VBlog 1 Maddison Hadaway
Hi All!
Through creating this VBlog, I have learned so much about myself and solidified some ideas I have already considered. While creating the VBlog, I realized how important languages are in order to bring people together, and the impact that teachers and your environment can have on learning a second language. Additionally, I expanded on how I have grown accustomed to being surrounded by a different language that is not my own.
In my VBlog, I said that it seems harder for adults to learn new languages compared to children, though this is not a constant. In the textbook Second Language Acquisition Myths (Brown & Larson-Hall, n.d.), it is said that "by being exposed to a second language in a naturalistic context, most adults ... become quite fluent ... after 18-24 months". In today's society, learning a new language as an adult is portrayed as an extremely difficult, nearly impossible task. I have personally struggled with learning a new language, so I have a better understanding regarding this perspective. However, it was refreshing to learn that this is not always the case
Something else I learned through the VBlog is the importance of students connecting with their culture through the help of their teachers and educators. I touched on it briefly in the vlog and in the textbook Translanguaging with Multilingual Students (García & Kleyn, n.d.) it says "Studies show students show greater engagement, comprehension, and proficiency when reading culturally relevant texts". Like I said in the vlog, students being encouraged to keep in touch with their culture and native tongue is vital for their own sense of community and self-identity.
Overall, my conclusion is that learning a language is not as black and white as society makes it out to be. There are layers to discover, whether it is how students learn best, overcoming feedback, or the desire to connect with something deeper than themselves. It is such a beautiful thing to connect with so many different people and cultures.
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| Lastly, my cat Yogurt who you all saw in my Vlog! Sources Brown, S., & Larson-Hall, J. (2019). Second Language Acquisition Myths: Applying Second Language Research to classroom teaching. University of Michigan Press. García, O., & Kleyn, T. (2016). Translanguaging with multilingual students: Learning from classroom moments. Routledge. |
I love how you discussed common myths in the language learning process. Brown and Larsen-Hall (2019) state that the claim that adults have much more difficulty with secondary language acquisition is a myth and I am glad that you brought this fact up in your post. Learning a new language is no easy feat but it is something that everyone can achieve with enough practice and exposure to the desired language. The idea that it is near impossible for adults to learn a new language is nothing but a silly misconception. It is incredibly important to encourage everyone, regardless of age, the learn secondary languages if that is a goal they want to achieve
ReplyDeleteHello, I also used to think that learning a second language was harder as you grew older and thought I benefitted from learning English in my infancy, but you and people like you bring a more nuanced perspective to the table where exposure and practice are more important. In this class I have learned that it was probably the immersion in the new language in a different country that helped me learn the language and not my age or my affinity to retaining more information because of age.
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