Caroline Lopez's Blog
Hello, welcome to my first entry! I am a senior at the University of Houston who is getting a degree as an EC-6 Generalist. I am currently student teaching in a third grade class where one period is an ELL group so, I am looking forward to applying what I have learned in the classroom.
Video:https://drive.google.com/open?id=1aVGtsJ9E5zteMJkwSlwpQyhzLFPSLpnT
Growing up, English has always been my first language. My parents spoke and taught me how to speak in English. However, when I would go to visit my grandparents that would be where I had learned Spanish. Spanish is my families first language, it is what my grandparents language and my parents first language. However for me, it may have been my heritage language, but not my primary. As I have grown, I have lost most of my Spanish speaking skills. The main times I speak Spanish is when I a with my ELL students or in certain situations. I think it is interesting how Ortega (2013) points out that, "an individual may use their heritage language under certain conditions and understand it, but his/her primary language is a different one" (p.23). I find this interesting how ones heritage language can be brought to the surface when an individual is in a certain condition.
I have only once been in a situation where I did not speak or have knowledge of the language. Tat time was when my family and I went to Canada and in the area we were in, they spoke French. It was interesting because my family and I had to adapt to the surroundings and figure out bits of what was being spoken along with having to converse back. With second language acquisition, Ortega (2013) talks about how it "generally refers to the learning of a nonnative language in the environment in which that language is spoken" (p. 7). This was what happened to my family and I. Which in this scenario, it had me to think that how must it be like for individuals coming from another county. As a soon to be teacher, I want to make sure that the students feel comfortable in the classroom and are able to pick up on certain words or phrases when they are an ELL put in an environment that is nonnative.
Ortega, L. (2013). Understanding second language acquisition. Routledge.
