Monday, November 14, 2011

11/15

I have a lot of mixed thoughts about testing and assessments. As a bilingual education major, I'm the first one to say that I don't agree with how much importance is given to standardized tests. I really disagree with the fact that a single test can determine one person's future. After learning so much about validity and reliability in ENG 346, I see so many more reasons why a standardized test isn't the best way to assess a student. Factors like how clear the instructions are, the person scoring the test, and the time of day or setting can all impact the outcome of the test taker.

With this in mind, it's clear why alternative assessments are much more beneficial. They are more low-stakes and allow the students to use their background knowledge and interests to produce their work. The teacher also has the opportunity to get multiple samples of their work, rather than using one instance to determine their skills. Assessments like portfolios are especially great because it gives the student a chance to see how much they have progressed, something a standardized test does not do. These assessments also allow the teacher to give immediate feedback to the students which can help them start improving on their weaker areas right away.

Although I am a huge supporter of alternative assessments, ESPECIALLY for English language learners, I think it's important to play "devil's advocate" or look at it from the opposite perspective. From the government's point of view, standardized tests are used to make sure there is some sort of structure in our education and to make sure our teachers are teaching what they are supposed to. Is there another way to maintain some sort of structure and "check up" with schools to make sure they are teaching meaningful lessons? Personally, I feel like standardized tests might be more useful if they were more low-stakes and there was more emphasis on areas of alternative assessment to determine what level the student is at. The way our educational system is currently structured is putting a lot of pressure on students and leaving less room for teachers to be creative in the classroom because of these high stakes test.

Monday, November 7, 2011

11/8

As it was stated in the closing paragraph of Chapter 11, I agree that teachers need to be very honest about the power that politics has on language. We need to explain to our students that the language and culture that they bring with them makes them unique, but in order to keep up with society they need to adjust to the "game" that's being played or they will have a very difficult time (pg 266).

The part of the chapter that captured my attention the most was the talk about the role of the first language. As a bilingual education major, I've learned so much about how resourceful the student's first language is, especially in a learning environment. In our education classes we've learned a million times how when a student can tap into their prior knowledge, or relate what they are learning to a personal experience, they will have an easier time understanding the new concept. This makes it shocking to me that the use of the first language in the classroom is always a debate. Clearly, if it is the only language being used in the classroom the students aren't going to make progress in their L2, but if it is used as a resource it can greatly enhance their understanding. I feel like this isn't always clear to the learners themselves either. A lot of the time they have their mind set on learning English as quickly as possible and never want to tap into their L1. As teachers we need to explain that their first language can provide them a lot of help with their second language. In our classroom it might be beneficial to do different activities that can link their home language to their second language. This way they can find some similarities or differences between the two and make helpful connections either within the grammar, communication styles, or speech acts. The use of the L1 in any ESL classroom is too great of a resource to ignore and if this is explained to the students and their parents they will understand how much it can really help.

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

11/3

Creating and fostering language awareness is especially important in an ESL classroom because there is most likely going to be several forms and variations of English being spoken in the classroom. As a teacher of ESL students I think that it's so important that we are sensitive and accepting of the variations that they bring into the classroom. This doesn't mean though, that they shouldn't be informed of formal and academic English. As a bilingual education major we always talk about how there is not only one correct way to speak English, but there are proper ways to speak in different settings. ESL students should be taught that the language they bring with them and the variation of English that they speak is accepted and valued, but in certain contexts they need to speak standard English to be appropriate. This is why I found critical language awareness to be important in the classroom. As ESL students, they are all going to come from different backgrounds, speak differently, and interpret things differently. This is why it is crucial for them to be able to analyze aspects of language critically. ESL teachers need to make it clear to their students that there isn't always one way to do something. This goes for any area of a language. There isn't simply one way to respond to an argument, ask a question, or write a phrase. I think to make this the least complicated as possible for them. they need to be taught to look at the context and surroundings of the situations. Are they speaking to someone in a more formal setting or one of their friends? Are they at church or on the playground? Could someone have interpreted the question differently than they did? All of these things come into play when learning a language. If the students aren't made aware that they need to look at language critically, then they will have a very difficult time learning the standard form of English and using it appropriately.