Reserch that Benefits Children & Families:Uplifting Stories

"If they come to America they better learn to speak English!" 

      This is a statement I have heard far too many times. Yes, we all need to speak a language we can all understand but, let's do it in a way that works in a positive manner. If I could research anything right now, it would be all that second language learners go through as they navigate their "new world." 

      One article I reviewed discussed language anxiety which many ESL students experience in their daily school lives. The primary sources of language anxiety, are communication apprehension, fear of negative evaluation, and test anxiety (Zheng, 2008). As we are well aware of, any type of toxic stress, such as language anxiety, learning a completely new culture, and so-on is detrimental to brain development causing all types of issues not only during school but into adult life as well. These young children are going to grow up and be our society's future making it imperative we do right by them as well.

     Because I am not a researcher I would be negligent in suggesting a research project. I would have to learn much more before even entertaining such an idea. However, I do see the benefits of such a study resulting in a positive outcome for both the children and their family. These benefits would also reach out to the teacher, policy-makers, and the society as well. Understanding second language learning in not only the academic sense but the personal sense as well, will be a more inclusive and positive learning experience. The child will develop a strong self-concept as they learn, helping in both their school career as well as their future success. Teachers who better understand what goes on behind the learning of a second language both academically and  personally will develop a more inclusive learning environment which meets all the students' needs. To even better understand the various cultures' within the classroom will aid in class management as the views of those cultures in education and behavior is better understood.  

      The area of the learning of a second language while attempting to navigate our American classrooms has always been my passion as I watch these students struggle to try and "fit in". I am excited to learn all I can in the area of research and, maybe, one day change their struggles.

                                                   

Resource

Zheng, Y. (2008)  Anxiety and second/foreign language learning revisited. Canadian Journal for New Scholars in Education. 1(1)1-12.

My Personal Research Journey

My Personal Research Journey

My passion is for the English Language Learner and their families. I feel they do not receive the quality education they deserve and it is difficult for families with limited to no English language to be as involved as they wish. With this always in mind I chose these three topics to research...

1)     The first study will be centered on best practices for language assistance among preschool children. In what ways can teachers promote a positive learning environment?

2)     How does music in the developmental stages of speech and language learning help or hinder the process.

3)     The final subtopic will ask the question, does learning a second language hinder family communication in the home language?

All three of these ideas are a huge undertaking so I need to narrow my choice to only one. I think I will work at discovering if students who learn the second language of English encounter communication problems with family members who do not speak English. I have witnessed it within my own classroom and I feel through this research I will be better prepared for this issue in the future.