Teaching Young Learners – Writing Activities
(924 words)
For this writing task, I was asked to give my response to 5 statements about writing activities to support young learners to improve their writing and learn a language. I will answer True or False to statements 1- 5 and explain why.
1. Writing should be developed in isolation from other skillls.
Is this True or False?
2. We should not restrict the age at when children begin to write.
Is this True or False?
3. Handwriting and spelling are only part of the process of writing.
Is this True or False?
4. Attention should be paid to developing good habits in alphabet letter formation.
Is this True or False?
5. Using joined-up writing may help develop the learning of the common letter strings found in English.
Is this True or False?
- Writing should be developed in isolation from other skillls. T/F
I would say this is false. Many concrete experiences such as painting, drawing, using play-doh, dramatic play, or building with blocks help children develop the physical, cognitive, socio-emotional skills and understandings that are the foundations of conventional reading and writing. All these skills should be encouraged at home and at school from early age. It is how the learners use these experiences that are gathered to help with their writing skills. This is how literacy ‘emerges’ in children that is significant and can lead to writing. These skills are used when teachers and parents encourage ‘literacy play’ by adding notepads and pencils to the resources provided to encourage role-play and dialogue. Vocabulary can be built through games and activities that increase the range of words your child will know to write with depth. Children can learn how reading and writing are used to achieve goals. For example, at home a child might see thier grandmother following a recipe in a cookbook or watch his mother reading the directions for putting a toy together. From these observations, children learn that reading and writing are used to carry out daily tasks and to communicate and receive information.
2. We should not restrict the age at when children begin to write. T/F
This is true. From an early age, children start using a pen and pencils. Long before they go to school, before they even know the alphabet, children begin to write. In fact, for most children literacy begins at home such as with crayons. The scribbles of very young children have meaning to them, and scribbling actually helps them to develop and become familiar with holding a pen/pencil with their writing. Young children who are encouraged to draw and scribble stories will learn to write more easily, effectively, and confidently once they head off to school. Young children can learn a lot by watching someone write, imitating adults and older children, exploring, and experimenting. Literacy learning does not begin at a certain age and I think should not be limited to the classroom. It can develop significantly during the pre-school years and be influenced by social contexts as well as individual skills and applications.
3. Handwriting and spelling are only part of the process of writing. T/F
This is true. The one major fact of writing is that of putting a pen to paper. This involves the transcription aspects of writing, combining handwriting and spelling abilities with the choice of the right words, shaping these into the appropriate syntax and general organisation. Other parts of writing include emulating and exploring the different genres of writing. For example, the child can write but how do they organise their writing, and who is the audience. For a younger child chronologically, organised writing may be easier to tackle at first, such as stories and reports where what happened next provides a major prompt. Appreciation of the possibilities of different kinds of non-chronological text is a major part of writing such as descriptions classifications, explanations, and arguments. Teachers and parents can help by pointing out the distinctive features of these types of writing as opportunities arise. Teachers and parents influence the learners writing through wider reading and of being read to highlight the many facets to writing.
4. Attention should be paid to developing good habits in alphabet letter formation. T/F
This is true. It could be assumed that children’s early ‘invented’ spellings will evolve into conventional versions over time. Parents and teachers need to encourage correct hand movements for forming each letter of the alphabet from a very early age. As a learner gets exposed to more literature he will try out new hand movements. The teacher and parent’s role is to show the visually patterned nature of the English spelling system. Letters have starting points and mistakes from the start can be hard to change as time moves on. Words with time will begin to flow into each other.
5. Using joined-up writing may help develop the learning of the common letter strings found in English. T/F
This is true. How a child writes each letter relates to how they can join that letter up to the next letter. When the child makes a writing mistake for instance beginning a g at its tail, forming an e with a clockwise motion, this can quickly become habitual and can be very difficult to change. Such errors also prevent children from developing the sense of ‘flow’ in the formation of commonly occurring letter strings which are spontaneously joined by correct exit strokes leg. in. ly. ch). This kinaesthetic control over written language production is not only more efficient but is also likely to promote success in spelling.
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Photograph of the day – Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque
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On a trip to Muscat, I could not miss the Grand Mosque. As the sun shone down on the Mosque, the building looked majestic in its finely cut Indian sandstone with 160 feet high central dome. It was certainly a celebration to mark the 30 years the Sultan had reigned. Inside, I could not but stand in wonderment of the huge Islamic architecture chandelier hanging over the men’s prayer hall. Walking around more, I found myself talking to an amiable volunteer who gave me a copy of the Quran, a CD, and other information. He was helpful to explain his religion and answer my questions. If you are in Muscat, this is a must-see.
Language and the Brain
(666 words)
The question, “What part of the brain controls language?” appears straightforward, but the answer is considerably more complex. Although researchers have identified several brain regions associated with language processing, it remains unclear precisely how the brain determines the combination of words required to formulate and communicate a particular message. Linguistic theories provide models for describing the structure and use of language; however, these models do not necessarily explain the underlying neurological mechanisms through which language is produced and understood. Consequently, attempts to explain the relationship between language and brain function must be understood as theoretical interpretations informed by empirical evidence.
Language functions are generally associated with the left hemisphere of the brain, particularly in the majority of right-handed individuals. This phenomenon is consistent with the broader principle of cerebral lateralisation, whereby each hemisphere is primarily responsible for controlling movement and sensation on the opposite side of the body. Thus, the left hemisphere generally controls the right side of the body, while the right hemisphere controls the left. Language processing, however, is not simply a function of a single, localised “language centre.” Rather, it involves a complex network of interconnected regions. Evidence for the importance of the left hemisphere can be observed in individuals who experience brain injury, tumours, or other neurological disorders. Damage to areas of the left hemisphere can result in significant impairments to speech and language, although the nature and severity of these impairments vary considerably between individuals.
An illustrative neurological case occurred in Norway during the 1940s. A woman identified as Astrid L. sustained a severe injury to the left side of her brain as a result of an accident during an air raid. Following the injury, she regained consciousness but was paralysed on her right side and initially unable to speak. Over time, she demonstrated substantial neurological recovery: she regained the ability to walk independently and eventually spoke fluently. Nevertheless, her speech was notably different from that of other Norwegian speakers, particularly in its lack of the characteristic Norwegian accent. This case illustrates the complexity and adaptability of the human brain and demonstrates that the recovery of language ability following neurological damage does not necessarily involve a simple restoration of the functions originally performed by the damaged regions.
Many theories concerning the neurological basis of language have been informed by observations of patients who have experienced brain damage. One useful analogy is to compare the brain with an electrical system in a building. If a fuse fails and electricity is lost to a particular room, the system may potentially be rewired so that electrical power can reach the affected area through an alternative route. Similarly, the brain possesses a degree of neuroplasticity, enabling neural networks to reorganise and, under certain circumstances, compensate for damage to particular regions. The ability of individuals to acquire new motor skills also provides evidence of the brain’s adaptability. For example, a person who is predominantly right-handed may learn to write with the left hand. Such learning requires not only the development and coordination of new muscular movements but also changes in the neural processes responsible for controlling those movements.
Although there is substantial evidence that language functions are predominantly associated with the left hemisphere in most individuals, it would be inaccurate to conclude that language is controlled by one clearly defined location. Language production and comprehension involve multiple interacting regions and processes, and the precise contribution of each region remains an area of ongoing research. Furthermore, individual differences and the brain’s capacity for reorganisation complicate attempts to identify a universal neurological location for language.
It is therefore important to avoid overly simplistic conclusions about the relationship between language and the brain. Human language is a highly complex cognitive phenomenon, and our understanding of its neurological basis remains incomplete. While modern neuroscience has provided considerable insight into the brain regions and networks associated with language, the precise physical processes through which the brain enables an individual to understand, formulate, and communicate linguistic meaning are not yet fully understood.
As the sun goes down on 2021, and the sun rises for 2022..Happy New Year.
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To some give perspective on the picture, we drove out of Muscat down route 15 admiring the immense Oman mountain landscape as it towered over us in our little car. The route took us to Nizwa Fort. However, we had to stop to admire how the sun shone over the mountains.
How Young Learners Learn Languages – True or False
(960 words)
For this writing task, I was asked to give my response to 5 statements about how young learners learn languages. I will answer true or false statements 1- 5 and explain why.
1) Babies are unable to respond until they are at least 6 months old.
Is this True or False?
2) Babbling has an element of the meaning of which the young child is aware.
Is this True or False?
3) Children may sometimes use words in a way different from an adult’s understanding of the language item.
Is this True or False?
4) Grammar rules cannot usually be taught to young children.
Is this True or False?
5) Repetition plays an important part in first language acquisition.
Is this True or False?
1) Babies are unable to respond until they are at least 6 months old. T/F
This is false. From the moment a baby enters the world to eight weeks, the process of language acquisition is in motion. They begin to cry and make little sounds; this exercises the vocal organs and gives them practice in controlling the flow of air through their mouth and nose. They respond to their mother by looking at her when she speaks. If a stranger speaks, the baby will respond differently than to their mother’s voice. The tone, pitch, volume, and intonation of a speaker’s voice make the baby respond differently. The baby shows a response by crying, body movements, babbling, and laughing.
2) Babbling has an element of the meaning of which the young child is aware. T/F
This is true. Language can be said to be a progression of the process which means that there is progressive emergence. Babbling plays a part in this. It can be said that language comes with age and with the form of the body where the child grows and their cognitive senses form. For instance, at 6-7 weeks the baby will be experimenting with coos and chuckles. Then at 3-4 months, the child will start to babble; making rough speech sounds. Most babbling consists of a small number of sounds, which suggests the child is preparing the sounds they will need to speak the language it is exposed to. The baby is aware as the babbling noises tend to closely approximate the language spoken in their environment. When they imitate adult sounds they are scaffolding their language for later development. Learning is intimately linked with the progressive surfacing of a child’s vocabulary and syntax.
3) Children may sometimes use words in a way different from an adult’s understanding of the language item. T/F
This is true. Younger children do not have an adult’s understanding of language; they have their own way of saying things as far as they approximate them. They are born with a special ability to discover for themselves the underlying rules for their language system. For example, a child can tell you in his verbal sounds that the dog their family has, has gone outside. He may say ‘doggie’ and point or say ‘doggie out’. This utterance may just be a few grunts but significantly the point of it is; is that the child is telling you the dog has exited the house. Speech in children can be recognised by the way a child generally uses one pivot word plus one or two additional words, such as ‘Mummy go shops’, ‘Give dolly’. Telegraphic speech as it is known like this is marked by its own grammar, especially in terms of structure. These pivot words tend to occupy a consistent position in the sentence and the word order reflects the order of adult utterances, the only difference being that in telegraphic speech the less semantically important words disappear.
4) Grammar rules cannot usually be taught to young children. T/F
This is true if we were to say that a teacher or parent tries to formally teach a child grammar. Grammar is acquired naturally; it doesn’t need to be taught so formally especially to younger students. Grammar rules taught formally can be just too hard for some children to comprehend. Learning can be modeled on the natural environment although learning needs to accentuate the rate of language acquisition. Role-play, games that highlight interesting and thought-provoking activities can have grammar subconsciously delivered where the learner is using the appropriate language without realizing that the teacher is teaching a specific grammar point. The child will gradually pick up the grammar rules by interaction. They are not pressured. Grammar becomes secondary to the learners actually trying to speak. Their language can be facilitated by the teacher. There is the fact that if the teacher tries to the child’s sentence to the correct version, it often fails. For example:
A child looks at their dolly and says question and answer.
Child: What colour?
Mother: (You mean) what colour IS IT?
Child: Red
Grammar is a progressive discovery. It seems that the child can only learn when the time is right.
5) Repetition plays an important part in first language acquisition. T/F
This is true. This does not mean a child will learn a language by repetition. Repetition helps by the way of the instructor, be that the mother or teacher who replies to the learner’s comments. The child speaks differently from a normal adult. The repetition is done when the child speaks and the mother or teacher repeats and reinforces the child’s speech with their way of saying the utterance.
Child: Daddy come
Mother: Yes, here’s Daddy
Child: Nice doggie
Mother: Yes, he’s a nice doggie isn’t he?
With this type of repetition, encouraging responsiveness, the child will develop. She will keep the child’s word order and add on the rest. The emphasis is on the child’s meaning and not on grammatical structures.
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