Vlog 1: Introductory Vlog




Backup Link: https://youtu.be/60DPZRceQMA 



Hello, it is a pleasure to meet you. My name is Lee Anthony Witt. I am an education major at the University of Houston intending to receive certification for Earl childhood through 6th grade as a generalist. Currently, I am a student teacher at Blackshear Elementary for grades 2 through 5 in math centered classes, though I prefer to teach subjects such as social studies as I feel it offers a more engaging environment for students to broaden their worlds. My experience with people who speak another language now is quite limited. Though I am from a predominantly Mexican background, I grew up in a household which only spoke English and my extended family was largely the same. Neither of my grandparents’ houses spoke in a language other than English and though one side was bilingual, they never spoke to me in Spanish. Growing up, I attended Catholic schools until the twelfth grade which had no ESL students. The only second language courses I took were in Spanish, however I have retained very little knowledge from said classes. That said, I am currently working towards becoming an ESL teacher for an English-speaking school in Japan. This opportunity allows me the chance to teach Japanese students, who already have some knowledge of English, how to speak more fluently. I have always been fascinated by world cultures and when the opportunity was presented to me, I felt as if this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. My proficiency in being able to teach English as a second language must be up to par upon my arrival. Therefore, I am highly motivated to learn how to teach English as a second language, so my teaching may positively affect my future students in Japan to the highest degree. I look forward to learning much in this course and I hope this course will prepare me for a rich career in teaching.

Comments

  1. Anayvette RamonJanuary 31, 2019 at 7:08 PM

    Hello Lee,
    I enjoyed watching your video. I astounded by the fact that you are not only pursuing a career in education, but also one in a foreign country. I think being an educator in Japan is a great way to use your proficiency in English to enrich and better the lives of young students.
    Despite the fact that you were unable to successfully acquire or retain your ability to speak Spanish, I think that living in Japan for a few years will increase the likelihood of learning a new language or acquiring your L2 (Ortega, 2013, P.5). One of the reasons I hold this belief is due to the fact that living in a new Country will not only allow you to completely immerse yourself in a new culture and language, but also increase your motivation and drive to further your understanding and growth (Ortega, 2013 P.14). Lastly, I think that trying to learn a new language in naturalistic setting is 10x different because it requires you to consistently practice your input and output of the language (Ortega, 2013, P.6).
    Reference:
    Ortega, L. (2013). Understanding second language acquisition. New York, NY: Routledge.

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    Replies
    1. Lee AnthonyFebruary 10, 2019 at 6:50 PM

      Hello Anayvette. Your point about increasing the likelihood that I learn a foreign language by completely immersing myself in a new country does hold water. While it is true that much of language acquisition is surrounded by the idea of the age of onset, which is "how early or late in life one should start to learn an additional language after the mother tongue" (Ortega, 2013, p. 8) people can learn a new language just as efficiently out of necessity. Immersion on this scale would cause a necessary adjustment on my communication methods.

      Ortega, L. (2013). Understanding second language acquisition. New York, NY: Routledge

      Delete
  2. Zoe RiveraFebruary 2, 2019 at 5:40 PM

    Hello Lee! I think it is extremely fascinating that you are planning on going to teach English in Japan. I went to Japan during winter break and while I was there I met and became friends with a couple of people from the U.S. who were living there and teaching English as well. Ortega spoke of humans taking for granted their accomplishments and also states that “many people around the globe also do many of the same things in a language other than their own” (Ortega, 2013). You moving to Japan to teach there is a prime example of that. You grew up only hearing and speaking English and have very little experience with other languages, yet you are excited to dive head first into a non-English speaking country. The accomplishments that you will attain there are the same as the possible accomplishments an ELL can make here in the U.S.

    Ortega, L. (2013). Understanding second language acquisition. Routledge.

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    Replies
    1. Lee AnthonyFebruary 10, 2019 at 7:02 PM

      Hello Zoe. You mentioned being able to possibly accomplish many of the same feats abroad as an ELL here in the states would, which I believe is a very valid statement. ESL teachers are very concerned about effective instruction, yet there is still debate on how effective instruction can be implemented (Ortega, 2013, p. 8). I learned in Second Language Methodology that some of my ELL classmates had a very broad range of learning styles when it came to learning English. Perhaps immersion will be my learning style and prove better than the methods I used when I had to learn Spanish. I do look forward to finding out how effective immersion will be for me.

      Ortega, L. (2013). Understanding second language acquisition. New York, NY: Routledge

      Delete
  3. jvilledaFebruary 11, 2019 at 2:34 PM

    This comment has been removed by the author.

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    Replies
    1. jvilledaFebruary 11, 2019 at 4:57 PM

      Hello Lee! It is super exciting that your goal is to ultimately teach English in Japan. I have always been fascinated with Japanese culture, especially their food (authentic ramen). I've always wanted to travel to Japan, hopefully, once I graduate I can give myself a well deserved trip to Japan. Although, you grew up in a one language household, you are not afraid to dive into teaching in a foreign country. You are quite brave and adventurous. Like Ortega mentions, there are successful cases of late second language learners (Ortega, 2013, pg.16). So I'm sure you will have no problem picking up the language.

      Delete

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