English Speakers of Other Languages
In the study of the particular filed experience, an important aspect which has been obtained is that of second language acquisition. Particularly for English speakers of other languages, it is an important factor that influences understanding and communication. One particular theory of second language acquisition is behaviorism theory that state language is basically a set of structures and acquisition of the same is dependent on habit formation . In other words, it states that acquisition of a language is dependent on the acquisition of automatic linguistic habits. The reason this theory is highlighted here is Rashel has exhibited the same factors.
H. Douglas Brown’s principles of Second Language Teaching and Learning
Language component – discourse
Discourse is an important language component and the same needs to be implemented in effective language education. Face to face discourse shapes and enhances a learner’s cognitive abilities and it is also essential for the teacher to be able to identify progress and areas of improvement in education. The difference lies in the fact that teacher-student discourse has been found to be more effective as compared to peer-to-peer discourse.
Transformative education, social reconstruction and critical theory
The other important factors in education and specifically English as a second language are transformative education, social reconstruction and critical theory. Transformative education emphasizes that learning is also influenced by surroundings and the educational environment. Social reconstruction is involved in developing the perception of education in the second language and critical theory is equally important in acquiring competence in English as a second language.
Final reflection on observation experience
Looking specifically at Rashel’s case, the prime observation made was the fact that relocation from Venezuela had garnered a spirit of learning and inquisitiveness in her. The fact that her friends and peers spoke a different dialect had enhanced the interest for learning English as a second language all the more. Combines to this, the fact that her mother was expecting a second child gave a reflection that Rashel’s sense of responsibility and yearn for learning was all the more engraved.
Learning derived
The most important learning derived from the entire field experience was the fact that learning and language development in an individual is heavily influenced by self-interest and self-assessment of learning needs.
Important aspects identified
Among the many things that had been observed mention needs to be made of a few important aspects. One had been the fact that her speech or speaking was influenced by her native tongue as it was seen that many a times her recommendable speaking in English would feature Spanish. Even for her hearing skills, she was able to understand most of the speech but sometimes found it difficult to understand few words or phrases. Another important observation had been in case of her writing skills, it was seen that her vocabulary showed signs that it was limited. This was evident from her repetition of usage of words and phrases.
The significance of the new observation emphasized the fact that her proficiency as a second language user of English could be related to the Behaviorism Theory of Second Language acquisition.
References
Brown, H. D. (2000). Principles of Learning and Teaching. San Francisco: San Francisco State University. Retrieved from http://www.cuc.edu.ve/upc/PNFT/INGLES/Principles_of_Language_Learning_and_Teaching.pdf
Menezes, V. (2013). Second Language Acquisition: Reconciling Theories. Open Journal of Applied Sciences, 3, 404-412.
