According to Richards and Farrell, a significant number of critical incidents that occur in the classroom are basically common events that are considered critical owing to the fact that they expose or reveal underlying values, beliefs of motives existing within a classroom environment (Richards and Thomas 119). In their discussion, Richards and Farrell assert that in order to provide an effective critical incident report, it is crucial that one begins by providing a reflection of actions that might have led to the critical event (Richards and Thomas 119).
Critical Incident from My Teaching Context
As a teacher among ESL students, I have encountered various critical incidences that have enhanced my understanding on how ESL students perceive efforts that are implemented in order to ensure that they are provided with English language knowledge. However, one of the most critical incidents that I encountered occurred when I teaching a group of foreign students who were taking ESL classes. The session focused on pronunciation of certain English words. I was impressed to learn that almost all the students were able to pronounce the words I selected for our class session that day. When I asked the students whether they were able to write or provide the spelling for the words, it was quite surprising that almost all of them were not able to spell the words. I inquired how one could be able to pronounce words that they could not even spell and the answer I received was shocking. The students indicated that when they come to USA, the ensure that they can pronounce a few words so that they are not subjected to certain stereotypes that are usually associated with ESL students, particularly from Asia, Mexico and other parts of the world. After the lesson, I recorded this incident in my teaching diary that the stereotypes directed towards ESL students have a significant impact in relation to how they participate in learning activities. From this incident, I learnt that it was crucial for ESL teachers to ensure that they provide awareness among ESL students, specifically those that have just registered for ESL classes on the existence of stereotypes and how this could impact their learning. I also learnt that it imperative to ensure that ESL students are equipped with knowledge on how they can overcome stereotypes that EFL students may have about them. In summary, the critical part of this incident is the fact that ESL students could struggle to learn how to pronounce words that they cannot even spell properly only to avoid being subjected to certain stereotypes associated with ESL students from foreign countries.
Approach applied for to Investigate this Critical Incident
In order to investigate the critical incident for further understanding, an approach that involves a study of stereotypes that affect ESL students would be applied. This would be followed by identification of how ESL students perceive the stereotypes as well as how they usually react towards such issues. The next step would involve performing a study to determine how ESL students may be empowered in order to overcome psychological challenges that emerge as a result of the stereotypes.
Work Cited
Richards, Jack C., and Thomas S. C. Farrell. Professional Development for Language Teachers: Strategies for Teacher Learning. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 2005. Print.
