A few days ago, Alexandra and Melissa gave our class a worksheet with phrases in Esperanto. I was happy to see that, on that specific sheet, I was able to decipher 9 out of 10 of those phrases! It's amazing how motivating it is to be able to use your knowledge of other languages to decipher a language that you've never seen before!
While I have always tried to emphasize the importance of motivation and confidence building in the language classroom, this activity reiterated the need to activate prior knowledge as much as possible. While I was teaching, one of the first lessons I would do in my Spanish I/Intro to Spanish classes was to teach the kids about cognates. While there are a lot of false cognates that can confuse a second language learner, seeing words that are familiar can be comforting to those who are uneasy with languages. It also demonstrates the similarity of words between languages.
I know that, personally, recognizing words in Esperanto was pretty exciting. I'm actually on an Esperanto website right now :)
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Wednesday, June 6, 2007
I’m very frustrated with my lack of language learning right now. I don’t really have the time (or funds) to enroll in a course but am dying to learn more Arabic! The little bit I learned, I enjoyed so much- particularly practicing the strong pronunciation of certain sounds such as "kh" or "gh." I find the language to be so interesting. I especially enjoy finding the commanalities between Spanish and Arabic, of which there are many. In the classroom, I used to teach my students about the various cognates found in Spanish and a variety of other languages- not just English. These commonalities are what link so many languages around the world. The kids seem to enjoy that as much as I do.
Since I cannot immerse myself in it, I am not quite sure what approach to take so that I can resume my studies. I was thinking about contacting the Islamic Center in DC, which I heard offers classes. Perhaps that would work for me. I think that the combination of learning with a group of peers, combined with being around the culture and native speakers of Arabic would be beneficial. I thought about trying the Rosetta Stone program again, however, I think its too unstructured of a learning device for me. Perhaps it would work nicely coupled with the structured classes. I am going to have to look into this.
Since I cannot immerse myself in it, I am not quite sure what approach to take so that I can resume my studies. I was thinking about contacting the Islamic Center in DC, which I heard offers classes. Perhaps that would work for me. I think that the combination of learning with a group of peers, combined with being around the culture and native speakers of Arabic would be beneficial. I thought about trying the Rosetta Stone program again, however, I think its too unstructured of a learning device for me. Perhaps it would work nicely coupled with the structured classes. I am going to have to look into this.
If I remember correctly, one of the ideas that CALLA stresses is the use of learning strategies that can be applied to different content areas. For example, strategies that work in a Reading class would work just as well in a science or social studies class. The point is to implement methods that will allow you to learn in the most productive way possible. I have noticed that I use the same strategies in the aforementioned activities as I do in daily, routine activities around my home.
Let’s see if I can explain…
After getting my mail (i.e. BILLS) from the mailbox this afternoon, the first thing I did was skim through it and sort them by date. After that, I made notes about certain payments in my agenda book, on the refrigerator, and on post it notes on my desk. After a few days of looking at these numbers in three different locations, I was able to consolidate to one list, where I scratch items out as I complete/pay for them. You see? I’m very systematic J
I also use affective strategies while I’m running. Self-talk gets me through that long period when all I want to do is stop at the local Jamba Juice for a strawberry smoothie. I talk myself into continuing to “the next big intersection”, or “after the next hill” – something to keep me going! Setting these small goals motivates me to continue when I feel I can run no more…
…and if I REALLY impress myself, then off to Jamba Juice I go! J
Let’s see if I can explain…
After getting my mail (i.e. BILLS) from the mailbox this afternoon, the first thing I did was skim through it and sort them by date. After that, I made notes about certain payments in my agenda book, on the refrigerator, and on post it notes on my desk. After a few days of looking at these numbers in three different locations, I was able to consolidate to one list, where I scratch items out as I complete/pay for them. You see? I’m very systematic J
I also use affective strategies while I’m running. Self-talk gets me through that long period when all I want to do is stop at the local Jamba Juice for a strawberry smoothie. I talk myself into continuing to “the next big intersection”, or “after the next hill” – something to keep me going! Setting these small goals motivates me to continue when I feel I can run no more…
…and if I REALLY impress myself, then off to Jamba Juice I go! J
Sunday, June 3, 2007
Day Four
Ok, so tomorrow is my Care to Read training- the early childhood literacy module I mentioned last week. I have spent the past few days writing excerpts and notes on index cards. The first two days, I had so many notes that I think the actual trainers manual would have been easier to follow! By today, I have consolidated all of my notes and feel a bit more comfortable with the material. I highlighted key points and made a point to color code my note cards so that I don’t accidentally mix anything up!
The one thing I absolutely enjoy about the Care to Read module is that it allows me to be a facilitator, rather than a formal, teacher-centered approach. There is much more responsibility placed on the participants to take the initiative and be proactive in the learning process. This workshop will last two days. On the last days, the group is divided into 6 teams. Each team focuses on a specific area of the training and scaffolds a training as though they are presenting to parents and teachers. I have enjoyed this part of the training the most because it allows me to assess myself on how well I presented the topics covered and make inferences as to how the information will be divulged once the participants leave the training. Reflection is definitely one of my favorite learning strategies.
The one thing I absolutely enjoy about the Care to Read module is that it allows me to be a facilitator, rather than a formal, teacher-centered approach. There is much more responsibility placed on the participants to take the initiative and be proactive in the learning process. This workshop will last two days. On the last days, the group is divided into 6 teams. Each team focuses on a specific area of the training and scaffolds a training as though they are presenting to parents and teachers. I have enjoyed this part of the training the most because it allows me to assess myself on how well I presented the topics covered and make inferences as to how the information will be divulged once the participants leave the training. Reflection is definitely one of my favorite learning strategies.
Day Three
No matter how interesting a reading may be, I have great difficulty completing reading assignments- especially in textbooks. I guess that’s a commonality among all students. There’s something very tedious about being forced (for lack of a better term) to read something that makes it difficult for me to read it. I try to trick myself into realizing that it can be pleasurable reading but that has not worked yet!
I have found that seeing some of my planning skills, such as skimming through the material to get a rough idea about the readings before settling down to read it in detail, allows me to feel less intimidated by the notion of required reading. I also try orally summarizing what I read and, when possible, I look for the names of familiar references. Making connections with prior readings allows me to think critically about what I read.
I have found that seeing some of my planning skills, such as skimming through the material to get a rough idea about the readings before settling down to read it in detail, allows me to feel less intimidated by the notion of required reading. I also try orally summarizing what I read and, when possible, I look for the names of familiar references. Making connections with prior readings allows me to think critically about what I read.
Day Two
I emailed a good friend of mine in Morocco today. Sadly, we have not had the opportunity to talk in quite some time. I have been wanting to practice my Moroccan Arabic and have had very limited opportunities to do that.
I have been to a few Moroccan restaurants and made friends with wait staff. They are always impressed that I am so interested in learning Moroccan Arabic so they’ve been very encouraging. I can still use basic phrases and, fortunately, my being fluent in Spanish allows me to have decent pronunciation of Arabic words.
I’d like to learn Classical Arabic so that I could practice with a larger population. I have some books to practice with and tried using the Rosetta Stone program for a bit. None of these methods are as good as actually conversing with someone. I wish I could have stayed in Morocco a bit longer!
I have been to a few Moroccan restaurants and made friends with wait staff. They are always impressed that I am so interested in learning Moroccan Arabic so they’ve been very encouraging. I can still use basic phrases and, fortunately, my being fluent in Spanish allows me to have decent pronunciation of Arabic words.
I’d like to learn Classical Arabic so that I could practice with a larger population. I have some books to practice with and tried using the Rosetta Stone program for a bit. None of these methods are as good as actually conversing with someone. I wish I could have stayed in Morocco a bit longer!
Day One
Having started a new job that requires me to train a variety of individuals in the field of education, I am spending a large amount of time learning a significant amount of new information regarding early literacy. Because I have had to learn the material quickly (and hopefully efficiently!), I have made myself very conscious of the learning strategies I choose to use. For starters, I know I need to be actively engaged in whatever it is I am trying to learn. While I may read for background information, I cannot fully grasp a concept until I put it into practice. I am presenting an early childhood literacy training next week and am learning the module as we speak. I have spent a lot of time reading over it, taking notes, and practicing in my apartment. I’m really nervous about it but I know that once I get through it one time, I will feel more comfortable. Let’s hope it works that way! :)
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