Embedded Files
Introduction
Throughout the LTS program, I’ve deepened my understanding of the dynamic nature of language. I’ve widened my perspective on the variety and complexity of the components of language and language learning. From the foundational theories of second language acquisition, to the principles of language learning and teaching (Brown & Lee, 2015) and the incorporation of literature, culture, and pragmatics in classroom teaching—I’ve found that my work throughout the program has highlighted and emphasized the importance of this core element of the profession. The following four artifacts will showcase my competency and understanding of different areas within the core idea of language as a dynamic system; they highlight that both teachers and learners should be made aware of the complex nature of language so they may best tackle the journey of language learning.
Comparative Context Analysis Paper.pdfLT 534 - Language Learning in Context
Comparative Context Analysis Paper
The first artifact, a comparative context analysis paper (CCA) from LT 534, compares the two contexts of university-level foreign language classes and adult immigrant English programs to showcase the varying affordances, constraints, and typical learner motivations within each context of learning. When I began the program, these were two contexts I found interesting as a teacher. These varying conditions within each context are a key component of the dynamic nature of language learning. For example, motivation can have a large effect on the success of language learning; however, this motivation can differ across learning contexts—it can be integrative (personal reasons) or instrumental (practical benefits) (Hernández, 2010). In a university-level foreign language context, you might have learners who are interested in learning about the language and culture tied to that language (integrative); yet, other learners might be taking the course for a degree requirement to graduate (instrumental). In an adult immigrant English program, learners are often studying English to integrate into society, which could be both an integrative and instrumental motivation; they might be in the new country for social or economic purposes, while others might be avoiding and fleeing persecution and war (Burns & Roberts, 2010). Understanding the motivations of your learners is essential to providing them with a course of study that meets their needs. Language learning is dynamic and complex in that it must change to adapt to the motivations and needs of your learners; as a language teacher, I will consider how both the course context and the learners themselves influence the types of motivation present. I will adapt my teaching to meet the needs of the dynamic context.
LT 407 - Teaching and Learning Pragmatics
Activity Creation #1: Greetings in French
The second artifact, an activity creation about greetings for novice-mid learners of French from LT 407, exhibits the dynamic nature of language at the sociolinguistic level when social factors influence language use. Language is not an isolated subject; it is constantly interwoven with societal norms and influenced by social factors such as the relative power and social distance of the interlocutors and the level of imposition of the speech act (Brown & Levinson, 1987, as cited by Ishihara & Cohen, 2014). For example, the greeting you might use with a friend will not be appropriate when addressing a professor, and vice versa. Although in French, politeness is coded within the use of specific pronouns tu and vous (Ajayi & Balogun, 2014), other languages such as Japanese code politeness with the use of completely different verb forms, additional prefixes or suffixes, and the use of impersonal constructions (Tokunaga, 1992). In this activity, learners of French analyze example greetings with specific contextualized relationships and determine which greetings are used in +/-/= power and/or social distance situations. Afterwards, learners are asked to decide on appropriate greetings for given contexts and to share with a partner. In this activity, learners not only analyze greetings and how social factors such as power and social distance influence the choice of specific greetings, but also gain practice extending this into choosing their own greetings for different situations in French. As a language teacher, I believe it is important to make students explicitly aware of the concept of pragmatics and how it dynamically influences their language use based on their interlocutors and social context.
French Greetings Activity Creation.pdf
LING 444 - Second Language Acquisition
Language Anxiety and WTC Final Presentation
In LING 444, Second Language Acquisition, I worked with Madi Collins on a final project about language anxiety and willingness to communicate. This third artifact shows how learners themselves are dynamic users of language. Specifically, learners can feel specific anxiety towards learning and using their second language that can impact their willingness to communicate and interact with and in the second language (Horwitz et al., 1986; MacIntyre et al., 1998). This anxiety is dynamic in nature as well, as different learning contexts impact the levels of anxiety felt by language learners (Thompson, 2019). Through this project, we found that there are many ways to reduce anxiety and increase willingness to communicate. Interaction being one of the foundational principles of second language learning (Brown & Lee, 2015), research shows that the use of interactive activities in small groups can help reduce anxiety and increase willingness to communicate (Allahyar & Nazari, 2012; Sari, 2016). Short-term study abroad programs have also been found to reduce second language anxiety (Lee, 2018). Essential to understanding the dynamic nature of language is addressing the reality of language anxiety; as a language teacher, I want to provide students with an array of options for combatting and reducing language anxiety so they may continue to learn and interact in their target language.
LT 528 - Teaching English Culture & Literature
Literary Analysis Paper
Lastly, my literary analysis from LT 528 displays how literature acts as a medium in which the variability and dynamic nature of language flourishes. Literature engages learners with sometimes unfamiliar language patterns while providing opportunities for them to discuss familiar topics and their own feelings and opinions (Lazar, 1993); learners can connect the literature and language to their own identity, and personalize it. For example, the song Phantom Regret by Jim, by The Weeknd, portrays feelings of regret holding someone back from moving on to the next stage of their existence. Students would be able to discuss their experiences with regret, while also comparing how different cultures, belief systems, and individuals handle this emotion. This, in turn, provides an opportunity for learners to develop their cultural awareness (DeCapua, 2018) through literature—learners can develop their understanding of how values, behaviors, and practices are tied to cultural norms, and then how those cultural norms show up in the language itself. Afterwards, they can focus on the wealth of figurative language available for learners to engage with. Although at times figurative language such as metaphors and euphemisms might be difficult for learners to analyze and interpret correctly, they provide opportunities to develop their critical thinking skills. They allow learners to unravel the multiple layers of meaning within literature (Lazar, 1993) and language used in their own interactions throughout the world. Not all learners will be engaged through literature, but this artifact showcases the potential of using it in the classroom. As a language teacher, I want to provide learners with opportunities to engage with the language at more than just a linguistic level and to have them develop their awareness and understanding of the cultures that influence and guide their target language use.
Literary Analysis Paper.pdfConclusion
Language is ever-changing—students must be made aware of this in order to succeed in their learning and use of the language. Whether it be the context they find themselves in, the societal factors that influence their language use, the language anxiety they feel, or the literature they engage with during their acquisition of their second language, learners have much to familiarize themselves with during their language journeys. The theoretical perspectives underlying our understanding of second language acquisition, the culture that is tied to it and influences everyday choices made by those who use it, the attitudes, identities, and emotions of users and learners, and the multiple layers of meaning that reflect the breadth of possibility are what make language the dynamic system it is.
References
References
Ajayi, T. M. & Balogun, K. O. (2014). Politeness in the Yoruba and French languages. International Journal of Language Studies, 8(4), 77–94.
Allahyar, N., & Nazari, A. (2012). Increasing willingness to communicate among English as a foreign language (EFL) students: effective teaching strategies. Investigations in University Teaching and Learning, 8, 18–29. https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3657172
Brown, H. D. & Lee H.. (2015). Teaching by principles (Fourth Edition). Pearson.
Burns, A., & Roberts, C. (2010). Migration and adult language learning: global flows and local transpositions. TESOL Quarterly, 44(3), 409–419. https://www.jstor.org/stable/27896739
DeCapua, A. (2018). Culture Myths: Applying second language research to classroom teaching. (1st ed.). The University of Michigan Press.
Hernández, T. (2010). Promoting speaking proficiency through motivation and interaction: the study abroad and classroom learning contexts. Foreign Language Annals, 43(4), 650–670. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1944-9720.2010.01107.x
Horwitz, E. K., Horwitz, M. B., & Cope, J. (1986). Foreign language classroom anxiety. The Modern Language Journal, 70(2), 125–132. https://doi.org/10.2307/327317
Ishihara, N., & Cohen, A. D. (2014). Teaching and learning pragmatics: Where language and culture meet. Routledge.
Lazar, G. (1993). Literature and language teaching: A guide for teachers and trainers. (First Edition). Cambridge University Press.
Lee, J. (2018). The effects of short-term study abroad on L2 anxiety, international posture, and L2 willingness to communicate. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, 39(8), 703–714.
MacIntyre, P. D., Clément, R., Dörnyei, Z., & Noels, K. A. (1998). Conceptualizing willingness to communicate in a L2: a situational model of L2 confidence and affiliation. The Modern Language Journal, 82(4), 545–562. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1540-4781.1998.tb05543.x
Sari, F. A. (2016). Enhancing EFL students’ willingness to communicate: teachers’ beliefs about their roles and strategies. Kajian Linguistik dan sastra, 1(1), 1–16. https://journals.ums.ac.id/index.php/KLS/article/view/2473
Tokunaga, M. (1992). Dichotomy in the structures of honorifics of Japanese. Pragmatics. Quarterly Publication of the International Pragmatics Association (IPrA), 2(2), 127–140.
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