Language Learning Autobiography and Pre-Analysis Essay

Language Learning Autobiography and Pre-Analysis - Essay Example At first, this was a very challenging task as I did not have even the basic necessary level of English to understand or implement in my other studies. However . Later I found that ESL was very important for me as it helped me in my learning process. Though I had studied English in Korea, but that was only about basic vocabulary because my teachers there adopted a Grammar Translation approach to teaching language and hence, the focus was on grammar and no emphasis on speaking and listening. Thus, even though I succeeded in putting few sentences together orally, they had poor pronunciation, grammatical errors and repetitive words due to limited vocabulary. This made me realize that apart from the lack of speaking and listening practice , the traditional Korean approach did not work for me because it focused repetition and parroting rather than providing the opportunity of actually using the language. I also noticed that the teaching system , approach and methods here in Canada are very different from that of Korea as language learning here focuses on all four major skills- reading ,writing ,listening and speaking .Also the teaching is more student focused rather than the teacher providing all the input and the student being a passive learner. Here in Canada, I have become more of an autonomous learner and am able to understand how I best study and learn. In other words, I am more aware of my learning styles and patterns that best work for me. ESL curriculum should therefore, emphasize more on training in language learning strategies and help students be more aware of the learning patterns. As an ESL teacher, I would try to ensure my knowledge and ability in all possible ways in which students learn and also try to develop lessons by considering visual, auditory and kinesthetic learners. On reflection, I realized that at first my strategy was to imitate. Although I did not completely understand the teacher’s instructions, I was able to follow by imitating and taking the lead from the peers. The English teacher would usually teach a new language point and then start with class choral work before moving on to formation of small groups, par work and then individual responses. This allowed me the opportunity to imitate the other students and thus not only improve my language knowledge but to improve my pronunciation as well. My experience therefore coincides with the point of view given by Skinner, (cited in Coelho, 2004, p.142) who states that imitation through repetition is important in early stages of acquiring a first language and learning a second language. I l earnt and acquired English not only by study but also by social interaction with teachers and peers (both local and ESL students) which necessitated me to pull on or extract the language I already knew and manipulate it according to the situation in hand. In other words, this interaction provided me an opportunity to use English for communication rather than only for classroom intent. A new culture and totally different curriculum proved difficult initially as was a little apprehensive to so many changes , but due to the help form ESL teachers and proficient English speaking peers , I not only learnt fluent English but I also faired well in other subjects. Thus, as the school and classroom atmosphere worked in my favor, learning and acquiring my second language was not as tough. Vygotsky (cited in Coelho, 2004, p.146) states that when a child is acquiring their first language they learn best by interacting with peers that are at a higher level in language development than themselves they will learn better. He calls this the child’s proximal development zone, which is defined as the level just beyond where the child is at. I now