Philosophy+of+Foreign+Languages

Foreign Language Methods Philosophy

 I believe that the learning of foreign languages is more important now than it has ever been. Our world is quickly changing and becoming more diverse; it is filled with many cultures and languages. It is vital that our children of the future are prepared to for life outside the “American bubble.” Not only is it important for the children to be able to speak Spanish, but I also believe they need to have an understanding of the Hispanic culture. Foreign language development provides so many more experiences than learning just the language; it provides opportunities for children to develop a better understanding of the world and new/different cultures.

 I believe that all children are intelligent and capable of learning a language whether it is English or Spanish. My favorite quote that adequately describes my opinion is “Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid” by Albert Einstein. I think it is the perfect quote to describe ELL’s and assessment. As teachers, it is our responsibility to create assessments that accurately judge their knowledge of the content versus their knowledge of the language they are learning. If we assess students with tests that are not created for them, and they do poorly; it is not an assessment of their knowledge but instead, the new language. It is our responsibility to set students up to succeed, not to fail and become discouraged.

 I believe that children should be exposed to all facets of the language: speaking, listening, reading and writing. I think often times, there is more of a focus on reading and writing and students lack a development in their oral skills. I believe in order to really conquer a language, one must be able to make connections between their L1 and L2 and be able to compare the similarities and differences. I believe hands-on and project-based teaching strategies are two great characteristics for a language learning classroom. Children learning a new language need to be provided real and authentic experiences to use the language, not simply fill out worksheets.

 I believe that students need a safe and comfortable environment to learn in. This is especially important when learning a new language to have the support of the people around you; it is a time to take risks and it is necessary to have an environment that is conducive to risk-taking. If students feel comfortable in their classroom, they will be more willing to participate, speak out loud and be unafraid to make a mistake. I believe mistakes are necessary learning experiences that students will learn from. I believe teachers should focus more on mastery learning rather than moving quickly through the curriculum.