REFLECTION on the Fundamentals of TESL

A REFLECTION ON FUNDAMENTALS OF TEACHING ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE

The purpose for this report is to discuss and analyze what I have learned studying in the course, Fundamentals of Teaching English as a Second Language.  I will have to admit that self-learning was not an easy task and would have preferred attending lectures in a traditional classroom setting.  When I first started this course, I thought I was going to whiz through it with no problem (was I wrong!) I realized the online program I was learning from was the most challenging part for me even though I know more than basic computers skills.   I struggled and when I struggled, I put myself in a L2 learner’s shoes.  I was empathetic to my future ELLs throughout this course. As I was experiencing frustration it made me think that this is what someone would feel like when they are learning something new. 

In Steven Krashen’s interview, I found him to be very articulate in his words when explaining Second Language Acquisition.  He adds that acquisition gives us both fluency and accuracy.  He also states that everyone acquires language the same way. It was interesting to know that acquiring and learning are both different.  Krashen describes acquiring language a subconscious process and therefore we don’t always know we are acquiring it. Whereas, learning is knowing about the language (grammar) and we are conscious of it. Kashen also mentions the affective variables that can hinder learning.  That is why it is important to understand our students and where they are coming from.  It is important that we encourage our students and keep the pressure off them for them to be successful in learning a L2.  If there is too much pressure then an affective filter goes up and it blocks out language acquisition and unfortunately, learning becomes at a stand still.  Motivation is key to ensure successful learning. 
During my studies, I often wondered about L2 learners and where they are coming from and how they might be feeling. I imagined some coming from countries that are war like zones.  Some having to leave family behind, and some feeling lost and alone, culture shock.  It was good to see a video on PTSD and mental health because this is what we will and are dealing with in our classrooms today.  It gives a better look into the lives of the people we will encounter.  A good teacher will get to know their students and refer to other services if needed. 

Nevertheless, I was intrigued by the course as it covered a wide range of topics from, knowing who your students are, when to give feedback, to designing and learning to write a TESL lesson plan to meeting the learner’s needs, to assessing and evaluating students, and learning about new online tools and electronic devices for the classroom (which I still need to work on).  All the information provided was well organized and informative.  I have learned a lot in this one course alone.