Personal Experience: Learning a Foreign Language:

Personal Experience:

Learning a Foreign Language:

    While I am a native English speaker I can definitely relate to the struggles of achieving actual competency of a foreign language.  This year will be my eighth year studying the Spanish language.  Although I feel I can effectively communicate in the Spanish language by no means do I feel I have achieved actual language competency.  With regards to communicative competency I would like to critique Canale and Swain’s model of the four components of Communicative Competency. 

    I agree that the four components of communicative competency, grammatical competency, discourse competency, sociolinguistic competency and strategic competency, are extremely important areas to master in order to achieve communicative competency.  My major critique of acquiring competency is the failure to acknowledge the importance of being physically immersed in a foreign culture in order to learn the language.  Especially with regards to adult foreign language learners, I feel it is next to impossible to fully achieve language competency without experiencing a foreign culture first hand. 

     Throughout my eight years studying Spanish I have acquired a substantial knowledge of Spanish grammar.  I understand all of the correct sentence structures, verb conjugations, language rules and vocabulary.  In addition, I have extensive practice in Spanish composition writing, role playing scenarios, oral presentations and cultural knowledge. But, if I had to spontaneously have a conversation with a native spanish speaker I feel as though my communicative competency would be sub par.  

    I think the main reason why it is necessary to be immersed in the culture when learning a foreign language is because the intense amount of practice one receives speaking the language.  In this sense, I think language use is perhaps more important than language knowledge because it is possible for one to pick up on linguistic rules by simply listening to and speaking the language.  Although I think language use is possibly more important in achieving actual language competency I do not think foreign language can be learned as quickly without having a basic knowledge of linguistics, especially vocabulary.

    I first started to learn spanish by learning simple vocabulary such as the names of the days of the week, weather conditions and emotions, (happy, sad, angry, etc.).  Next, I learned how to ask simple questions and give the answers such as, "what is your name?" and "my name is ..."  Then, I started to learn verb conjugations. Soon after, I learned how to form a sentence.  Had I never learned these basic grammatical rules I do not think I would be able to progress to further my competence of the language.

Teaching a Foreign Language:

    For two years I have been involved with Latino Family Services as an ESL tutor to both spanish speaking children and adults.  As I discussed in the previous "Assessment" section, ESL students come to the table with many different needs which is why I first like to perform a needs assessment with each of my students.  Throughout my experience I would have to say that the main goal for learning English for about 75% of adults is for employment and job related experience.  Most importantly, they want to know how to fill out job applications and be able to communicate with other English speakers at their place of employment.  Adults also want to learn English because they want to know how to help their children in school.  In addition to homework, many times important notes are sent home in English and parents do not know what they say!  To accommodate the employment needs of the adults I usually bring in blank job applications and help them to fill them out.  Also, I find out what type of job they do or would like to do and teach them common vocabulary terms related to that specific job.

    Children ESL students have much different needs than that of the adult ESL students.  Many of the children I tutor are at risk students because they are taking all English classes without having a basic knowledge of the language.  I find it helpful to first teach phonics and vocabulary simultaneously due to time constraints.  I also try to teach grammar and sentence structure after a basic knowledge of phonics and vocabulary is established.  They find it helpful for me to teach them how to say basic sentences and ask basic questions in English as well such as, "Can I go to the bathroom? I don't understand, and I need help please."  

    Overall, I think the home is the most important place where English needs to be learned. Reciprocal learning is able to take place when children and parents engage in language learning in the home because children can learn from their parents as well as teach them new information and vice versa.

Additional Info: 

For more information regarding study abroad opportunities or becoming an ESL tutor please visit the following links:

www.umich.edu/~mserve/di/partners/latinofamily

www.umich.edu/~icenter/overseas/study/studyabroad1

http://sitemaker.umich.edu/356.chetcuti/personal_foreign_language_experience

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