Hi Alessandra! I completely understand the struggles that you encountered with knowing both languages, such as having two meanings for one word. One major problem I remember I faced in my math class as a child was the word block I didn't know what a block was, because we would use manipulatives that were blocks and then would speak about blocks in reference to distance. Situations like the your strawberry story or blocks are reasons why descriptions are crucial in a class room setting! Making sure that we explain descriptions by applying "sounds (phonetics and phonology), minimal grammatical signs (morphology), sentences (syntax), meanings (semantics), texts (discourse analysis) and language in use (sociolinguistics, pragmatics)" and visuals are key components to help a child understand ( Gass and Selinker, p.2).
Hi Cesia! You are right, descriptions are crucial in the classroom. I never really thought about that until you mentioned the double meaning of blocks in the classroom. It can be frustrating for a student to try to comprehend the teacher if they do not have the knowledge of the words multiple meanings. Gass and Selinker also mentioned how as native speakers we know the possible and not possible sounds in words because it is our language (2008, pg. 9). In the case of the meaning of the word, the students who are native speakers would know which meaning of blocks is being used. Someone who did not grow up with the language would not. So like you said it is important that we use descriptions to help them understand and to learn that the word has another meaning as well. It would be a small teaching moment for the student to learn.
Alessandra, I am glad you were able to receive some insight on this! I think that is the beauty of sharing comments with each other because we learn new things from one another. I believe that is the problem with learning English as a second language, often times we as learners have to discover things as we go through life, not everything is learned at school. Blocks in this case was something school related so one is able to pick up on it quickly, therefore, I must learn through informal settings because not everything is provided in schools (Ortega, 2013, p.6).
Hi Alessandra! Just like yourself and Cesia, I too understand the struggles that come from being bilingual. As a predominately Spanish speaker, I sometimes find it difficult to translate one word or phrase between English and Spanish and just like Ortega, I find it interesting “how bilingual speakers switch and alternate between their two (or more) languages” (2013, p. 4). I can also relate to your travel abroad to Italy and the similarities between both the Spanish. and the Italian language. When I was a senior in high school I took a trip to Spain and, although they also speak Spanish there, I had some language barriers. The Castilian Spanish is much more different than the Spanish that is spoken in the Northern states of Mexico.
Hi Jessica! It is harder sometimes to translate between English and Spanish. I have noticed that sometimes there is no exact word for what you want to translate. You sort of have to give a description to help explain. I also have noticed with jokes that sometimes translating them takes some of the humor out especially if certain words that are only used in that language are used. Yes, I was happy that Ortega mentioned that because it is true. I think in both languages so I feel like when I do switch it is because my mind thought of the word in that language first. Sometimes it is because I do not know that word in the other language and other times it is a word that can not be translated. The Castilian Spanish is different and other countries are also different. Like I mentioned with the word strawberry, in Colombia they use it to just mean the fruit whereas in Mexico we also use it for preppy.
Hi Alessandra! I thought it was interesting how you assumed that everyone knew Spanish and English. I was wondering if Spanish was your first language, or you learned both Spanish and English simultaneously. According to Ortega (2013, p. 4), “the process of learning two or more languages relatively simultaneously during early childhood is bilingualism.” In my family, my parents made a distinct line between Vietnamese and English since Vietnamese was my first language. My parents had only taught me the basic English they knew once I was about to start elementary school. I enjoyed hearing your stories, especially the strawberry one!
Hi Angela! I know, I look back on it and find it funny how I thought everyone knew both languages. I learned English and Spanish simultaneously. My first word was in English but I grew up learning both due to my parents. When I read what Ortega wrote and how it is referred to as bilingualism I was a little surprised. I was not sure if it was actually a thing or not to learn multiple languages at once. Someone also asked once a long time ago which one I had learned first and I told them I learned them simultaneously. When I said it out loud it sounded kind of weird to me. The person was even surprised when I said it. So when I read Ortega's comment on it it made me feel good that it is actually possible and not just something that seems like it is. I always wondered how it feels as a child to know one language then be taught another language. I know for children it is said to be easier to learn languages. I have a question for you, would you have wanted your parents to have taught you both Vietnamese and English simultaneously or how they did it? I ask because I wonder which one is easier or perhaps difficult for a child. I am happy you enjoyed my stories! I laugh whenever I think of them.
Hi Alessandra, I found your reply interesting since I also learned English and Spanish simultaneously. However, while you learned Spanish and English in a naturalistic way, at home taking to your parents, I learned Spanish in a naturalistic way and English in an instructed way, though formal schooling (Ortega, 2013, p. 6). It is crazy how while we are both bilingual we learned Spanish and English in a different way.
Hi Karen! I have never really met anyone else who learned both simultaneously. Usually they learn Spanish then English or vice versa. Did you also partly learn Spanish in an instructed way? I learned how to better read and write in Spanish when I was in school. So I learned both languages in a naturalistic and instructed way. Ortega mentioned how most people tend to learn from a mixture of both which includes me in the case of both languages (2013, p. 6).
Hi Alessandra! I completely understand the struggles that you encountered with knowing both languages, such as having two meanings for one word. One major problem I remember I faced in my math class as a child was the word block I didn't know what a block was, because we would use manipulatives that were blocks and then would speak about blocks in reference to distance. Situations like the your strawberry story or blocks are reasons why descriptions are crucial in a class room setting! Making sure that we explain descriptions by applying "sounds (phonetics and phonology), minimal grammatical signs (morphology), sentences (syntax), meanings (semantics), texts (discourse analysis) and language in use (sociolinguistics, pragmatics)" and visuals are key components to help a child understand ( Gass and Selinker, p.2).
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteHi Cesia! You are right, descriptions are crucial in the classroom. I never really thought about that until you mentioned the double meaning of blocks in the classroom. It can be frustrating for a student to try to comprehend the teacher if they do not have the knowledge of the words multiple meanings. Gass and Selinker also mentioned how as native speakers we know the possible and not possible sounds in words because it is our language (2008, pg. 9). In the case of the meaning of the word, the students who are native speakers would know which meaning of blocks is being used. Someone who did not grow up with the language would not. So like you said it is important that we use descriptions to help them understand and to learn that the word has another meaning as well. It would be a small teaching moment for the student to learn.
DeleteAlessandra, I am glad you were able to receive some insight on this! I think that is the beauty of sharing comments with each other because we learn new things from one another. I believe that is the problem with learning English as a second language, often times we as learners have to discover things as we go through life, not everything is learned at school. Blocks in this case was something school related so one is able to pick up on it quickly, therefore, I must learn through informal settings because not everything is provided in schools (Ortega, 2013, p.6).
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteHi Alessandra! Just like yourself and Cesia, I too understand the struggles that come from being bilingual. As a predominately Spanish speaker, I sometimes find it difficult to translate one word or phrase between English and Spanish and just like Ortega, I find it interesting “how bilingual speakers switch and alternate between their two (or more) languages” (2013, p. 4). I can also relate to your travel abroad to Italy and the similarities between both the Spanish.
ReplyDeleteand the Italian language. When I was a senior in high school I took a trip to Spain and, although they also speak Spanish there, I had some language barriers. The Castilian Spanish is much more different than the Spanish that is spoken in the Northern states of Mexico.
Hi Jessica! It is harder sometimes to translate between English and Spanish. I have noticed that sometimes there is no exact word for what you want to translate. You sort of have to give a description to help explain. I also have noticed with jokes that sometimes translating them takes some of the humor out especially if certain words that are only used in that language are used. Yes, I was happy that Ortega mentioned that because it is true. I think in both languages so I feel like when I do switch it is because my mind thought of the word in that language first. Sometimes it is because I do not know that word in the other language and other times it is a word that can not be translated. The Castilian Spanish is different and other countries are also different. Like I mentioned with the word strawberry, in Colombia they use it to just mean the fruit whereas in Mexico we also use it for preppy.
DeleteHi Alessandra! I thought it was interesting how you assumed that everyone knew Spanish and English. I was wondering if Spanish was your first language, or you learned both Spanish and English simultaneously. According to Ortega (2013, p. 4), “the process of learning two or more languages relatively simultaneously during early childhood is bilingualism.” In my family, my parents made a distinct line between Vietnamese and English since Vietnamese was my first language. My parents had only taught me the basic English they knew once I was about to start elementary school. I enjoyed hearing your stories, especially the strawberry one!
ReplyDeleteHi Angela! I know, I look back on it and find it funny how I thought everyone knew both languages. I learned English and Spanish simultaneously. My first word was in English but I grew up learning both due to my parents. When I read what Ortega wrote and how it is referred to as bilingualism I was a little surprised. I was not sure if it was actually a thing or not to learn multiple languages at once. Someone also asked once a long time ago which one I had learned first and I told them I learned them simultaneously. When I said it out loud it sounded kind of weird to me. The person was even surprised when I said it. So when I read Ortega's comment on it it made me feel good that it is actually possible and not just something that seems like it is. I always wondered how it feels as a child to know one language then be taught another language. I know for children it is said to be easier to learn languages. I have a question for you, would you have wanted your parents to have taught you both Vietnamese and English simultaneously or how they did it? I ask because I wonder which one is easier or perhaps difficult for a child. I am happy you enjoyed my stories! I laugh whenever I think of them.
DeleteHi Alessandra, I found your reply interesting since I also learned English and Spanish simultaneously. However, while you learned Spanish and English in a naturalistic way, at home taking to your parents, I learned Spanish in a naturalistic way and English in an instructed way, though formal schooling (Ortega, 2013, p. 6). It is crazy how while we are both bilingual we learned Spanish and English in a different way.
DeleteHi Karen! I have never really met anyone else who learned both simultaneously. Usually they learn Spanish then English or vice versa. Did you also partly learn Spanish in an instructed way? I learned how to better read and write in Spanish when I was in school. So I learned both languages in a naturalistic and instructed way. Ortega mentioned how most people tend to learn from a mixture of both which includes me in the case of both languages (2013, p. 6).
Delete