about how some languages are forgotten if they aren’t used enough in the second language methodology course, so that really stood out to me.
I also like the strategies you stated for learning how to speak Vietnamese again. One strategy you said was that you plan to speak to your parents in Vietnamese. I think that would be very beneficial in helping you learn how to speak that language again. Another strategy you can try from chapter 2 in our book is to try study or speak Vietnamese for short periods of time so you can gain fluency. Ortega states, “Two studies found that adults and adolescents were better than children in terms of what they could learn in 25-minute instruction.” (Ortega, p. 16, 2009). So, taking a short period of time within the day just to speak Vietnamese with your parents can help you learn the language faster. Great post!
Shawn,
DeleteThank you for your comment! I liked your suggestion of studying and speaking Vietnamese for short periods of time to gain fluency. It's all about making small steps towards my big goal. I'm curious to see my growth and progress when implementing this idea you found in chapter 2!
To answer your question, the productive skills are the most difficult to acquire. Speaking requires constant practice and as we become older, we are more aware of our ego and we do not like losing face in front of people. Not being able to speak a language fluently can be a big hit to our self-esteem. But if you really want to, you need to try and most people appreciate your effort.
ReplyDeleteThank you Dr. Avellaneda for your input. You made a very interesting point that we are more aware of our ego and we do not like losing face in front of people. Although I didn't address that in my video, it is definitely a reason why I'm hesitant today to try to speak Vietnamese. I'm glad I'm acknowledging it so that I can overcome this obstacle in my language!
Delete