Response to Chapter One Blogs

Kerrie Richardson makes two valid points in her chapter one blog.  First, few Europeans, especially those from the southern countries, spoke English as of the 1990s.  Second, English speakers, Americans among others, assume that their language is universally spoken.  Surely the percentage of non-native English speakers has increase since the 1990s.  English language popularity may not be based on the fact that it is widely spoke, but rather, the considerable consumption of English language derivatives—music, entertainment, and cinema.  Surely English’s popularity is indisputable as commodity.  Perhaps, that is what makes some English feel haughty about their native tongue.

Bob Perez is right, English learners, even a specific individual, exist in  flux.  I too have morphed in regards to English as many other close to me have.  I have been considered by some to speak English with an accent and deemed by others to have perfect enunciation.  Who knew language ability could vary so greatly without it changing, but by context.  That is what makes language so fascinating.  It is for that reason that even during my early childhood I sought to learn other languages even under dire circumstances, although I didn’t understand how it would shape me.  It is strange how decisions and circumstance can have such a marking effect.  

Chapter Thirteen Teaching English in Context

Lynne T. Diaz-Rico makes it clear that people who do not speak English and inhabit the United States have the right not to speak English (Diaz-Rico, 2008, p. 331). She also implies that people, at large, have the right to speak English in the dialect of their choice. Furthermore, she argues that teachers should honor the learner’s given dialect.  In the same vain vernacular English becomes an issue of contention for some English learners who see it as an undesirable target. Ultimately, there is a clear dialect hierarchy that surrounds English and it informs who is considered proficient and who is seen as a viable teaching candidate.  Nevertheless, code switching to formal English as opposed to vernacular or dialect ridden language is an important skill teachers should model for their students (O’Neal and Ringler, 2010, p.50). The previous can be achieved by any instructor not just those who were raised speaking a given standard dialect.

Chapter Twelve Dual-Language Proficiency

Bilingualism is should be ubiquitous in the pluralistic society the United States claims to be. Unfortunately, English is a dominant language in an increasingly xenophobic society where immigrants are made to feel they should discard their cultural and linguistic capital like their predecessors did in the past.  Bilingualism, biliteracy and all of the formats that bilingual education can manifests itself in the United States will not succeed because of a clear point Diaz-Rico makes, “fear” (Diaz-Rico, 2008, p. 322). Jim Cummins research supports Diaz-Rico’s argument and claims that “fear” extends into the nucleus of minority-language families who drive their children toward dominant-language monolinguism for fear of academic failure (Cummins, 1981, p. 16). Political and social stress and the irregular and complex nature of language acquisition keeps society at large from seeing bilingualism, in its various pedagogical formats, as an explicit educational goal.

Chapter Eleven Components of Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency

Most teachers in the American educational system practice a form of the recitation pattern.  In this model the teacher initiates interaction, students respond, and the teacher evaluates or provides feedback (Diaz-Rico, 2008, pp. 301-302). This method only serves to exacerbate the gap between fluent English speakers and ELLs (Diaz-Rico, 2008, pp. 310). This type of teaching style robs students who need the English language development the most. It tethers students to BICS and keeps them from developing BICS. In the end students who are designated as language proficient because they managed to acquire sufficient “test-wiseness” and therefore are able to successfully navigate through literacy components of language (Aukerman, 2007, p. 628). In our CELDT driven ELL assessment model we fail to realize that much of what the test measures is beneath our students cognitive ability, but above their “test-wiseness”.

Chapter Ten Culturally Based Language Teaching

Culture is all encompassing yet it is important to find a definition. Sure it is culture in its most obvious manifestations is observable, nevertheless at its most significant levels is intangible—values, rhythms, rules, and roles (Diaz-Rico, 2008, p. 272).  Language, one of culture’s central components, is informed and shaped by dozens of factors such as; political phenomenon, sports, religion, and other social and scientific events or processes. More importantly culture is ever changing and splinters.  When it is part of the content or the central theme it selves, students should be allowed to provide the basis from which it is approached so that language is acquired in the manner that it best serves learner.  Culture as content opens the doors to political, history, and social vocabulary—all the things that compose it—vocabulary and envelopes students in language like few other subjects can (Cruz and Duplass, 2009, p. 432). Unfortunately, culture, in most classrooms, is little more than folklore and superficial. 

Chapter Eight Learning Processes and the Imaginary

This chapter involves more creative elements found in learning—the imagination and drama. Although many see dramatic representations as entertainment, the truth is that they offer a rich context for learning to take place. Dramatization and take place on many levels, but one of its most redeeming values is that it helps students enjoy the listening and learning experience so that vocabulary is acquired in a state of relaxation.  

Sue A. Rieg and Kelli R. Paquette support Diaz-Rico’s views by highlighting that learning is at its zenith when the student is immersed and actively partaking and exploring the physical environment (2009, p.149). The content still is of relevance and teachers can work with their students in myriad of formats and genres that create the greatest opportunities for learning.

Chapter Seven Literacy Instruction for EL Development

In chapter seven Lynne T. Diaz-Rico follows a similar pattern to cover reading and writing as she utilized in describing the listening and speaking process. 

The process is as follows:

1.      Into—Readers draw on prior knowledge, use K-W-L charts and set goals for their reading.

2.      Through—Students are given cognitive aids—outlines, Venn diagrams, or other graphic organizers to digest the content.

3.      Beyond—Learners analyze the cultural perspectives and content and complete work that exhibits comprehension and analysis (2008, pp. 179-180).

Diaz-Rico covers writing with a different approach than the other elements that compose language development.  She uses a multi-step process explain the writing-workshop journey. The process includes:

1.      Prewriting—Brainstorming and other stimulating interaction

2.      Drafting—Capturing ideas so that their a sense of focus and direction

3.      Self-Correction

and Revision—A process that stems details to grammatical revision

4.      Peer Response—A formal sharing process that involves analyzing strengths and weaknesses

5.      Group Review—Content review and appropriate behavior experience

6.      Writing Conferences—Face to face meeting with the teacher in which students present their paper

7.      Editing—Emphasis is on students taking charge of self-editing

8.      Error Correction—At the early levels fluency is key, but as writers develop accuracy becomes the focus

9.      Publishing—This final step can take many forms—plays or books—formatting is also considered in this phase.

Reading and writing can seem monolithic challenges for English-language learners especially when they find themselves surrounding by native-English speakers. In theory sound instruction will benefit all learners. However, a 2009 study conducted by Jennifer O’Day found that practices that benefited non-EL students had “little discernible benefit” for ELLs (2009, p. 105). With all the more reason teachers need to know their students well and discern which methods and procedures benefit their particular students rather than adopting all encompassing district materials and practices.

Chapter Six Oracy Instruction That Builds on the First Language

Vygotsky believed that language skills—listening, speaking, writing, and reading—intimately linked to thinking.  In this chapter the foci are listening and speaking and their development.  Lynne T. Diaz-Rico describes three steps—before, while, and after—that form part of the listening and speaking process.  The listening section is composed of the following: 

1.      Into—Learners are introduced to the verbal setting—vocabulary terms, accents, specific cultural setting, among other elements.

2.      Through—Students are given cognitive aids—outlines, graphic organizers—and are given multiple opportunities to ingest the audio material. 

3.      Beyond—At this stage learners are given the opportunity take part in one or more of these options—write, draw, a physical representation—as a closing activity (2008, pp. 149-151).

Similar steps are followed for the “speaking” component.  This “into, through, and beyond” process part of a fundamental sequence that prepares second language learners and others belonging to language subcultures to make that fateful “dialect switch” that spurs academic achievement (Craig, Thompson, and Washington, 2004, p. 270)

Capter Five Learner Strategies and Learner Focused Teaching

It is widely accepted that neither intrinsic nor extrinsic factors hold a monopoly over learner behavior and performance. Instead it is a mixture of intrinsic and extrinsic elements that shape self-motivated and self-managed learners. Lynne T. Diaz-Rico argues that most teachers would prefer the aforementioned student type, although they would have trouble handing the reins over to their pupils (2008, 107).  There are many things that can go wrong—students won’t ask for help on time, scheduling constraints, pacing (Lizzio and Wilson, 2006, 691)—as self-motivated and self-managed learners are developing the necessary skills and practices to succeed.  However, the benefits of developing the critical thinking skill set that leads to the manipulation of the academic world and self-understanding vastly outweighs the unavoidable obstacles.

Chapter Three Performance-Based Learning

Teaching is a constantly morphing mixture of science and humanistic creativity.  However, the pressure placed by the general public and government entities, especially, disrupt the natural course education should take—where assessment and instruction exist and operate in genuine unity (Diaz-Rico, 2008, p. 79). Authentic assessment, unlike traditional measures, seeks real world validation and usefulness beyond regurgitation and display of knowledge. This has deep implications for instructors because the real world is dynamic and pedagogical hierarchies do not dictate who holds knowledge. Standard assessments do not always fit student-centered learning.  However, authentic assessments’, and that of other forms of non-standard practices, reliability is questioned at times because of the lack replicability and comparability of student performance (Hay and Macdonald, 2008, p154). Ironically struggling learners who could reap great long-term benefits from an educational paradigm where their voice and authentic assessment are followed, it tends to be pupils who have proven that they meet standardized measures who benefit from learning-centered curriculum and practices.

Chapter 2 Critical Pedagogy

Critical pedagogy as created by Paulo Freire is the foundation of student-centered learning. At its core critical pedagogy is based on the conviction that the student comes with a wealth of knowledge making her a capable contributor and not an empty vessel awaiting enlightenment in all things. A key component of critical pedagogy is problem posing because it focuses on points of interest and leads to the fruitful discussions as Hones found in his research (Diaz-Rico, 2008, p. 25). Critical pedagogy takes control from the state and the dominant democratizes instruction and learning. It places control within each family and consequently in each individual. That is why Sharon M. Chubbuck argues that the socially just teaching is framed by teachers’ knowledge of their own and their students’ cultural and racial identity as it is not as it should be (2007, p. 241). In light of these powerful concepts and practices, it is unfortunate that schools look to indoctrinate students rather than use them as founding contributors.