My purpose for applying to the M.A. in TESOL program at is to not only become an exceptional educator, but to also help students whom I cross paths with build self-esteem in their learning experience while catering to their personal learning style. Teaching English as a second language is an area of education I first took interest in when I began a work-study position as an English tutor in my first year at Earlham College. From the time between then and now I have contemplated on a couple of career paths, but ultimately realized that my true strength and aspiration is (in?) teaching English as a second language.
Having minored in TESOL I gained an understanding for the importance of English in a global context. More importantly, I learned to respect the language learning process. With courses in linguistics and teaching and learning English(find course title) I learned that each student has their own learning style and it is the educator’s responsibility to know their students’ capabilities and what works best for their learning experience.
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As an English tutor, teaching assistant, research assistant, and substitute teacher I have learned the importance of building trust and respect with students, I have gained an understanding of the different methods to teaching and learning a new language, and I have come to understand the importance of bilingualism. From these experiences, one person who stands out to me is Angelica. When I first met Angelica she had been living in the United States for three years and had two young children.
Angelica wanted to learn English so she could teach her children before they entered pre-school, and so she could find a job. We usually did lessons in her home, but when there was care for her children we took our lessons outside of the home and in to stores she frequented to practice her English skills and to improve her self-esteem. Angelica and I are still in touch and she has become comfortable with speaking English in public settings. Her first child in now in kindergarten and is fluent in English, and her second child is attending pre-school. She now has a part time job working in a bakery back in Richmond, Indiana. Working with Angelica has taught me the importance of gaining self-esteem when learning English and compassion for immigrant families seeking a better life for themselves and their
family. My experiences have made me an advocate for English language learners from all walks of life. Equipped with a background in sociology and anthropology I have knowledge of methods in which to talk to a person and gain insight to their lives without prying. I believe knowing a student’s background (cultural, home, family, etc.) is essential to getting to know which type of learning works best for the student to help she or he reach their full potential. Ultimately, my career objective after completing my TESOL program is to teach in an academic setting with young adults and with with adults seeking citizenship. Your program provides a well designed curriculum that covers methods of teaching, evaluation, and materials development, as well as engage in fieldwork both as tutors and practice teachers that will help me reach this goal. I seek to combine my background with the experiences your program has to offer to mold myself into an extraordinary educator. I believe the program you offer at name school will help me acquire the versatility needed to reach my full potential as an English teacher. It would be a privilege to be able to secure admission to pursue graduate studies with your institution. It is my hope to combine these experiences to become a well-rounded educator with the completion of your program.
childhood and renewed life style were she learned how to distinguish one language to another
Research My first research experience took place from the Fall 2012 – Summer 2013 in a neurobiology laboratory (Dr. Daniel Plas) focused on Parkinson’s Disease. In this project an undergrad student and I were tasked with optimizing a cellular medium for neural growth of the model organism Lymnaea stagnalis. This was comprised of following established protocols and altering certain variables within the formulas (differing concentrations of ions, pH, et al.) to observe growth pattern differences in vitro.
2. Answer questions in each of the Knowledge Check areas on pages: 10, 17, and 28.
I truly hope that you will take my application into consideration for the Loyola University Maryland School of Education. Teaching and education is a passion of mine and I feel that this graduate program will help me hone my skills to become a well-rounded and effective educator. I bring to the table experience in academic research and applied experience as an employee of the Harford County Public Schools.
TESOL International Association. (2013a). Implementing the Common Core State Standards for ELS: The Changing Role of the ESL Teacher. Alexandria, VA: Author
Many people have gone through what I went through, which is not knowing English when arriving to the United States. Tan wrote a story about her mother called “Mother Tongue” in which she describes her experience with her mother and
In 2008, I had the opportunity to move to Guatemala and teach English to children of all ages. What was intended to be a one year commitment turned into five, I remember my experience working with students who lived in the children’s homes due to their families living in rural areas far from the school. My time in Guatemala made me a more thankful and empathetic
My mother would occasionally take me to work with her at the nail salon while sitting at her station I would notice how rudely customers would treat her due to her lack of English. At that point, I realized that my mother did not sacrifice everything to be ridiculed all because she could not speak English. A sense of determination washed over me. With the aid of my ESL class, in addition, to listening to other people’s discourse of the language, I gradually became fluent in the glorious English language. While learning English, it sent me on an unforgettable journey each step I took felt like I was paving my own pathway to success. After years of feeling un-American, I was committed to teaching and changing myself with knowledge, soon enough, learning the English language allowed me to adapt to my environment. Growing up as an immigrant kid, I lusted for eloquence and fluency after discovering the significance and strength of communication.
Growing up learning and speaking English has been something that was difficult for me at first but then came easy, but that was not the case for my mother. She spent her whole life speaking Spanish, so when she decided to take English learning classes it was challenging. However, she had me to help her throughout her struggle. I helped her complete her homework and assignments. We would also go to the library to check out easy level reading books to have her read to me. I would correct her English when it was wrong and do all I could to boost her confidence. It took me a while to understand and figure out what the best way to teach her was, but it was a fun experience for the both of us. Teaching her English was difficult because things that
O’Neill,S., Gish, A. (2008). Teaching English as a second language. South Melbourne, VIC: Oxford University Press.
IEP stands for Individualized Education Program. An IEP is a written document required for each child who is eligible to receive special education services. It is provided to a student who has been determined first to have a disability, and second, to need special education services because of that disability. An IEP is very important and should never be overlooked by anyone. The purpose of an IEP is to make sure that only students whose educational performance is affected by a disability receive special services. An individual program plan is designed to make sure that students get the kind of educational experience that they deserve; an experience that results in success. The end goals for students who are on an IEP are to be involved in
Swarbrick, A. (2013) Aspects of Teaching Secondary Modern Foreign Languages: Perspectives on Practice. London: Routledge Falmer.
Teaching students a language that is foreign can really be challenging for students as well as for the teachers. The dynamic rule for implementing instructing in a diverse class to English-learners is to use resourceful life skills such as diligence, hard work and patience. There are also methods that are involved in teaching English as a second language that can be creative for the teacher, yet beneficial to the student. First building a strong foundation that is essential to English learners will promote the language acquisition process. To do this teacher’s should always start with preparation. Advance preparation is essential in order to provide necessary adaptations in content area instruction and to make content information accessible for second language lear...
Thus, the book answers numerous practical questions that teachers have often struggled with; for example, how to increase the chances of academic success for language learners, how to use technology to teach language effectively, or how to teach language and content material concurrently. From the preface, the author makes it very clear that the book is designed to support language teachers in their journey as new teachers and throughout their teaching careers. In total, the book contains eleven chapters, which have been divided into four parts. The first part, "What Do Language Teachers Think About?" includes topics of foreign/ second language acquisition theories and language teaching methodologies. This part introduces the background knowledge readers will need in their journey as language teachers. The second part, "How Do You Teach a Language?" introduces approaches to teaching and learning that improve students’ writing, listening, speaking and reading abilities. Each chapter in this part includes suggestions for how students can be motivated and describes teaching and testing approaches to assess students ' language skills and academic literacy. The third part, "How Do I Know What to Teach?" is instrumental in helping teachers adopt teaching practices to particular teaching settings. The fourth part, "Where Do I Go from Here?" helps teachers gain a clearer perspective of what language teaching is all about; this section also considers teacher 's self-assessment and personal
However, during the last 20 years language learning trends have noticeably changed in favour of the study of English as a foreign language, ...