Session 1: Introduction
This was my first post to our C&T 820 Discussion Board. I wanted to introduce myself and give my classmates some insight into my background with my first language (L1) and other language studies (L1 & L2). It was good to learn that my classmates come from different linguistic backgrounds and teaching backgrounds.
Amanda's post on Jan. 26, 2014:
Hello. My name is Amanda and I have lived in Kansas all my life, except for some traveling. I have had the opportunity to visit Lawrence's sister city - Eutin, Germany - during study abroad when I was in some German Language classes as an undergrad. I am a fluent speaker of English and enjoy grammar and linguistics. I think this is supplemented by the fact that I enjoyed taking Spanish classes during high school and doing some independent study of other languages from time to time.
I am licensed to teach English Language Arts 6-12 through KU's Education program, and I have taught 6th grade Reading & Language Arts for 2 years, then did some different jobs and decided to finish my masters work through KU. At this time I am working with SPED and ELL students in a science classroom at 8th grade. From teaching, observations, and coaching experiences I have noticed that speakers of language other than English can teach you a lot about diversity, language, and how you teach, so it is interesting to me to learn about how people acquire language and what methods we use to communicate meaning, in school or in life.
For fun I like to be outdoors when the weather is nice, including working in my garden or riding my bike. With friends I love going to concerts or preparing a big meal. My significant other and I play board games or watch movies together. I look forward to having a busy spring semester and learning a lot in this class!
Ryan says:
Hello! My name is Ryan. I am originally from Nebraska. Unfortunately, I only speak English fluently though I studied Spanish in college. I have experience teaching elementary school and I completed a certification program in that area; however, for the past five years I’ve taught English to international students at intensive English programs at K-State and now here at KU. I’ve lived for a year in China teaching English and I completed my master’s program in Australia. In my spare time I enjoy cooking, bicycling, gardening, volunteering and eating out. Although I am not 100% sure of my career goal, I would definitely be interested in learning more about education administration in higher education, curriculum development, teacher training and so forth. From this course I hope, among other things, to improve my lesson plan writing skills and to learn more about the instruction of speaking skills. It is a pleasure to meet you and I look forward to working with you this semester.
Amanda's reply:
Hi Ryan! Nice to meet you. I am really interested in your experience in China. I have always thought it would be exciting to teach EFL in another country. Did you have difficulty getting around there without speaking fluent Chinese? It is awesome that you have traveled and studied in other countries and can probably help you relate to students who are learning English as their second (or 3rd or 4th) language.