Ellis- Linguistics Class Journal #3

Chapter 3: Implications from Phonology for Teaching Reading and Teaching a Second Language

Review- What did you learn?

            The English language is said to have around thirty-nine different phonemes. These phonemes are not always pronounced in the same way. Your brain is constantly moving from one phoneme to the next. This process is known as assimilation. Freeman & Freeman (2004) explain that “it is a more difficult task to teach children to perceive and manipulate phonemes than to rearrange blocks” (p. 88). I believe this quote because I was confused about all the different phonemes in our language and I am still not one hundred percent sure I could identify them all. Arranging blocks sounds like a much easier task. There are two different approaches to teaching phonemes. The first is word recognition which follows a more traditional approach where you help students become aware of these differences. The second is the acquisition view where phonemic awareness is subconscious and students are acquiring these sounds and using them to make meanings.

            This chapter taught me that there are six different variations of the phoneme /t/ depending on the position in the word. The differences are based on tongue placement, aspiration, puffs of air, and air blockage. I have never really thought about these differences and now realize how confusing our language can be especially for students that are learning English as their second language. In English, many of our letters make the same or similar sounds but they all have different meanings. In Spanish for example, the meanings are all the same no matter the sound. This can cause confusion for students and that is why teachers need to focus on the specific meanings of sounds and words and less on the pronunciation and spelling.

Dialects are language variations that appear through pronunciation, vocabulary choices, and variations in syntax. Dialects can vary based on regions, social groups, or both. People that are learning to read or learning a second language can be influenced by the different dialects around them. Another interesting thing that I learned about ELL students and dialects is that the different dialects in their first language can influence their perception of the sounds in English.

            It is important to teach students sounds, words, and spelling patterns in context. This can be done using songs, poems, rhymes, or even games. Teaching in isolation is not the best way to help students learn these differences and for it to make sense to them. This chapter explained that if too much time is spent on phonemic awareness that it takes away from authentic reading experiences. Freeman & Freeman (2004) explain that “it is these reading experiences that promote language acquisition” (p.94). For students to learn a second language, they need to be read to, read with, and also have time to read independently. It is important for them to have these experiences to gain their language skills.

Reflect- What did it mean to you?

            I have experienced different dialects based on regions where I have lived. I was born in Massachusetts and I lived up north until I was seven. There are some words and phrases that I learned as a child that mean or sound totally different in the south. For example, up north, my family says “youse guys’ and down in the south, people say “y’all.” These phrases basically mean the same thing but people might not understand what you are trying to say. I notice the differences in dialects a lot when I am talking to my relatives or even visiting. Sometimes I have to repeat myself or slow down my speech so that they understand me. I also have to listen more carefully when they are speaking because it can be hard to understand them as well. I find dialects very interesting and often wonder if other languages have such differences in their languages.

            This chapter helps solidify the reasons why it is important to have reading and writing workshop in classrooms every day. Students need time for authentic learning experiences and they also need to have a different variety of lessons. I have always been a believer in reading with my students and also reading to my students each and every day. I always make time in my schedule for them to have independent reading time because it helps them practice the skills and strategies they learn in class. The same goes for writing. Students need to see examples of writing. They need to see the process involved with sharing ideas and putting them on paper. Modeling is very important for all students and it helps them develop the necessary language skills to communicate in a classroom. I see a lot of growth from my students using a workshop model.

Refine- How will you use the information in your classroom?

            I enjoyed seeing how different content material could be broken down into lessons for ELL students. I liked the idea of summarizing learning by making an acrostic poem using a chart with ideas for the students to select from. My class is currently studying Martin Luther King, Jr. and I believe this is an activity that I can incorporate into this unit. I think that as we are learning about him, I will have students add ideas, words, phrases, or concepts onto a chart with the letters m, l, k, j, and r. I will also put them in alphabetical order like it was suggested in our class so that the students do not see the order right away. Then I will break them into groups making sure to group my ELL students with peers that speak and understand English well. I will let each group write and share their own acrostic poem with the class to summarize what they have learned. I think this will be a fun activity for them and it is a good chance to incorporate vocabulary and writing into the Social Studies content area.

            Another idea that I want to try is the Frayer method of writing. I believe this method will allow my students to organize their ideas in a more useful way. We are currently working on persuasive writing. We have already been brainstorming topics that we want to write about. I am going to start with this method this week. I plan to have the students fold paper like we were shown in class. The student will put what they are trying to persuade their parents about in the diamond in the middle. Each box will have a reason that they are giving to try and persuade their parents. I also plan to have them put their best reason on box number four because the best one should be last. I think this method will lend itself wonderfully to this type of writing because it will help all of them organize their thoughts in a way that makes sense.

            Daily sentences are another strategy that I believe can be incorporated into my classroom because I think it will help all of my students. In a notebook, students write three different sentences following the yesterday, now, and later model. This is something that can be easily included in my writing time. Having students learn how to write sentences like this will help them to become better writers that can see the difference in past, present, and future tenses.

            After class this week, I left with a few different strategies and ideas that I want to incorporate in class with all of my students. These strategies that were shared are ones that are very beneficial to me. Seeing examples of lessons that have been taught allowed me to understand how to present information in a way that my ELL students can learn from. I have always been a visual learner so this was very helpful to me. I hope that we get to learn more of these useful ideas in future classes. I am excited about trying them out and seeing how I can tweak them to work in my classroom with my second graders.

              

References

Freeman, D. & Freeman, Y. (2004). Essential Linguistics. Portsmouth: Heinemann.