VBLOG #2

After my interview with Lizbeth Garcia, I now have a deeper understanding on how second language strategies are applied in the classroom. Liz mentioned to me prior to the interview that she was in a transitional bilingual program. This is where instruction is taught in both Spanish and English, with Spanish as their primary language, while they integrate English. During my personal reflection on her experience I recognized a couple strategies I learned in this course such as: scaffolding, interaction, and structured language support.

Liz mentioned the use of Spanish-English dictionaries, sentence stems, and visual supports hung around the classroom. These strategies connect to the idea that students need support to unlock a new language rather than immersion alone. According to our textbooks language learners benefit from guided instruction and structured input (Brown and Larson-Hall,2012). From our talk I could tell how her teachers intentionally provided tools to make English more understandable for the students to be successful.

She described participating in partner talks, popcorn reading, and group work. This reminded me that interaction in language learning is crucial to full development. According to Gass and Mackey (2012) meaningful interaction helps learners develop language. It provides them with the opportunity to practice, gain feedback, and notice a gap in understanding. Liz mentioned that these strategies really helped improve fluency and confidence for her over time.

I learned that instructional strategies are not the only thing helping the students, but that the classroom environment matters too. Although Liz said her teachers' strategies were effective, since she is studying to be an ESL teachers she's learned that language can improve more effectively though an inclusive and caring environment. This stood out to me because it connects to the idea that some students might feel anxious or not motivated. If the students do not feel safe, secure, and cared for they may be less willing to take risks when learning English.