Entry 1: Course Introduction
Krystal Kennedy's Blog
Hello everyone!
Here is my first VBlog entry!
Hello everyone!
Here is my first VBlog entry!
Final Course Reflection
As I reflect on what I have learned this semester about Second Language Acquisition, I realize that there are many aspects that are involved in how successful a learner may be in learning their second language or an additional language. One aspect that was not quite as unexpected was the characteristic of motivation. However, I was particularly surprised to learn that the role of motivation was not as simple as I presumed. Ortega (2013, p. 189) acknowledges that “being motivated nurtures more successful L2 learning, but, conversely, experiencing L2 learning success also boosts motivation to even higher levels, in a reinforcing cycle.” Therefore, when a learner is motivated to learn their L2, they become more successful in their learning, and when they are successful in their learning, they feel more motivated to learn their L2. In addition to motivation, I learned that the learner’s age, their first language, the env...
Hi Krystal! I think it is interesting how you come from a family with such distinct cultural backgrounds. In Vietnamese, the adjective also goes after the noun, like in Spanish. Ortega states that monolingual children acquire “the bulk of language between 18 months and three to four years of age” (2013, p. 3). I was wondering if your parents spoke to you mostly in English when you were a toddler. That could be the reason why you picked up mostly English instead of Spanish and Tagalog. I respect the fact that you put effort into learning Spanish to communicate with your grandmother.
ReplyDeleteHi Angela! You brought up an interesting point that Ortega stated in the text. My parents did speak to me mostly in English as a toddler, so you are probably right and that must be the reason that I learned to speak English rather than Spanish or Tagalog. I joked in my video that my mother only spoke to me in Tagalog whenever I was in trouble, but in a more serious sense, since Tagalog was not the main language we used to communicate, this likely made me learn English quicker than the other languages.
DeleteHi there, Krystal!! I really enjoyed learning about your cultural background and the similarities you discovered between both Tagalog and Spanish. While, I understand your frustration with not being able to understand your family both in Tagalog and in Spanish, I commend your efforts to try and communicate with your paternal grandmother in her native language. Ortega mentions that "instructed learners learn additional languages through formal study in school or university, through private lessons and so on" (2013, p. 6) and I can say with some certainty that in your case this is true. Thanks to your video, I learned something new! I am a native Spanish speaker and I had no clue that the adjective came before the noun until you mentioned it and I reflected on your statement.
ReplyDeleteHi Jessica! I’m glad you enjoyed my video and learning about my cultural background. I enjoyed finding similarities between the two cultures that I grew up with because it made me feel that most cultures are more similar than different. You are right about me being considered an instructed learner because according to Ortega, learning Spanish in a formal setting in high school would fit that description. However, I wish that I was able to learn Spanish in school at a younger age so that I could have bonded with my grandmother more.
DeleteHi Krystal!
ReplyDeleteI feel as though you and me relate in a lot of ways when it comes to being around different languages, yet only being able to fluently speak English. You mentioned that you only know English while your mother knows Tagalog and your father knows Spanish. When it comes to my scenario both of my parents know Spanish and I unfortunately only know English as well. The communication barrier can sometimes be tested as I grew up. Ortega mentions that "a child learns from parents, care takers, and siblings, during critical years of development from the womb to about four years of age (2013, pg. 5)." In both of our scenarios I find it crazy that our parents chose for us to only know English. That there was an opportunity for them to teach us another language and for us to developmentally grasp it but they chose not to. Hearing your story has shown me that I am not the only one that experienced this growing up to present day.
Hi Alyssa! Since we spent most of our time with people who were bilingual, I am surprised that we were unable to pick up on another language. However, as you pointed out, our parents spoke to us mostly in English, so we did not really gain much experience with learning another language at home. Also, I think that another reason that I learned English rather than Tagalog or Spanish is because my parents only spoke to each other in English. As a child, I heard mostly English spoken at home and I would hear Tagalog or Spanish only when other relatives were present.
DeleteHi Krystal! I know how you feel growing up with a diverse background. I grew up more connected to my Mexican and Italian roots, but not so much to my Polish or Japanese roots. So sometimes I will look at information from that country to get a sense of where part of my family comes from. I also made connections between Spanish and Italian in my video. I mentioned though how some words have the same pronunciation but not the same meaning. I don't know if you have encountered that as well with Spanish and Tagalog. Ortega mentions how some people learn "additional languages from a mixture of both naturalistic and instructed experiences" (2013, pg. 6). Since you studied Spanish in High School I am sure if you were to continue watching shows with Latino characters or even your favorite shows in Spanish you would be able to pick up on more words. My sister forgot most of her Spanish when she started Pre-K but by watching shows in Spanish and taking Spanish classes she was able to recover it.
ReplyDeleteHi Alessandra! I think that I would also fit into the description of being someone who learned another language from a mixture of both natural and instructed experiences. As a child, I knew some words in Spanish because I grew up with friends who were bilingual, but I would also be considered an instructed learner as I took Spanish in high school. I think that if I continue watching some TV shows that are in Spanish, this could help me to learn more words in Spanish in a natural way.
DeleteHi Krystal! I think it is great that you would like to work with younger children; I truly commend you for that. As you said, this age group will give you the opportunity to use your creativity while teaching, for you have to keep them engaged in the lesson and keep their attention. My parents both come from the same cultural background and therefore have the same native language, but I could understand how not knowing either Tagalog or Spanish fluently could be frustrating for you especially since your cousins could speak either or. I think that because of having had that time with your grandmother and hearing her speak Spanish, you had the experiences of a naturalistic learner, but taking Spanish classes throughout high school to further learn the language also makes you an instructed learner, so therefore you'd be considered a mixture which is really neat (Ortega, 2013). Your video has put language learning in a different perspective for me, and your story is very interesting.
ReplyDeleteHi Alya! I think that you make an interesting point about how I could be considered a mixture of an instructed and a naturalistic learner of Spanish according to Ortega. I learned Spanish in a formal setting in high school, but as a child, I also knew a few words in Spanish because of friends that I grew up with who were bilingual. Additionally, having spent time with my paternal grandmother, I picked up on a few words in Spanish, which also contributes to me being considered a naturalistic learner.
DeleteKrystal,
ReplyDeleteI also learned how to speak Spanish so that I could speak to my grandma! My vlog talks about how my parents were born in the states so they were very Americanized and didn't prioritize teaching us Spanish. We lived in my grandma's house during a period of time where my family's income was low so I was able to practice my Spanish every day during dinner time. I began as a naturalistic learner then transitioned to an instructed learner during my middle school to high school years. I ended up taking courses up to IB Spanish 5. The class required a lot of writing which helped me a lot. One summer during high school, I remember my grandma being so proud and also shocked about how fluently I was speaking. I will never forget that moment, it made me realize that I should never stop practicing Spanish and more importantly, to teach my future kids the language also.