Entry 4 This course of Second Language Acquisition has help me understand how people learn a second or additional language based on different things such as age, motivation, environment, and even one’s cognition in processing information. I have learned a great deal about how one comprehends a second language based on multiple factors that may quicken or even reduce the rate and effectiveness one can learn another language. For my future teaching practices, both this class, as well as Second Language Methodology, has given me a wide range of information to better assist and understand my current and future English Language Learners in my classroom. After taking this class, I have grown a wider understanding of how my students who may struggle with English as their second language may lack motivation or do not have an environment at home that encoura...
Here is my interview for entry 3. The teacher that I had interviewed is a certified ESL teacher and has been teaching for over ten years. She stated that it is important for students to be able to be immersed in an inclusive classroom. The interactions of the students with their peers is a good way to help students become assimilated to the culture as well as get practice with other native speakers. According to Ortega (2011), the more accustomed a student becomes to the target society and the people in it, the more successful the learning outcome will be for the student (p. 57). As the type of environment can largely impact how an ELL learns, it is important that the learner has a positive attitude and is active and engaged in the process of second language acquisition (Ortega, 2011, p. 59). I agree with her in that it is very beneficial for students to be surrounded by native speakers as a way to practice authentically and consistently throughout their day. She states that age is...