Connection #3 Collier

For my third connection I chose to connect to Collier. I decided this because there was many time that the kids I worked with and others in the class that I interacted with that answered me somewhat or fully in Spanish. For instance a few times students would count in Spanish to do math and so on. As well in the hallways signs were in both English and Spanish.

Collier says that you should use the student’s first language to help the student learn their second. I believe this as well, because in the classes I was working in one student was having trouble figuring out a problem. I then asked the other child if he could help out the other student so I could see if he understood the problem. He went to try and explain in English but stopped and ended in Spanish. This student I believe couldn’t find the words he was looking to say and he resorted back to his first language which Collier would agree with. I didn’t tell them that they were wrong I let them go and talk in Spanish and they got it right.

This brings me to Colliers guideline # 6 “immediately generates a question. Which language is best for English-language learner literacy development: the home language. English (the second language), or both? Happily, the research is clear about the best choice. The ‘most successful long-term academic achievement occurs where the students' primary language is the initial language of literacy’ (174). First, at the early stages of instruction, using the home language for literacy builds the self-worth of language minority students. Further, literacy research states that first language literacy favorably influences subsequent second language literacy (175). Once a child becomes literate in the home language, literacy skills swiftly transfer to second language settings.”

            This to me is showing that it is ok for students to use their first language and that in the early phases of childhood they will quickly pick up their second language. This connects perfectly because the students now are just making it into that stage of picking  it up quickly.