Laurel Duncan

Cinzia Forasepai
EDMS 411
13 December 2015
Open-Minded and Motivated to be Creative
1. My belief of language is that it is always growing and never remains constant. It would be
ignorant to believe that language does not change with us everyday. With that in mind, it would
also be ignorant to not believe that all languages are changing everyday. Language is the tool that
everyone uses to communicate with, and it is essential to figuring out everything. Language could
be verbal and physical, and I think it is important to try and understand and respect all languages.
2. I think that bilingualism is an important trait to have. I know that I have learned so much more
about language and life through learning a second language. There is so much more to language
than the words and letters there is also culture. Language cannot come without culture, and viceversa. Being able to understand, respect and communicate in more than one language has so many
benefits; as a teacher, it helps a group of students feel like they are welcome and understood.
3. Bilingual education is crucial for all students. This type of education can be beneficial for any
student type. Learning more than one language increases skills in other areas of school and life.
Critical thinking, other cultures, new experiences and a deeper understanding in many areas of
school are all benefits from receiving bilingual education.
4. Academic language is important for students to learn naturally in school. This is language that is
important to use in school settings with peers and teachers because it is a more professional way to
communicate. You can use academic language with reading, writing and speaking, and it is
important to naturally practice all of these. I dont think academic language should be taught
formally, just based on situation. I think that the teacher needs to set a great example, and then the
students can learn from that very well.
5. Second language development is different for every student. This process is challenging for
everyone involved, but it needs to be done with care and a comfortable setting. The environment is

crucial to learning a second language because a student cannot learn if they are not comfortable,
and that goes with any subject. The development process takes a different amount of time for each
type of student and that is perfectly normal and expected. The teacher must be willing to adapt to
each learners needs to give them the best chance at a successful education.
6. I think that using arts to teach a second language can be very effective. The arts are a great way to
teach anything, because you can relate it to anything youre learning. Arts can involve lots of
visual things that can help a second language learner see what theyre making and learn words
about it. When students are doing art projects in class, they work in groups and learn
communication and how to work together.
7. I think that modeling will help support future ELLs because it shows them what is being taught
instead of just showing. Modeling provides a visual example to go along with words to get ELLs
used to hearing common words and being able to associate them the actions.