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Entry 4: Reflection

Reflection Learning a second or additional language is a complex matter. Each student learning another language come with their own individual challenges. One cannot prepare for each individual challenge since the diversity of students varies so wildly. Instead, teachers need to be open-minded and try to understand the differences between student cultures, capabilities, and needs. For instance, teachers properly identify an ELL by understanding their proficiency level and capabilities. Then, the ELL can be provided with the appropriate resources for their learning whether it be through programs like sheltered or bilingual instruction.  Out of all the topics in the book, the one that caught my attention the most and would learn more about in the future is in regards to sheltered instruction in math. This topic interests me because I intend to teach mathematics and wondered what ways math could be utilized in helping to learn a second language. What I learned from this is that “...
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Entry 3: Interview with Mentor Teacher

Hi, welcome to my entry 3 where I interview my mentor teacher about his experience in teaching ELLs. You can find the link to my video and reflection below, thank you for visiting. Click here for my interview video Reflection         The interviewee is my mentor teacher Leopoldo Vigil, a 7th grade Math teacher with 18 years of experience in teaching. He has experienced first hand the diversity of ELLs, their learning capacities and styles. Some of Mr. Vigil’s obstacles in the classroom are reflected in Wright’s notes. Mr. Vigil recalls how ELLs range widely in learning capabilities, with a small minority of students able to just absorb information. Students like these are able to learn from a natural approach, while others needed various strategies that suited their learning styles. Though, a common problem among ELLs in the math classroom was semantics. The solution process is the same despite the different cultures, but misunderstandings in semantics cause di...
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Entry 2: Interview - Adult who learned English as a second langage in

Hello y’all, welcome to my entry 2 for an interview with an adult who learned English as a second language in the US public school system. My interview video and reflection will below, thank you for reading. Click here for my interview video. The interviewee Hung Phan is a close friend who came to the United States from Vietnam around the age of 11. Hung had no prior learning of English before entering the US public school system. He was enrolled into a New Arrival Center (NAC)  program to support his integration into English and the American culture. From Hung’s responses, he seems to have done well learning English in the public school system. The NAC program created a supportive environment for ELLs like Hung to comfortably transition into the culture. Teachers incorporated US culture into the lessons like when Hung recalls learning the history and how to celebrate US holidays. These practices reflect school program for ELLs goals noted by Wright, “that is, they should ...
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Introduction

Click here for my introductory video Hello y’all, my name is Franklin Hoang Anh Nguyen. I am a senior at the University of Houston currently in student teaching 2. This will be my last semester at UH, and I will be graduating with a bachelors of science in teaching in learning with a certification in mathematics for 4th through 8th grade. While I was born and raised in Houston, my family immigrated from Vietnam with little understanding to English. Growing up in this family allowed me the opportunity to better relate to ELLs. I grew up learning Vietnamese and English simultaneously. My English is fluent and much better than my Vietnamese, but I still fumble sometimes switching between languages and cultures. I can imagine how hard it would be for ELLs to struggle in a foreign classroom having to learn core subjects while learning English. As noted by Wright (2015), “Educators who work with ELLs must be aware of the linguistic diversity in their schools and surrounding communities...
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