Here I interviewed an ESL learner. I knew this person through a close friend of mine and it was very interesting hearing their story and how their experiences shaped their opinions. It was so interesting, a five minute interview turned into a 16 min and I actually had to trim it to 15 mins, in order for it to fit YouTube. interview. I unfortunately could not interview in person due to illness and just logistics. So, I setup a Zoom call and recorded it. My ESL learner is now a successful Chiropractor and it was interesting discussing some of her family and clients who were also ESL. She starts out by telling me that she speaks Vietnamese and learned English at a young age. She also knows a little bit of Spanish, but primarily speaks English now and Vietnamese. Her family immigrated here from Vietnam in 1980. She was at a young age and they moved to a small town in Minnesota. Later we discuss how this small town and her complete immersion into a situation where everyone spoke English, helped form her language learning experience. She compares it to some other family in Port Arthur, where she said has a huge Vietnamese Community. Where she feels she has better knowledge in English, she feels that her family, because of that factor, has more knowledge in her home language, Vietnamese. I found that interesting and thought about our text where Wright discusses DBE programs where home language is viewed as a resource. She did not have that experience as a young child, so while her English development was strong, it was at the detriment to her home language, Vietnamese.
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Here I interviewed an ESL learner. I knew this person through a close friend of mine and it was very interesting hearing their story and ho...
Hi Bridget, I loved listening to your interview. “It was a necessity to learn English, we had to survive, to make it”. Hearing this is eye opening, it must be scary being thrown into an environment where you can not fully communicate/ understand. The help from the community is crucial for students to feel comfortable learning inside and outside of class. Having to practice English, using materials in everyday life such as T.V, music, writing, and grocery store. I truly enjoyed listening to your video! This will help me as a future educator to enforce students on practicing all languages they may know. My goal would be to not have one language superior to the other.
ReplyDeleteI also thought the interview was eye opening when thinking about how language acquisition was survival for her family. It was also highlighted a few times, and I think important to note, the connections of entertainment and how they connect to her personal life, really help assist her in her language development. This is why it is critical for teachers to try and make these connections with their students.
DeleteHi Bridget, your friend's experiences speak to the importance of language socialization in learning a new language. I still clearly remember my old days learning English from watching movies.
ReplyDeleteEntertainment is often forgotten when people think about language development. However, it is those personal connections for all students that fosters engagement the most. I can fully understand how music was an influential component for her and her mothers language development, as well as your connection to movies in English.
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