Reflection
This
interview with a friend of mine who happens to be a second language learner was
extremely eye opening for me. First of all, I went into the interview assuming
she falls under the category of bilingual acquisition or multilingual
acquisition, which refers to “the process of learning two or more languages
relatively simultaneously during early childhood” (Ortega, 2013, p. 4). As soon
as I asked my first question, the truth was revealed. The interviewee explained
that she learned Spanish as soon as she was able to speak. Thus, making it her
first language. Moreover, once she began Pre-school at the age of four, she
then acquired her second language, English. I found that this concept of
learning a second language at such a young age correlates to something Ortega
states in Chapter 1. According to Ortega (2013), “The individuals learning an additional
language are still young children when they start acquiring the L2, maybe as
young as three or four years old” (p. 4). She considers this age period to have
had a somewhat negative affect on her proficiency because she did not become as
fluent in English until at least the fifth grade. She mentions that most instruction
was given in Spanish, therefore she felt more confident and comfortable in her mother
tongue. This idea of feeling more confident in the mother tongue is not surprising.
Clearly both monolingual and bilingual children are affected by the amount of language
that they hear. In other words, “the more language a child hears, the quicker
she will develop language” (Rowland, 2014, p. 193).
Inasmuch, my interviewee mentions a few
times that she received more exposure to Spanish due to growing up in a
monolingual household. Everyone around her mostly spoke Spanish, therefore she
had no other choice but to embrace the language. Additionally, her main reason
for learning English was because that was the majority language spoken in
school. According to Ortega (2013), “Many others will be forced by life
circumstances to learn enough of the additional language to fend for themselves
in selected matters of daily survival” (p. 1). This idea directly leads into my
question of asking whether she was a naturalistic or an instructed learner. I
was surprised to find out that she is indeed both. Naturalistic learners learn
the L2 through informal opportunities and instructed learners learn through
formal study (Ortega, 2013, p. 6). From her responses I could infer that
because she learned Spanish in a more natural setting, it is her go-to language
in most scenarios, at least outside the school walls. Although, it must be
noted that she is still confident in speaking and reading her second language
even though she has some difficulties with her pronunciation of certain words.
Furthermore, I found it noteworthy to
discuss that she did not acquire her second language in a similar way to her
family and friends. I asked this question because the text mentions that “individuals
vary greatly both in how fast and how far they will go in learning their second
language” (Ortega, 2013, p. 9). I was curious to know if her learning
experiences were completely different from those near to her. As mentioned in
the video, her family members enrolled in English courses in order to
assimilate into the American culture, and to simply fend for themselves
especially in the workplace.
All in all, this interview with a second
language learner has improved my understanding of the knowledge we have
obtained thus far about learning an additional language. It turns out that there
are several universal factors that help shape the nature and pace towards
learning a second language (Ortega, 2013, p. 9). With respect to my
interviewee, some of those factors are age, environment, and even the native
language spoken mostly within the home.
The point of this type of exercise is for you to make connections between what you have read and what the real world shows us. I am glad to see that this was a good opportunity for you to do that. It is interesting to discover that those around us are great sources of knowledge but we usually do not take the time to listen to their learning experiences. You talk about assimilation in your entry and I wonder what your stance on it is. Do you think immigrants should assimilate into the American culture? What is the American culture? Can you define it? What is to be American?
ReplyDeleteI actually do not think immigrants must assimilate into the American or dominant culture in their new homeland. My parents, relatives, and many of our close family friends are immigrants, and while they have become accustomed to certain American traditions like celebrating Thanksgiving and watching football for example, they still remain true to their own cultural roots. You cannot expect all immigrants to change their entire lifestyle or attitudes simply because they are not in their mother country anymore. Furthermore, I actually do not believe there is a set definition of the "American culture." I think everyone has a different definition for that, but I think a big part of the American culture is that it has and is still being shaped and impacted by various cultures from around the world. As far as what it means to be American, I would say that to be American is to be who you truly are and not have to conform to what society wants you to be.
DeleteMaggie, your interview was quite interesting to me because your friend was introduced to English at the age of four, however did not consider herself proficient until 5th Grade. From other interviews I have watched, most have stated that their L1 language has become weaker than their L2 language, however this is not the case for your friend. I think that this is due to the fact that even though she was learning English, most of her communication in school and with family was still Spanish. Your friend states that she still has trouble with pronunciation at times and still prefers to speak in Spanish when possible. According to Ortega, people who have struggle with L2 pronunciation may present low L2-use profiles and spend much of their time using the L1 (2012, p. 26). Also Ortega stated, “By the mid-1980s, it was becoming apparent to SLA researchers that positive attitudes and plentiful input and interaction, while important, were not sufficient to guarantee successful grammatical acquisition (2012, p. 62).”
ReplyDeleteHi Emerald! Yes, it is true that her Spanish is still as strong as it was before she began learning English, and is still highly proficient in Spanish. I think it is a beautiful thing that she is proficient in two languages. She never has to feel out of place when surrounded by speakers of her native tongue, and she can fully participate and engage with speakers of her L2. In regards to what Ortega states about positive attitudes, input, and interaction not being sufficient enough to guarantee successful grammatical acquisition, I wonder what do you think would definitely guarantee successful grammatical acquisition? I, personally, think that learning the L2 in a more formal environment such as through schooling or a private lesson, would lend aid to second language learners with their grammar acquisition.
DeleteHey there Maggie! I could relate to the comment that she made about not practice as much and this affecting her grammar and punctuation, but although my lack of practice impacted my first language. The question about “how speaking two different languages impacted your perception of the world” really stood to me. The response was also interesting in that she had to find a balance to fit in both American and Mexican cultures. Thank you for the lovely interview, and sharing your friends experience with languages.
ReplyDeleteDalis, I am curious to know how has a lack of practice impacted your first language? What exactly is your first language? Moreover, I have known several people who have had to find a balance in both the dominant culture and the culture of their mother land. It is not as easy as it may sound. From personal experience, I had pressure from my parents to stay true to our Indian traditions and values. On the other hand, I had to deal with the pressures from my school and my peers who, for the most part, did not have another dominant culture in their homes. Did you find yourself having to find a balance to fit in both the American culture and the culture of your first language?
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