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FinalProject:LinkingTheoryandPractice
ChristineKnutson
WesternOregonUniversity

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FinalProject:LinkingTheoryandPractice
TheoreticalFramework
Mypersonalteachingphilosophyisgreatlydependentuponasafelearningenvironment
mentalsafety,physicalsafety,emotionalsafetyandsocialsafetyareequallyimportant.Withina
safelearningenvironmentmyteachingphilosophycultivatesfreedomtodiscoverandexpression
withoutjudgement.InmyfutureclassroomIwillstrivetoestablishacommunityofmembersthat
learnfromthemselves,aswellasteachandlearnfromoneanother.Myrolewillbetoguidethis
groupoflearnerswhilemonitoringforindividualsupport.Togethertheclassroomcommunitywill
createbehaviorpolicieslikeanotoleranceforbullyingpolicy,StepstoRespect(Knutson,2013)
andPathstoEmpathy,SympathyandHarmony(Knutson,2013).
Inlinkingmypersonalteachingphilosophiestosecondlanguageacquisitiontheories
embeddedinthiscourse,IhavediscoveredconnectionstoaspectsofmultipleSLAtheories.For
example,thegoaltoestablishacomfortablelearningenvironmentisattheheartofthesocial
distanceprinciplebyJohnSchumann(DiazRico&Weed,2011).Additionally,theactof
participationinasocialgroupwithlearners/acquirerswhomproactivelyengageinSLAisclearly
explainedinthearticleNewMainstreamSLATheory:ExpandedandEnrichedwrittenby
MerrillSwainandPingDeters(2007).AlthoughIdontfullysubscribetoStephenKrashens
hypothesesandmodels,Idoagreethatstudentsbestlearninformationandbestacquirelanguagein
lowanxietysituations(Freeman&Freeman,2004).
Furthermore,Ibelievemyteachingphilosophytiesintobrainbasedlearningprinciples
whereasstressmanagement,nutrition,exercise,relaxation,andnaturalrhythmsandtimingshould
betakenintoconsiderationduringteachingandlearning(DiazRico&Weed,2010,p.65).
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Moreso,IagreewithMerrillSwainwhenshesaidthattherearemorewaystoacquire
languagethansimplyreceivingcomprehensibleinput,asKrashenhypothesized,andoneneedsto
bepushedforthemostsuccessfulacquisition(Swain,n.d.).
Inaddition,inherarticletitledChannelingChildrensEnergyThroughVocabulary
ActivitiesAndreaSchindlerbelievesthatthemostmemorablelearningtransfersoccurwhen
studentsaremoving,interactingandevenlaughing(Schindler,2006).Iagreewithhertheoryandit
isreminiscentofJamesAshersTotalPhysicalResponseMethod(Asher,1977).Althoughthis
activityisheavilyteacherdirectedbecauseitistheteachersresponsibilitytogivecommands,the
studentsareacquiringlanguagebylisteningthenrespondingphysicallytothevocalizedcommand
(Asher,1977).Formyactivity,IwillincorporatemovementforthesamereasonsthatAsherand
Schindlergavebutalsobecauseitisagoodwaytokeepthebloodflowingandthebrain
stimulated.
Lastly,Ientertaintheideathatmypersonalteachingphilosophyrelies,somewhat,on
ContentbasedInstructionalMethods,suchasShelteredInstruction(DiazRico&Weed,2010),
sinceIcouldbeteachinginamultilinguisticclassroom.Bydoingso,IdbegivingSLAstudents
moresupportandeasewiththecurriculumcontentinsteadofpossiblysettingthemupforfailure.
SpeciallyDesignedAcademicInstructioninEnglish(SDAIE)andShelteredInstruction
ObservationProtocol(SIOP),areusefulapproachestoutilizeandconsiderwhenteachingEnglish
contenttononnativespeakers(DiazRico&Weed,2010).
Inconclusionofthistheoreticalframework,Idliketomakeanobservationaboutthe
historyofeducation,ingeneral.Aseducation,itself,andphilosophiesaboutgeneraleducationhas
changeddrasticallyoverthecenturies,IbelievethattheoriesofSLAwillalsobendandchange.It
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seemsthatastimegoesonwegetclosertoknowinghowasecondlanguageisacquired.However,
Ibelievethatwevegotlotsmoreresearchtodoandobservationstobehadbeforewecompletely
understandlanguageacquisition.

TheLearner
GregoryisafirstgraderatadualimmersionlanguageschoolofEnglishandSpanish
speakers.Heissixyearsoldandhasattendedkindergartenatthesamedualimmersionschool.He
doesnttalkalotbuthedoesntseemshy,either.Icantellhefeelscomfortablewithhisclassmates
andseemstosocializewell.IndeterminingGregorysL2proficiencylevelIalwaysconsideredthe
factthatheisinthefirstgrade.ForSpeakingandListening,IassessedGregoryataproficient
level.ForFluency,StructureandVocabulary,IplacedGregoryattheexpandinglevel.Fromthe
littledataIgatheredforWritingIdeterminedthathewasatanemergingbeginninglevel.And,in
theaspectofReadingIfeltthatGregorywasatadevelopinglevel.

TheActivity
UponanalyzingGregorysL2acquisitioninmyCaseStudyII,Irecommended
instructionalstrategiesthatfocusonlisteningcomprehension(Colorado,2007).Ialsosuggested
thatGregorycontinueengaginginmanyorallanguageactivitiesbecausestudentsneedtoknow
between90%95%ofwordsinorderforthemtocomprehendthetext(Colorado,2007).Ialso
suggestedactivitiesthatinvolvewholeclassparticipationlikeGuesstheLetters(originallycalled
Hangman)sothatGregorycanseehowtospellthemorphemesandphonemesthatconfusehim.
Consequently,itwasthisfinalsuggestionthatledmetotheactivityforthisproject:Chant
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andDanceSyllableWorkbyEduardoGarcia(DiazRico&Weed,2010,p.77).However,
GarciasactivityistailoredtofifthgraderssoIchangeditabit.
Thephysicallayoutoftheclassroomenvironmentwouldbewelcomingwithanestablished
picturealphabetononewall,onanotherwallwouldcommonphonemeswithaccompanying
pictureswouldbedisplayed,andonathirdwallwouldbespacededicatedtowords:awordwall.
Theroomwouldhavetables(asopposedtoindividualdesks)thatcouldseatuptosixstudents,and
onthebackofeachstudentschairwouldbetheirownseatsackthatwouldholdtheirwriting
utensils,foldersandremainingsupplies.

Activity:ChantandDancePhonemes
Eachstudentwearsabigcardaroundtheirneckwithonephonemeofashortword.
Havethestudentssitinacirclefacingeachother.
Theteacherisclosebyplayingmusic(CD,iPod,computerordrums!).Garcia
suggestedAfricanbasedrhythmsofLatinAmericaIwouldusethesamemusicfor
thisactivity.
Theteacherchantsthefollowingphoneme:/ch/.
Thestudentsrepeatch.
Thestudentwearingthe/ch/phonemeflashcardgetsupanddancestothecircle.
Thentheteacherchantsthephoneme:/a/.
Thestudentsallchanta.
Thestudentwearingthe/a/dancestothecenterandstandstotheleftofthe/ch/.
Thenteachercallsouttandthestepsarerepeatedwiththe/t/studentdancingto
thecircleandstandnexttothe/a/.
Thewholeclasschantschat.
Theteacherchants,Whatdoeschatmeans?
Avolunteeroffersadefinition.(addresseslanguagefunction)
Next,theteacherasks,Class,ischatanounoraverb,orboth?(addresses
languageform)
Theclassresponds.
Theteacherthenasksforavolunteertousethewordinasentence.
Avolunteerprovidesthesentence(ideally,theteacherwouldworkaroundthe
circle,askingeachandeverypersontovolunteeratsomepoint).
Finally,theteachercandiscussthewordfurtherordismissthephonemedancers
backtothecircleandrepeattheprocessfromthebeginning.

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Myrationaleinchoosingthisactivityisthatitsanactive,energeticexercisewhich
increaseslearningtransfer(Schindler,2006)andbrainbasedmethodology(DiazRico&Weed,
2010).Thisactivityisgrouporientedwithactiveparticipationwherebyaddressingthe
socioculturalapproachtoSLA(Swain&Deters,2007).ChantandDance(DiazRico&Weed,
2010)satisfiesthesuggestionsImadeforGregoryasfocusareas:orallanguageactivitiesby
chantingphonemesandwords,andlisteningcomprehensionbylisteningtotheteachers
commands,andstudentschants.

LinguisticAnalysis

LinguisticComponents Relatedfeaturesintheactivity
Phonology Identifiesphonemesinwords.Students
practicesayingthephonemesandcreate
familiaritywiththeletters,visually.
Morphology Oncestudentsfeelcomfortableidentifyingthe
phonemesofwords,theteachercanintroduce
morphemes.Theactivitywouldchangefrom
chantingoutphonemestocallingout
morphemesthatthestudentswear,i.e.words
withingandly,etc.
Syntax Inordertocompletethisactivitysuccessfully,
thelearner/acquirerwillneedtocomprehend
elementsofsentencestructureinorderto
respondtowhattheteacherisasking.The
studentswillpracticesyntaxwhencreating
theirownsentence,too.
Semantics Studentswillpracticesemanticswhenthe
teacherasksforfunctionandformsbysaying
Whatdoeschatmean?Ischatanounora
verb?
Pragmatics Studentswillbegintopracticepragmatics
whenlisteningtothesentencesofother
students,aswellaswhencreatingthe
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sentencesthemselves.

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References
Asher,J.(1977).Learninganotherlanguagethroughactions:Thecompleteteachersguidebook.
LosGatos,CA:SkyOaksProductions.
Colorado,C.(2007).Readinginthefirstgrade.Retrievedfrom
http://www.colorincolorado.org/article/14329/
DiazRico,L.T.,&Weed,K.Z.(2010).Thecrosscultural,language,andacademicdevelopment
handbook:AcompleteK12referenceguide(Fourthed.).NewJersey:PearsonEducation.
Freeman,D.E.&Freeman,Y.S.(2004).Essentiallinguistics:Whatyouneedtoknowtoteach
reading,ESL,spelling,phonics,andgrammar.Portsmouth,NH:Heinemann.
Knutson,C.(December5,2013).Fromabrainstormedlistofactivitiesforelementaryclassroom
inclusionpreparedforanothergraduateclass.
Swain,M.(2007).Theoutputhypothesis:Itshistoryanditsfuture.Retrievedfrom
http://www.celea.org.cn/2007/keynote/ppt/Merrill%20Swain.pdf