RWatson - Journal 3 - Chapter 4

1. Review – What did I learn?

            Phonology is the study of how sounds are organized and used in language.  It is very complex and includes many topics that I have never heard of or thought about.  I am not saying that I don’t find the subject interesting but I do find that it is a bit overwhelming.  I believe that it is one of those subjects that you just have to digest a little at a time and not expect to grasp all at once.

            While phonology as a science is the focus of the author on one level, the author also strives to make the reader more informed when it comes to the two major philosophies associated with learning a second language: sociopsycholinguistic and word recognition. This theme is not new to this chapter but the knowledge gained from the study of phonology can help as we decide which model will work best in our own situation.

            Because phonology is so technical, I appreciate the fact that we zoomed in on same main ideas in class last Thursday.  There is an immense amount of information and knowledge regarding phonology and as a result of our group effort I have a better understanding of phonemes, allophones, dialect, language building and phonemic awareness. The following list includes some of the ideas that were summarized by the wonderful and articulate members of our Thursday class:

Allophones

·         A phoneme is the smallest unit of speech distinguishing one word from another

·         Phonemes are not always pronounced in the same way

·         Phonemes assimilate to neighboring sounds

·         Allophones are the sounds that make up a phoneme

Dialects

·         Dialects are variations in language, marked by certain ways of pronouncing words

·         Dialects are variations in particular choices of vocabulary and syntax

·         ELL’s have already developed the phonology of one language and that knowledge may influence their perception of English sounds

 

Language Building

·         English includes the same sounds from different languages

·         English has different meanings for the same sounds

·         A Hispanic student might not distinguish the difference between the d and the t sound

·         Teachers should focus on meaning and not spelling

Additional concerns about phonemic awareness

·         Teach in context – word recognition view

·         Use sounds, poems, rhymes, language games

·         Do not teach in isolation

 

2. Reflect – What did it mean to me?

I think the authors make a good case for focusing instruction on meaning construction.  Both sides of each philosophy are always presented but the research seems to favor the sociopsycholinguistic model over the word recognition view.  The word recognition view seems to be the more traditional approach and the language acquisition philosophy appears to be more research based.   If I were to make a prediction, I think that public education will slowly but steadily adopt the sociopsycholinguistic model and the word recognition view will fade in popularity.

As I said before, I am overwhelmed by the size and scope of phonology as a science.  As a math teacher, I have very little understanding or formal education in this field.  That being said, I do find the ideas very interesting and potentially useful.  My hope is to understand a few of the ideas that have been presented and use them to become a better teacher.  At the very least, I have a heightened awareness of the challenges that a second language learner has in my classroom.  Not only must a student learn a second language for everyday use, they must also learn academic language and at the same time overcome the barriers that different phonologies present.

 

3. Refine – How will I use the information in my classroom?

            I certainly buy into the idea that teaching vocabulary in context is important.  The author’s statement on page 92, “The potential problems caused by differences between languages are minimized when the focus of instruction is on meaning construction” makes sense.  By teaching vocabulary within a context students are able to tap into background knowledge which can provide cues that help overcome other phonological issues. I really want to pay special attention at the beginning of each unit when introducing new vocabulary My hope is that I will consistently present the words in some sort of context rather than in an isolated fashion. 

 

            I think that metaphors also build context.  For example, when I was teaching the idea of "mean" or "average" I presented the class with similar words that captured the same meaning of being in the center.  I included words such as: brain, heart, Washington DC, nucleus, peach pit, eye of a hurricane. I used as many examples as I could because I felt like at least a few of those examples would be familiar to most students.

           In addition to strategies I think I can benefit by just being more sensitive to language acquisition challenges. My hope is to teach with a heightened awareness to the difficulties of learning vocabulary.  When I see students struggling with new words, I will be more likely to question my own methods, to locate weaknesses and to choose a more effective approach.

References.

 

Freeman, D & Freeman, Y. (2004). Developing Multicultural Educators.  Portsmouth, NH:  Heinemann.