Making Connections and Learning the Language - Unit 1 Reflections
The first unit in this course zooms in and out of focus on who we are as participants in this journey of learning. I am a woman, wife, mother, daughter, friend, co-worker, and more. And now I am an ESL teacher-in-training. While I think I like learning, sometimes I wonder if I just prefer knowing and would like to avoid the struggle of learning. This week, while I have struggled, I have somehow learned more deeply than anticipated. And while I like knowing, I am quite excited to have learned.
Through planning our PLN (Personal/Professional Learning Network), I have surprised myself by what I have learned. While I have always understood that in our family there are those whose first language is not English, I have not understood this in a way that integrates what I know about language learning and how that impacts communication and culture right at home. In one of our assignments we were asked to address what it means to us to be speakers of the English language. I mentioned in that assignment that my "heart" language is English. It is my main means of communication of ... well, everything. Language is a significant driver in any situation, regardless of where you are from, and it impacts your cultural identity more than we give it due credit.
If "Culture is a way of life." (Brown & Lee, 2015, p.156) and "...is the context within which we exist, think, feel and relate to others...", (Brown & Lee, 2015, p.156) then language has a considerable presence in how we express that. Even if people do not have the ability to write, most have language to communicate, regardless of whether it is a recognised world language, a dialect, or even sign language. Language is a defining factor of who we are and therefore, it is also a defining factor of culture. That means that it is more than just words. It is a part of everything that defines us as individuals and something in us should change when we realize that. I am not sure how this newfound realization will change me, but I am working on assimilating this concept so that I am more aware of what this means when I interact with others. For now, I recognize that language is much more than just an objective tool for communication.
The second topic I want to touch on in this post is the idea of "Discourse" (capital "D"). In our text, the authors quote sociolinguist James Gee to identify Discourse as " "...ways of combining and integrating language, actions, interactions, ways of thinking, believing, valuing, and using various symbols, tools, and objects to enact a particular sort of socially recognizable identity" (2011, p. 29)." (Brown & Lee, 2015, p. 158). I had to read that a few times to be able to put it together and while I understand the concept (I think), I did not realize there was vocabulary to describe this. In truth, I am not sure that I appreciate his use of this word, as it does not seem to be a good fit with the way that most people understand the word "discourse" (small "d"). I looked it up. That said, this concept becomes very important if I believe that language and culture are inextricably linked to each other. The reason that this is important, is because language and culture are huge contributors to what I understand to be acceptable behaviours, and "Discourse" is a combination of those parts of who I am that lead me to a place where I build my identity. How I see myself, in concert with those who are in roles of authority, equity, or even in roles of submission to me, all contribute to the manner in which my identity affects others. When I understand this, my responsibility to those around me changes. Particularly in light of the concept of working with those whose "Discourse" is a result of negative experiences, indoctrination, broken education patterns, trauma, or on the positive side, they are hoping to make a new, better life for themselves or their families.
I have not figured it all out yet, nor where my responsibility lies now that I "get" this (that might be too strong a statement), but it certainly requires further consideration. And I think it changed me. That is what learning is all about. And, at the end of week one, it is better than just knowing.
Work Cited
Brown, D. & Lee, H. (2015) Teaching by Principles: An Interactive Approach to Language Pedagogy. Upper Saddle River: Pearson
Through planning our PLN (Personal/Professional Learning Network), I have surprised myself by what I have learned. While I have always understood that in our family there are those whose first language is not English, I have not understood this in a way that integrates what I know about language learning and how that impacts communication and culture right at home. In one of our assignments we were asked to address what it means to us to be speakers of the English language. I mentioned in that assignment that my "heart" language is English. It is my main means of communication of ... well, everything. Language is a significant driver in any situation, regardless of where you are from, and it impacts your cultural identity more than we give it due credit.
If "Culture is a way of life." (Brown & Lee, 2015, p.156) and "...is the context within which we exist, think, feel and relate to others...", (Brown & Lee, 2015, p.156) then language has a considerable presence in how we express that. Even if people do not have the ability to write, most have language to communicate, regardless of whether it is a recognised world language, a dialect, or even sign language. Language is a defining factor of who we are and therefore, it is also a defining factor of culture. That means that it is more than just words. It is a part of everything that defines us as individuals and something in us should change when we realize that. I am not sure how this newfound realization will change me, but I am working on assimilating this concept so that I am more aware of what this means when I interact with others. For now, I recognize that language is much more than just an objective tool for communication.
The second topic I want to touch on in this post is the idea of "Discourse" (capital "D"). In our text, the authors quote sociolinguist James Gee to identify Discourse as " "...ways of combining and integrating language, actions, interactions, ways of thinking, believing, valuing, and using various symbols, tools, and objects to enact a particular sort of socially recognizable identity" (2011, p. 29)." (Brown & Lee, 2015, p. 158). I had to read that a few times to be able to put it together and while I understand the concept (I think), I did not realize there was vocabulary to describe this. In truth, I am not sure that I appreciate his use of this word, as it does not seem to be a good fit with the way that most people understand the word "discourse" (small "d"). I looked it up. That said, this concept becomes very important if I believe that language and culture are inextricably linked to each other. The reason that this is important, is because language and culture are huge contributors to what I understand to be acceptable behaviours, and "Discourse" is a combination of those parts of who I am that lead me to a place where I build my identity. How I see myself, in concert with those who are in roles of authority, equity, or even in roles of submission to me, all contribute to the manner in which my identity affects others. When I understand this, my responsibility to those around me changes. Particularly in light of the concept of working with those whose "Discourse" is a result of negative experiences, indoctrination, broken education patterns, trauma, or on the positive side, they are hoping to make a new, better life for themselves or their families.
I have not figured it all out yet, nor where my responsibility lies now that I "get" this (that might be too strong a statement), but it certainly requires further consideration. And I think it changed me. That is what learning is all about. And, at the end of week one, it is better than just knowing.
Work Cited
Brown, D. & Lee, H. (2015) Teaching by Principles: An Interactive Approach to Language Pedagogy. Upper Saddle River: Pearson
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