DESCRIPTION:

The Five Guidelines Using Articles document and accompanying Meaning of Articles presentation were developed for (TESL 515) Spring I 2020 Teaching English Grammar with Professor Michael Chamberlain. In this document, I examine my pedagogy in training new student teachers using an approach that reviews specific grammar points – definite and indefinite articles. I then assessed this approach through reflection and peer feedback on addressing and improving my teaching strategies and classroom management. The Pronunciation Needs Assessment artifact was created for (TESL 525) Spring II 2021 Teaching English Pronunciation with Professor Rich Robison. In it, I analyze the pronunciation of a native Mandarin speaker who is also fluent in Taiwanese to offer suggestions for an instructional strategy to enhance her intelligibility.

REFLECTION:

While English is my native language, I was taken aback by the many grammar points, rules, and voice structures I naturally use to communicate. I asked myself, "What did I learn?" when I studied English in school due to my unfamiliarity with the various grammar types (i.e., modals, conditionals, gerunds, infinitives, etc.) as standard terms. My confidence was undermined by negative thoughts questioning my grammar studies approach and my ability to analyze grammar production accurately. I imagine for the L2 Learner, learning English appears as an impenetrable wall were one tries to navigate through an opening. I am thankful that TESL 515 presented grammar pedagogy in a way that moved beyond the application of prescriptive grammar rules to an adaptable construct, a tool to assist students in delivering intelligible communication in different contexts. TESL 525 provided me with the experience of assessing learners' production: the data I gather better informs me of the problem areas and where assistance is needed so that I can be of better service to the Learner. With this clarity, teaching grammar and pronunciation takes on a different meaning. I now see it as performing a service of respect to help my students communicate accurately and help them realize their goals of participating in their communities in different contexts.

APPLICATION:

This shift in my perspective has emphasized the need for an awareness of the contexts in which students will use the target language and the modalities they will use in order to provide a functional analysis of their grammar production. I will conduct needs analyses that evaluate learner production and collect data on perceived needs and target context so that I may focus lessons on contextualized practices. I will familiarize myself with how learners' interlanguages are influenced by their L1 and the potential interference this may cause for production. I will respect my students' cultural and linguistic variability by presenting grammar and pronunciation as tools for comprehensible communication, not simply standards to obtain.