ESL Teacher Reflection (9/18)

This semester, I am enrolled in two LLT courses, this course, and LLT 361. Over the passed three weeks, I have been deeply thinking about my experience with English language learners, and how I have interacted with them. In LLT 361, we have been discussing the differences in how we communicate with small children who have not mastered the L1 language yet, and older language learners that are learning English as their second language. With small children, individuals tend to speak slower, practice clear pronunciation, and use easy, understandable vocabulary. However, with older English language learners, the same methods are not used. Those that communicate with second language learners, myself included, tend to ignore that they have not mastered the language yet. As beginner English language speakers, they are not able to communicate as effectively and quickly as a native speaker, and as Americans in general, I feel we tend to forget about this.

This idea about the ways in which we communicate with non-native speakers has altered the way I speak with customers that are non-native English speakers at my work. I work at DSW in Eastwood Town Center, and every shift I encounter customers that do not speak English as their first language. Even though I am aware that English is not their native language, I speak to them exactly the same as I do to native English speakers. Until my two LLT courses this semester, I never thought twice about how I speak and interact with non-native speakers. However, now, that seems to be all I think about when I have a conversation with a non-native speaker. Although I have tried to slow down my speech with them when I am at work, I know that I am not always successful. Nine times out of ten, the non-native speaking customer will ask me to repeat what I have said, making me realize I either spoke too fast, or used vocabulary that they were unfamiliar with.  

I believe that this realization I had regarding my communication with non-native speakers has definitely informed me of what I need to improve on if I want to teach English as a second language. I need to take into consideration that my students are not native speakers, and will undoubtedly not be at the same level of English competence that I am at currently at being a native English speaker. Although it will be difficult to adjust my ways of communicating with non-native speakers, I am glad to have recognized the careless communication I use with the non-native speaking customers I assist while I am at work. Realizing that my communication is often too fast for them to understand, or even too advanced for them to comprehend, has given me a real representation of how I have too often ignored the limitations that non-native speakers may have. Reevaluating my communicative approach will not only improve my communication with the customers I come in contact with, but it will also better prepare me for the English language learning students I will instruct and interact with in the classroom. 

Kelli Krzezewski