Memo 1

It all started from the experience of my service learning hours during my FNED 346 course: Schooling in a Democratic Society. In the hours I had to fulfill, I was only assigned to one class, which was an ESL World Literature course. At first I felt that only being assigned to one class would limit the amount of experience I could get, but it actually ended up being exactly what I needed. During my nine visits to the high school I was visiting at the time, I grew close to each student in this ESL course that ranged from ninth graders to twelfth graders. When the actual teacher was absent, the students felt close enough to me to disregard the substitute teacher and have me call the shots…(a bit awkward at first, but I did appreciate it)…it was then that I realized how much I had a passion for the “light bulb” when a student understands a question in English they had trouble translating for themselves. I didn’t just want to teach English, I wanted to inspire English Language Learners.
 The classroom was filled with students who were so passionate about bettering their English language speaking. Then there were those who developed a learned helplessness due to their frustration with having to write in a completely different language. I remember one student referring to himself as “stupid” because he couldn’t understand a certain question and had to keep referring back to the dictionary. It was then I realized that if I ever wanted to help these students who feel this sense of inferiority, I needed to understand what goes on in the ELL’s mind when their faced with a writing assignment outside of their own language. In my journey I want to see what it is that disengages these students from writing and what triggers this learned helplessness?
 First, I plan on interviewing students in high school who are English Language Learners. Then I hope to interview teachers who have had experience with teaching ELL’s. I have already made an appointment with a CCRI professor who’s had many years experience working for the CCRI writing center. He helps those who struggle with writing outside of their native language, and in this I plan on gaining great insight to the English Language Learning student as well as those who teach the English Language Learner. I also hope to interview those who aren’t of the high school grade level, but are English Language Learners. What was their journey like? Also, what is the most challenging aspect of living in a country that requires changing your whole world, such as your language? Is there anything they wish they could’ve done differently? Anything they wish they could have been warned about? Any advice to give to the younger generation?
 I believe that in order to get the student engaged in a language outside of his or her own, the teacher must understand the student. If the teacher can understand what goes on cognitively inside the student’s mind when they are faced with a prompt or reading assignment, then the teacher will have had already created a comfortable environment and the student will feel confident to pose any questions. This is exactly what I plan on investigating throughout my journey. I hope to learn about the English Language Learner’s cognitive experience with writing as well as gaining insight on strategies from experienced teachers.