Chapter 3 Learning to Write Academic Prose in a Second Language: A Literacy Autobiography

I enjoyed Connor's advice for ESL writers. I have always struggled with number 4: learn to share your writing with others. It is something that I have always struggled with due to lack of confidence in my work. Doesn't matter if it is a teacher, friend, family member, etc. When I put all of this time and effort in writing what ever it is that needs extra attention, my biggest fear is does it sound right, do I sound like I know what I'm talking about, is there too much/not enough information, relevance, etc. I feel this is something that many students, both L1 and L2, deal with all of the time and it starts at a young age no matter what language you first learned. The fear of messing up and possibly the harsh reactions of past educators that have haunted you to this present day. This aspect is something I hope to foster in my classrooms as a TESOL. Students can hold back their true potential due to this lack of confidence/fear etc and we should help one another for the better- not just pointing out the worst. No matter what age you are or what level of proficiency you're currently at. We're all learners- yesterday, today, and tomorrow.

Chapter 2 From the Periphery to the Center: One Teacher's Journey

I thought it was sad to read about how finding English teaching positions for ESOL students was quite difficult for NNEST. As mentioned on page 22 about how NNEST can contribute their rich multicultural, multilingual experiences to ELT are often barred from ESL classrooms. And then working with mainstream teachers, specialists, and heads of ENG depts with no awareness of ESL politics, are generous and tolerant of our differences and judge NNS's on their merits during the award of financial aid, hiring, and promotion. But the overall goal for any N/NEST is their recognition of their teaching ability and respect for their scholarship, taking active roles and assuming leadership in teacher organizations, initiating research, sharing their ideas through publications, and learning to network with NNS colleagues. I feel bad for these periphery countries who are losing English teachers due to poor salaries, working conditions, etc. It reminds me of some instances here in the US with the N.C.L.B.Act and how students, schools, staff, administrators, etc are suffering due to funding issues (which of course is caused by underlying preexisting issues- low test scores, inadequate materials, etc). Overall it seems no matter who you are, NEST/NNEST there are going to be prejudices against you. But it is up to you to show what you're capable of towards positive ESOL learning and achievement.

A Sociolinguistically Based, Empirically Researched Pronunciation Syllabus for English as an International Language

When speaking with ESOL, the #1 issue I have while listening to what they are saying is their pronunciation of the words. I feel it is very important to keep your own dialect, accent/etc but the clarity of sounds one speaks constitutes comprehensive communication from one to another. I understand from friends of mine who are ESOL say they feel discouraged when others cannot understand them due to their accent. It is not the words and how they use them- it all makes sense. But when words cannot be understood due to the improper pronunciation, it creates negative barriers where people listening will just nod to agree just to hope whatever they hear next will be understood, people may not want to speak to ESOL due to their difficulty to understand what is spoken, and I have even heard people say, just text me instead. I hope that "Americanisation" becomes dimminshed so that ESOL can be more comfortable in their own learning journies and not conform to the disintegration of their own language and accent. This reminds me of the ESL program I worked in Ajo (that I speak so much about) that also focuses on the international phonological intelligibility through the practice of listening to standard spoken English text. It was hoped that the program would help students speak more understandably with the pronunciation dialect, enunciation, pronunciation, etc skills taught within the curriculum. This is why it was very important for students to interact with others after reading the story by retellings, communicating, etc so the practice of social and informational exchange could occur with as few errors as possible. The students could guide eachother towards a more successful manor during the whole process.

Native or Non-native: Who's Worth More?

I liked reading that "foreign language teachers are international-minded people" because not only is it true but anymore, this concept needs to be "pushed" towards traditional (K-12 regular classroom) educators to help them better connect with multiculturalism. Efficient communicators, as Edge points out, is the more nationalistic view that should be used more often regardless as to where you grew up, how long, what was spoken at home, etc. As myself, a "native" speaker, I am always, daily, learning how to speak more correctly as I learn other ways to efficiently communicate. I feel that all learners of English are copying other speakers all of the time. I'm not sure if that's a "native/nn" thing but its understandable why its included. I feel its what examples you use that you want to personally incorporate what will help guide your proficiency, etc. The NEST vs. NNEST in schools should focus on can/do you know how to teach students that are ESOL whether or not you are a N/NNS. It's your competence and teaching skills that will be valued. How hard you have worked to get where you are today. I do agree that ESOL students would connect more with NNEST for obvious reasons that a monolingual NEST. But if the education is acknowledged during the training of the NEST on understanding and connecting with language barriers, difficulties, etc while learning, then this subject would be such an issue.

Proud to be a Nonnative English Speaker

While reading this article, I cannot personally identify what it is like to be a NNS but I do feel it is important to embrace who you are and all of the challenges that have placed you where you are today. I hope in the future as I study other languages that someone would "accidentally" consider me a "native" speaker. But for now my main priority are for others to look towards my prospective students as becoming more fluent and comprehensive English language speakers and in hopes that they are "mistaken" as being "native" speakers of English.

TEIL McKay CH1-4

Ch1: English as an International Language

While reading the statistics of countries that give special status to English opened my eyes to the reality of how many people per country use English for those purposes. It made me feel a little better choosing this as my next career path in hopes of having a job :) The fact of economic means, at least in my life & others expanding their educational background, are affected tremendously if you cannot live up to economic expectations that higher educational facilities demand. I have been fortunate enough to live a life of privilege when it comes to receiving higher education (and travel). Those students (and countries) that cannot receive higher education due to economic issues pose restriction in many areas of their personal and professional lives. Though the realities of competition is quite relevant- as they mentioned how the international languages of the Internet are slowly translating to their first language since more than 80% of the text found online is English based. This can give individuals who want to learn English (or any other language) more opportunities to do so by cheaper means. But unfortunately for all of us, those days will not be seen for many years still down the road.

As an elementary/early childhood teacher, I have been quite aware of the negative view of western-culture due to colonialism- especially in history books. As they mentioned that English teaching itself promoting negative view of non-westerners was hard to read but sadly is true as they disseminate books and ideas that portray these such images of stereotyping etc. I hope by that as more and more of TESOL educators graduate and conduct in the field of teaching English and culture that it will begin to change for the more positive.

Ch2: Bilingual Users of English

I have been reading many articles now about the negative usage of "native speaker" and how it is looked at as a metaphor than a relative term of language speakers and I agree that "multi-competence" and "English-knowing bilinguals" are better terms explaining persons seeking proficiency of another language (2nd, 3rd, etc). Also the multiple confusing definitions of "mother-tongue"- I always thought this term was irrelevant because what if you were adopted from another country while an infant? This wouldn't apply to you then; would you be considered an "adopted-tongue"? Regardless, it is comforting to read that "...we can change identities...we can join new groups" in the sense of acquiring new languages and obtaining levels of fluency and competency. I hope that teachers always remember that when teaching language that it is not reflected with the words of succeed and fail- "failure to achieve native-speaker competence" because I've not only experienced that with myself, but I have seen it in classrooms in elementary schools and with some of the students here in this program who feel that they are not confident to even speak at all in a classroom because of the feeling of incompetence or whatever mental attitude they have that holds them back. I hope that we as teachers can foster these perceptions in a positive light for all ages that are acquiring a new language. It was interesting to read about the levels of "circles", especially Outer Circle countries and the acknowledgment of code-choices- "an index of the rights and obligations that exist among participants in a given interaction". This I found helpful when reading later in the chapters about "standard" English and its relevance to specific "circle" countries.

Ch3: Standards for English as an International Language

I was glad to read the acknowledgment of "accent association" with "standard" in a positive sense because I feel that many students are holding themselves back in their language learning due to the difficulties of acquiring a "standard-sounding" English accent. Accent allows all of us to have our individuality but the most important feature, no matter what, is the clarity of the language being spoken. I personally feel bad having to ask my friends that are L2 speakers of English to repeat themselves because of their accent, but I know that this is something that I need to train myself to learn so I may better understand what they are saying. I know even living and growing up in USA that I have visited other areas in the SAME country and having people tell me that I have a funny accent/ asking me to repeat myself due to this. I believe this is what Kachru referred to as cline of bilingualism to describe the range of varieties of English used by individuals within one country. Having noted this, I cannot fathom what, let alone where, at least in USA, linguists would consider having the most "standard" accent/dialect to teach "standard" English due to the wide variety of immigrants from all over the world who have settled here creating many generations of inter-mixing cultural families across this country.

Ch4: Culture in Teaching English as an International Language

While teaching my Pennsylvanian/ Pittsburgh and even North Eastern cultures to my students in the South West was an aesthetic adventure in a half when trying to teach cross culturally both with literature and figuratively. For example- teaching "Groundhog Day" was completely new for them having no real reason to learn it since their seasons are not in any extreme comparison to the North East's. Prior to teaching them this tradition, there were extensive lesson plans about why we celebrate it, what it means, when it was started, who the groundhog is, relevance, etc. Being that I was teaching 1st graders, there were many books, pictures, story-boards, vocabulary, and television footage used in order to effectively teach this lesson. Needless to say it involved many aspects of aesthetics but also it involved the personal relationships they had about the lesson- change and awareness of the seasons and weather. Even though the chances of snowfall in their town was once every 20 years (which is the truth), there were other aspects of weather change they could attribute as we do in the North East. Never-the-less, it can be difficult to teach any form of culture if the student cannot devote any type of personal background to the information given or reflect on how their own culture contrasts with it.