Class Reflection

Marya started her presentation by posing two questions of choice: accuracy and fluency; segmentals and suprasegmentals.

It is not easy for language teachers to separate these concepts when it comes actual classroom work. One flows back and forth between them as the needs of the students and the type of activity done in class are many and varied.

It was useful to discuss and bring to mind the imortance of each.

We spent time in the computer lab doing an exercise to help us realize the riches that the Internet provides at the touch of a button. We did not really touch upon the difficulties of the computer. The down side of the Internet is that one is never entirely sure that the technology in the classroom and the technology of the Internet, along with the coming and going of sites and resources. One hopes that they will always work in the way that one intends for them to, when one plans. - but often that does not happen.

I still find it an awkward resourse at best. As I have had hours of my class time wasted by presenters at MNSU Mankato who also were not able to utilize technology as they had planned, I wonder how really useful these resources are.

Or maybe teachers just need to becoame more familar with the technology.

We spent the remainder of our time going over our portfolios. It was good to do this this early in the semester. It gives us plenty of time to get ready for the end when they need to be turned in.

Speaking

Roses are red.
Violets are blue.
Sugar is sweet,
And so are you.

First comes love,
Then comes marriage.
Then comes ________ with a baby carriage.

She had a boy
playing with a toy.
Then his hair began to curl,
Now she has a baby girl.
Soon her hair is straight as pins
Now she has a pair of twins.

I remember these jump rope chants from fifty years ago.

They are good for getting accents .....

The first can go on a valentine card or a card to a loved one.

This can be creative break from the normal routine.

Whoever is home watching the kids will be glad to be appreciated.

These "children's things" can make an adult class more enjoyable for the students.

Speaking is the major way that we express ourselves.

Not having the right word to desribe a feeling exactly in a first language can be annoying - in a second language it can be fustrating or worse.

In a first language you can give the "kind of sort of" and get your point across.

In a second langauage this is much more difficult. Skill at charades can come in handy in these situations.

I never really thought about how important fillers are in speech or how to convey their use to a person from another culture. This is the part of the reading that I found most interesting,

I think role play is important because it takes away the need to talk about yourself and gives you the feeling that you must participate for the sake of the group.

It also makes sure that everyone gets a turn.

Listening

This week's reading were about listening.

I went to a play called Love Letters on Sunday. It had two actors. They sat at desks facing the audience and read the letters that they had written each other starting with notes in the second grade and ending with the death of one of them in old age. It was a very graphic example of the difference between written and spoken communication. The expressions of the actor being written to, often conveyed to the audience exactly what they were thinking, without saying a word. The reading of their written answer confirmed their body langauge.

It is more difficult to understand someone you cannot see.

Listening practice that is just listening to the radio or responding to the telephone is important in really learning a language.

Vocabulary and Grammar are both key elements of language. I am more interested in vocabulary.

I think that technology and the ease of cultural sharing has changed both vocabulary and grammar.

We have books, movies, television, radio.... from around the world. There is more mixing of "English language culture". Addtion of new words and retiring of old words happens much more quickly. Also word already in use take on new meanings. Langauage is a living thing. Growth and change are happening more quickly than ever before.

Texting has made language at once more abbreviated and more verbose. Words and phrases are shortened but there seems to be more words exchanged.

This of course makes it more important for us to keep ourselves updated with both technology and how the langauage is changing

This makes more for the teen to learn. He wants to be in with his peers and perhaps on top of his or her academic work as well. It is a challenge for them as students and us as teachers.

Learning about culture

What to say? when to say it? How to say it? and to whom?

Context

Formal? Informal?

Ms ? Mrs. ? Miss ?

Professor?

Doctor?

First name?

Last name?

Nick name?

Humor? sarcasm?

Rude? Polite? Kiss ass disgusting?

Brown nose?

It is one thing to know how to say something in theory - but the actual play by play can be much more challenging

People on the autism spectrum have trouble with making good decisions about interactions with others.
Doctor Melvin Levin wrote this book called Jarvis Clutch - Social Spy which is about how to get along socially.

Jarvis observes people and he and the doc talk aboutwhat actions get what results and what is appropriate

It makes very explicit things that are usually implict and seldom discussed.

it is probably a lot more than most college grad students need to know but it would be very helpful for younger students trying to figure out the american social scene
It talks about code switching.

The doc defines this as adjusting the words that you use and the way that you speak depending on whim you are speaking to.

Jarvis says it is fitting the stiff you say with the people you are around.

Our last class was very interesting.

Marya's presentation was very focused and task-based.

Placing us in a situation where we had to argue for a philosphy was a good way to help us think about the pros and cons of the different methods.

Voting for the best method as a large group at the end was a way that we could express our real views rather than the ones we were asssigned to represent.

Observeing the Korean teacher video was interesting and instructive.

It was interesting to hear what others thought about the teacher and his methods.

I was surprised that more people did not pick up the spelling mistake on the board.

My daughter had an English teacher that could not spell. It was disturbing.

My daughter and several of her friends were studying at our home and several of the sudents had the same (several) spelling mistakes in their notes - because they copied the teacher's notes right off the board.

I really wasn't too concerned about spelling - after all it is only a truly uncreative person who cant' think of more than one way to spell a word.......

It was that she was a poor writer, a mediocre speaker, and a very uncritical reader - in addition to not exhibiting an inability to control the class.

... I digress


I do think that just a 10 minute clip is a really short observation to judge someone on.

On the other hand there are things that we all do that we do all the time.

I think that it is important to be able to give people feedback both positive and negative.

I was at a conference on Saturday and the speaker chose not to use the microphone. He could be heard well at the start of his commentary but then was lowering his voice at the end of his statements. Some people were could not hear. Several of them were wondering if they should say anthing and if so what.

They did not want to hurt his feelings.

So the suggestion was made that they should start out by saying they were really interested in what he said and did not want to miss any of it - could he use the mic or speak louder

This was very difficult for these adults to do. (at a seminar that they paid for and gave up a Saturday with friends and family to attend)

Learning to give and take feedback is a very important skill in the classroom and in life.