TESL 0130: Unit 4 Reflection

TESL 0130 Unit 4 Reflection: Applying What I’ve Learned

                                                                                 (Source: http://cdn2.business2community.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/strategy-600x351.jpg )

Over the past four weeks, I have had the opportunity to learn about various reading strategies that can be taught to ESL students, to help make them better readers.  According to Brown (2015), these strategies include:

1.)    Identifying the Purpose in Reading

2.)    Using Grapheme Rules and Patterns to Aid in Bottom-Up Decoding

3.)    Using Efficient Silent Reading

4.)    Skimming a Text for Main Ideas

5.)    Scanning a Text for Specific Information

6.)    Using Semantic Mapping or Clustering

7.)    Guessing When Not Certain

8.)    Analyzing Vocabulary

9.)    Distinguishing Between Literal and Implied Meanings

10.) Capitalizing on Discourse Markers to Process Relationships

Each strategy allows the reader to effectively analyze a text and break it down so that it’s easier to understand. Some focus on understanding individual words or phrases, and others look at the larger picture. Although Brown centers these strategies around English, they can easily be tweaked and applied to other language learning contexts.

Currently, I am studying Japanese, and after taking this course, I have tried applying a few of these strategies to my own context. One that I found has helped me considerably is strategy 10.). Lately I have been challenging myself to read news articles, and in order to fully understand them, recognizing discourse markers is essential. In the past, I didn’t focus much on discourse markers, but as I have applied this strategy, I’m realizing how important they are for the smooth connection of ideas. What I find especially interesting, is in Japanese, like most other languages I imagine, there are some discourse markers which simply don’t have an exact translation into English. As such, it is important to understand the role each discourse marker plays, rather than simply making a direct translation into one’s L1. As I apply these strategies to my own language learning situation, I hope I can take these experiences and use them when teaching students of my own.

References

H. Brown, H. L. (2015). Teaching by Principles: An Interactive Approach to Language Pedagogy. White Plains, NY: Pearson Education, Inc. .