Reflection Writing

            In this class, I have learned a lot of things that have furthered my knowledge of the acquisition of a second or additional language. This class really built upon the second language methodology class and I think the two classes went hand-in-hand with one another. There are a lot of different aspects that come into play when acquiring a second or additional language, such as age, crosslinguistic influences, environment, motivation, individual differences, and so on and so forth. With age, it is believed that there are critical and sensitive periods for the acquisition of human language. There is also controversy whether adults or adolescents learn the language better and faster. There are advantages for learning at different ages and disadvantages as well. When it comes to crosslinguistic influences, “the more fully developed the L1 system is when L2 learning commences, the more strongly the L1 will influence the L2” (Ortega, 2013, pg. 24). The environment plays a part in whether or not the individual is completely immersed in the language, or whether they have to go back and forth between the L1 and the L2. For example, I learned English as a second language and Vietnamese was my first language. I spoke English at school and day care, and came home to speak Vietnamese to my parents at night. This hindered the rate of my learning the English language, and it definitely slowed me down and required me to take ESL classes in order to successfully acquire the language. It is said that environmental and socio-affective factors such as opportunities, motivation, L2 instruction, and overall education, “may mutually interact and become important predictors of success at earlier as well as later starting ages” (Ortega, 2013, pg. 27). Lastly, individual differences play a role in acquiring a second language because everyone learns at different rates, everyone processes information differently, and some people have better working memory capacities than others. Second language acquisition is the human capacity to learn languages once the first or first languages have been learned and are established (Ortega, 2013, pg. 4). There are many factors that can affect this acquisition, and it is important to read up on this topic when learning another language, or teaching another language.

            This class will affect my practice in that it helped me get a deeper understanding of how adolescents acquire a second or additional language, and how I can help facilitate this learning. This class opened my eyes to a lot of different strategies and approaches I can try in my classroom to help promote English language acquisition. In my field observation placement now, I have two English language learners and this class has definitely helped me guide them and teach them the English language. I use visuals 24/7, and I pair the students up with strong English speakers in order to build upon their social and speaking skills. It is important to provide visuals and opportunities for students to practice using the language in a social context. I understand that crosslinguistic influences are a factor in acquiring a second or additional language, so I must be aware of my students’ first language, and do my part to understand the similarities and differences between the two languages. In doing my research and studies, I can help my students acquire the second language to the best of my abilities. This class will definitely impact my future teaching practices in a positive manner, and I am glad that this was a required course because it taught me a lot! As for any aspects or topics of the class that should be less emphasized upon, I don’t think there was one in my opinion. All of the blog entries and readings were crucial in fully understanding second language acquisition, and it really helped you get a full grasp on the topic. I think the interviews really helped us get some insight into acquiring a second language and how different people acquired another language. I liked that blog one was an introductory blog about ourselves and how we acquired a second language. It is important to connect the learning to our students, and I think this was a great way for you to get to know us, as well as for us to connect the learning to our own personal lives! In comparison to the second language methodology class that I took last semester, this class flowed a lot more smoothly; I think that the topics of interest were spot on and did not take away from the main idea, but only supported it.

            The role of the blog really helped in my learning process because it helped build a sense of community. I was able to read other classmates’ blogs and reflections, and also watch their interviews. I think being able to do this really helped me learn above and beyond. I was able to see the material from other peoples’ perspectives and how they processed the information differently or similarly. The blog helped hold me accountable for assignments, and it was a great way to interact with classmates, even if it wasn’t face-to-face.