20051864 Kim Heejae
During this semester, I have learned various knowledge and thoughts in teaching second language. Frankly, T thought that I had had a good reading ability, but it seemed not enough to teach second language in classroom. Thus, this class was the chance not only to get new knowledge in L2, but also to develop a system of knowledge I had already known. Also, I was surprised at lots of skills and strategies in second language reading. However, these helped me to improve my English reading proficiency. Above all the rest, intensive and extensive reading parts make me to reconsider the view of second language reading.
On reflection in my secondary school ages, most teachers focused on intensive reading in English reading class. Korean educational context aims at entering university, intensive reading in accuracy is very essential. Though Korean teachers had the limitation of class time and class circumstance, it made us tired of English reading. Moreover, intensive reading class utilize grammar translation method, this is the cause students to lose their motivation and interest.
During taking this class, I thought that the balance between intensive and extensive reading. Extensive reading focuses on enjoyment and information, and it also seeks faster reading. By balancing of extensive and intensive, we can decrease the shortcomings of them. For example, there are reading speed and evaluation. Moreover, I think the most important problem is the losing motivation to student, the harmony of two views can solve this problem.
Effective reading is an important factor in academic area. Before I took this class, I didn’t use various skills and strategies. Frankly, I didn’t recognize the importance of them. It was ashamed myself who major in English education. This class means the self-reflection of achievement in my university academic life. And, I think that there isn’t the best solution in teaching second language. Teachers need not only to supplement shortcomings, and but also to maximize merits. Though this class, I developed the theoretical basement, and I will use various skills and strategies in teaching practicum.
Teaching Second Language learning
Journal assignment2
English Education Kim Hee jae.
During taking this course, I could learn a lot of reading skills that I haven’t known. Considering my university life, I have had many difficulty of reading for lacking reading skills although my major is English education. Frankly speaking, I am so regretful to studying English reading skills. However, I also have a question that all reading skills are useful to me or students.
Firstly, I think that I have rarely used “identify a writer’s technique’ during my English reading. I’m an English reader in the EFL environment such as Korea, I don’t have an ability to consider a writer’s techniques. I think it is important to focus on main topic and contents although the considering of a writer’s technique has an effect on reading comprehension. Frankly, this point is used when some reviewers criticize the reading materials, but most readers don’t need to use this skill as a reader. In briefly, the consideration of technique in reading material is some effective, but it is not a core point to understand the whole contents.
Second, many readers seem to use rarely ‘following the structure of a passage’. Frankly, I don’t understand this skill’s meaning. Usually, most reading materials have the structure ‘introduction-body-conclusion’, so students read the material successively. Most readers don’t have difficulty of understanding the whole contents following this process, so I have an opinion to focus this skill deliberately.
Lastly, I think it is an important skill the most, ‘make inferences of information in a text’. The ultimate purpose of reading is to gain information from reading materials, so readers focus on getting information effectively. In my opinion, readers should improve the ability to find the writer’s intention and information speedy and correctly. Good reader is to consider the reading materials macroscopically, not microscopically.
In conclusion, there are many reading skills, but readers don’t need all skills. By choosing some suitable skills for yourselves, it can be effective to achieve good reader. Of course, it is a difficult task as EFL students, we can achieve our goals if we do our best.
Phonics is learning the systematic relationships between written letters and sounds. As it is sounded by Phonics principle about 84 % of English words, learning Phonics can encourage younger English learners to acquire the essential principles for accuracy of pronunciation. Moreover, Korean L2 learners have difficulties of accurate pronunciation for lack of learning environments like the inner circle. Also, Phonics is the essential course for the systematic reading at first. Therefore, we need to consider the remedy its shortcomings for younger English learner who loses their interest.
Above all, Phonics is very useful course for the accurate pronunciation and systematic reading and writing, we need to give a counsel that it is effective to comprise with Phonics and the other techniques rather than the replacement of teaching method. However, the shortcoming of Phonics course is the possibilities of losing their interest for L2 learners, it needs the techniques that can encourage L2 learners to improve their interest during their reading. Therefore, I think that it is good that students learn simple words in the short article before reading storybook. It can lead students to acquire the system of pronunciation and meaning of word. I think that the important factor to take younger learner’s desire is the interest. Rote learning doesn’t effect to improving their learning ability like memorization words. Children need the enjoyment from the understanding and imagination of story. It is natural that all children feel an objection to doing unpleasant things.
Second, Phonics is focus on reading letters, so it is lacking in authenticity like the natural environment of English learning. So, teacher should use various techniques. For example, there is the realia like real object. I think that matching with words and realia is the effective technique. Focusing letters doesn’t improve the learner’s long-term memory. Also, it is very effective to use game and singing a song with Phonics. By playing game and singing a song, it can promote the emotional interest and long-term memory by physical stimulation. Children have tendency to study language more when they feel interesting with various activity.
In conclusion, Phonics is necessary course in learning L2, so teacher should consider to revise it for increasing learner’s interest. That is, it is important students to recognize English not learning but playing. Also, children understand matters more through experience and sense. So, I think that teacher should provide a variety of materials by using surroundings. By activity of the connection between motion and English, it is good for students to experience English head and ears.