Before I read this chapter I was
not familiar with the stages of language development. Thinking back on my life,
learning language seemed like something that just happened. I vaguely remember
learning the letters and corresponding actions that went along with them, but
that was about the extent of it. Reading this chapter made me realize that
there are a few key elements that stand out.
One of the key ideas that really
hit home for me was learning through exposure to language. With many different
experiences it only seems natural that this will help to push language
enhancement. When reading this in the textbook, it made me think back to when I
was learning Spanish. While I learned sitting in class, I really started to
understand the language as I was immersed in helping teach kids how to play
soccer that only spoke in Spanish. Through different activities and formal and
informal communication with their parents and the children, I picked up Spanish
a whole lot faster than I ever had in any class. As teachers it really points
out the importance of authentic instruction. While it is easy to give our
students worksheet after worksheet on grammar and sentence structure, how will
this benefit them? We must use metacognition ourselves to reflect and realize
that we are not just teaching our students to succeed in the classroom but to
allow them opportunities that are similar to situations in real life where they
can use their language to empower them.
The text also brought up a very valid point:
language is something that is built, not something that just happens. When I
thought about this it made me think about the importance of allowing for social
interaction. With this our students can learn from each other and push each
other to grow in a community of learners. When our students feel safe they will
not only socialize more, but grow through their experiences in using language.
This gives them the opportunities to experiment with using the correct syntax
and semantics. Our students will not only become stronger through this
experience, but become more competent in displaying their ideas and emotions.
So as
teachers, are we bridging the gap for our students to not only succeed in
school, but giving them the tools to effectively communicate through language and
thrive in the competitive world surrounding them?
Great post Abbie! I agree that exposure is extremely important when it comes to language development. Exposure is what helps to spark the curiosity to developing language, especially at young ages. I loved how you mentioned your own personal experience with language development with a different language. Being immersed within an authentic interactive setting allows for growth far beyond pencil and paper growth of language development. I completely agree 100% that authentic instruction is extremely important for language development, and being able to allow for social interaction that can help to build growth. I also really loved the quote from the book as well about language not being something that just happens, but something that is built up over time.
ReplyDeleteI loved this! I agree with what the books say that language is something that is built, not something that just happens. I agree with what you said about the important of social interactions. If you have a classroom with no social interaction, your students are not going have much growth in their language development. Social interaction are not just important for language development, but also for social growth, they do not only get practice with talking to others they get practice on social aspects. The more the children get the opportunity to talk aloud the more they are going to feel comfortable with their language later down the road.
ReplyDeleteAwesome post, Abbie! I loved your ending statement, it really tied everything together. When you said that you picked up on Spanish by listening to the parents, it really opened my eyes on how people can pick up a language, especially children. The importance of social interaction is crucial. Children need interaction with others in order to learn and grow not only for themselves, but in life.
ReplyDeleteLearning any language you have to be immersed in it, that is how we learned English after all. When you think about it as a baby you have no choice but to pick up the language around you, copying the sounds other make, and eventually pulling together sentences. Which is why we are programmed, at least instinctively talk to babies. We constantly expose babies to language, which helps their development.
ReplyDeleteAwesome post! I can relate to learning spanish. I was in spanish for six years, but I did not retain it. But this past summer I was in Guatemala for a week, and like you, I was immersed in an all spanish speaking environment. I learned more in this week than in my six years in Spanish class. As teachers, we need to help create a language rich classroom by allowing conversations and social interactions between our students. We need to encourage proper language by modeling it ourselves. We need to immersed the children in language just like how we were immersed in Spanish. Then literacy will become easier to the students.
ReplyDelete