Sarah Findlay

Reflection 3-

Essential Linguistics-Chapter 4

Review-What did I learn?

As with most other topics that we have discussed in this course, there are two views of teaching phonemic awareness.  There is the traditional view that argues that language is learned and it needs to be broken into components and taught explicitly.  Then there is the acquisition view that believes that students develop language through meaning and acquire phonemic awareness as they do so.  Both views have valid points and can be beneficial for all learners including English language learners. 

Freeman and Freeman discuss three very important factors when considering language learning.  First, English phonemes occur in different forms, these are called allophones.  Second, speakers from different language develop different phonemes.  Third, phonemes vary across languages.  When teaching English language learners, we need to be aware that phonemes in English are not constant, they change depending on the letters around them.  For example, the /k/ in keep and cool change because they assimilate with the e and the o, changing the way they are formed in the mouth.  Another example is the /t/.  The /t/ has six different phonemes depending on their position in the word.  For English language learners, these variations can cause much confusion. 

Another difference to consider when teaching students who have a primary language other than English is dialect differences and language differences.  Even native English speakers pronounce words differently depending on the region in which they live.  This does not propose much of a problem to new English learners; they often assume the dialect of their teacher.  However, an English speaker from a different dialect than their teacher’s may have some trouble understanding certain phonemes.  Language differences cause confusion when considering meaning of the word.  Spanish speakers specifically struggle with the /th/ and /d/ sounds.  In Spanish these phoneme differences do not change the meaning of the word, however, in English they do.  Then and den for example cause native Spanish speakers a lot of trouble. 

Reflect-What does it mean to me?

Linguistics is a topic in which I struggle.  In terms of teaching language (English) I feel that I do an adequate job. Learning and studying linguistics, on the other hand, is a struggle for me.  As I look back to my childhood, I do not remember explicit instruction on letters and sounds.  I suppose my teachers may have used the acquisition approach in their instruction.   However, as I am learning and studying, I am gaining more knowledge on the best approach to use with my students. 

It seems that a running theme in this chapter, in terms of how to best support English language learners, it to focus on meaning.  Teaching phonemes out of context can be confusing to ELLs because the sounds that letters make depend on the letters that surround it in a word.  The phoneme itself does not always make the same sound.  The letter t for example has six different phonemes depending where it is in a word.  Students with primary languages other than English may often choose the wrong sound, therefore mistaking the word.  In addition to the letter t, the letter d can also confuse English learners.  The words metal and medal sound very much alike, but use a different letters to make that sound. 

Another topic that I felt was really important to me was the idea that speakers of other languages speak more rapidly than English speakers.  I understand some Spanish and can speak fairly well, but really struggle to understand other Spanish speakers because, to me, it sounds so fast.  I wondered as I was reading this if my students feel the same about me.  I know that I talk fast, and have often had the attitude that my students will “just get used to it”.  I realize know that my “fast talking” may be hindering them from completely understanding me and from learning.  

Lastly, the authors wrote about reading text written in other dialecs, and how confusing that can be for English learners.  Many of my students love to read Junie B. Jones books.  These are fun stories, and read aloud, by a fluent English speaker, these books can be very entertaining.  I wonder, however, if my students (the 18 ELLs in my classroom) can actually decipher the language used because it’s written as if a child was speaking.  This can sometimes confuse me, so I can imagine it does the same for my students. 

Refine-How will I use this information in the classroom?

After reflecting on what I’ve learned in this chapter and my own teaching practices, I have come to some conclusions on how I can better serve my students.  I want to focus my instruction on making meaning rather than knowing what sounds different letter combinations make.  The authors explained that as children learn to read, they learn to connect the letters and sounds but they ignore the physical differences in sounds.  They do this because they are searching for meaning.  If I can support this search for meaning, by teaching context clues I will be helping them increase their vocabulary but also their phonemic awareness.  I am going to take one day of guided reading a week to look at the text and sound out and make meaning of new or unfamiliar words. 

Another thing that I definitely need to work on is my “fast talking.”  I am sure that there are times when my students do not understand everything I say because, to them, it sounds so fast; they cannot recognize the phonemes. 

Lastly, I want to use songs, poems, and rhymes to build phonemic awareness and fluency.  I recently began “Musical Mondays.”  Every Monday for 5-10 minutes, we will learn a new poem, song, or rhyme.  Last week we used choral reading to do this.  The students loved it.  They even learned a very difficult word that was in the poem: erroneously.   I would like to give them a copy and have students practice it throughout the week.  Maybe even give a reward if they can read the whole thing independently on Friday. 

Freeman, D. F. (2004). Essential Linguistics. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.