mercredi 13 novembre 2013

Blog #8 - Overall reflection

HELLO EVERYONE!
 
My internship is coming to is end! Today I will talk to you about my overall reflection and about my impression of this internship.

GOALS THAT I SET FOR MY SELF AT THE BEGINNING

At the beginning of my internship, I set for myself some goals that I wanted to achieve or that I wanted to work on. One of my goals was to practice my pronunciation because I often speak to fast when I speak in my second language (L2).

Since I speak to fast when I speak in English, during all of my internship I had to remember myself to speak slowly and pronounce my words clearly.

Since my internship was with kids around the age of 3-4, their vocabulary is not quite developed, so it helps me to speak slowly without using a rich vocabulary. Of course when I was speaking with the adults, I was practicing my vocabulary. I often asked question about the words I didn't understand.

I achieved all of my goals that I set for myself. I did practice my pronunciation and I did learn a lot of new words. Even today, I did learn new words. I even did practice my Spanish a little bit because we had a new little boy that was only speaking in Spanish.

WHAT HELPED ME TO ACHIEVE MY GOALS

What did help me was to often ask questions to the people that are perfectly bilingual. Also, speaks slowly made me practice my pronunciation.


BARRIERS

Of course, since I am not perfectly bilingual, I often have to search for meaning or search the words that I want to express. To help myself, I asked to one of the guy that was speaking French and English, so when I was searching for a meaning or an expression, he was always there to help me.

LEARNING STRATEGIES

One of the strategies that I use was to practice. Of course the more you practice the better you become. So, I was trying to always speak in English even if sometimes I was searching for some words.

The second one was to search for meaning. When someone was speaking with another person or with me and that there were one or more words that I didn’t understand, I was asking for clarification and for the meaning of the words.

The last one is to analysing speech. Of course when people were speaking in their native language, I was listening them. I was analysing their speech, their accent and the way they were pronouncing the words.

IN MY LIFE NOW AND LATER ON

Of course I will still practice my English because a lot of people surrounding myself speak in English. Later on, English will help me in my job. When you speak a second language, it is always a benefit for yourself.

Since I want to work with children later on, it will be a big plus for me if I can express myself in both languages.

GAIN

every things that I do in life makes me gain experience, even when it's a negative experience. Of course my internship was a positive experience. It made me realize that I really love working with kids and that I still want to study in special education for children.

WHAT WOULD I DO DIFFERENTLY

If I had to this experience again, I wouldn't change anything. I really enjoyed this experience and I would do it anytime. I am even going to propose myself to work there. I know they are looking for people and, since I really enjoyed my internship with everyone and all the kids, I would love to work for them.

RECOMMANDATIONS

I would recommend this internship to anyone that wants to learn more about the kids and that want to practice his pronunciation. Of courses the person must love children because you are always with them.

mercredi 6 novembre 2013

Blog #7

Hi everyone!

I attended my internship today.

Interaction

Today we had the usual routine. Although, the kids were very excited, they were talking, screaming and singing a lot.

New language

At one time, we were reading a story to the kids. The kids said something that I wasn't quite sure what he said because the word he said could be 2 different words but they sound the same. It's the word this like and dislike.

Of course one of them means that you like the thing and the other one means you don't like it.

The little boy was showing me picture and he said me this like or me dislike, so I had to ask him if he actually like the picture or didn't like it because both of the word sound the same. At the end, he loved the picture he just didn't express himself properly.

I have learnt a teaching approach that is: Say what mean and mean what you say. Of course the little boy don't know this teaching approach, but for myself I had to correct him because instead of saying me this like, he should of said me, I like this.


Challenges

Of course one of the challenges for me is that I often search for meaning. I express myself easily in English and I can have a fluent conversation, but I don't always know the word or the expression that I want to express, so I often ask for clarification.

mercredi 30 octobre 2013

Blog #6

Good afternoon everyone!!!

Today I attended my internship at the Boys and Girls Club.

Interaction

Today we went to the library with all the kids from the school. A woman who works at the library has read two Halloween story to the kids and they also have made a drawing.  We took the bus to go to the library so I add to be very careful with the kids. I had to announce rules to them in English and in French.

New language

Most of the conversation were turning around Halloween because all the kids were talking about it. They were telling me about their costume and about how much they were excited.

There are 2 words that I learn: costume and skeleton

I had a blank when I was trying to say the word costume to a kids, so I had to ask to a French person that speaks very good in English.

The word skeleton was pronounced by the lady at the library. I didn't remember what was the correct word for a squelette (skeleton) in English.


Socio-cultural factors that affect communication
Self-esteem have a lot to do with verbal communication. Someone with a low sense of self-esteem may find it difficult to voice their opinion of feel they are not worthy of speaking. Contrarily, someone with a high self-esteem may find it very easy to dominate a conversation.


When we went to the library, the lady was asking them some questions about the story and it was always the same kids that were answering to the lady. I guess that those kids had a high self-esteem then those who didn't want to answer at all. The lady were asking question but they didn't want to answer contrarily to the other kids that were very excited to answer.

mercredi 23 octobre 2013

Blog #5

Good afternoon blogger’s!!

I attended today my internship!

Interaction

The interaction that I have is very simple sentence and we use simple vocabulary because I am working with kids around 3-4 years old.


Language lexicon

One of the girls had a sandwich at lunch that she didn't want to eat because it was chicken. So, I start to cut her sandwich in small piece and my fingers were smelling tuna. I didn't know what the words for «thon» in English was so, I asked the guy what was the English words for "thon". I learn the word tuna.

Rewards and challenges


The challenges when you speak with young kids is that you really have to use simple sentence and simple vocabulary.

But, it gives me the chance to increase my pronunciation because I speak slowly with them.


Socio-cultural factors that affect communication

Shyness and anxiety disorders are one of the factors that I observe that was affecting the communication between kids. 

Some of the kids are very shy and doesn't express them self out loud. People that are suffering from shyness may be perfectly comfortable talking to close friends or family in their home, but not in front of unknown people. There are 2 kids in my internship that don't speak at all.

mercredi 16 octobre 2013

Blog #4

Hello blogger's!!

Today I attended my internship with the small friends at the boys and girls club of lasalle.

Interaction

Because I am working with kids around 3-4 years olds, their is not a lot of  interaction in english. The conversation that we have is not rich. The words that the kids uses is simple.


Linguistic and cultural observations between French vs. English

I observe that some of the kids that are only speaking one languages are less shy than those who speaks two languages.


New lexicon

Today, I have learn the word ASAP. When people are talking, I listen their conversation to see if I understand every words. Two girls were talking and one of them said ASAP. I didn't know what was the meaning of this words, so I made a reaserch when I got home. The words means as soon as possible.


Challenges

Their is some challenges that I face in my internship. Sometimes I don't always know every words in english. I often have to search in my head what I want to express. When I don't know what to say, I ask to the guy with who i'm working. He speaks french, so he can help me.

mercredi 9 octobre 2013

Blog #3

Hello blogger's !!!

I attended my internship today with the kids around 2-3 years old. It was really pleasant to work with them. At first they were eating their lunch after that it's nap time for everyone and then they eat something and they can play until 15h30. I really enjoy working with Kim and Olivier. They have told me precisely what I had to do and not to do.

New lexicons 
This group only speaks in english. I didn't really learnt new words because their language is not quite developped to be rich in the vocabulary but I practice a lot my pronunciation with them because I speak slowly with them.

I also have a lot of interaction with them because I have to help them and show them what to do and not to do. The kids ask me a lot of question, they are very curious.

Communication English vs. French

One time I said to a little girl named Sofia : eat this you ( she wasn't eating her lunch so I had to tell her a lot to eat it ). After I said it, I taught in my head that it wasn't the right way to say it, so I repeat it in a other way and told her : You have to eat this.

Well I really enjoyed my day and I can't wait to go back next wednesday !!

Thank you

mercredi 2 octobre 2013

INTERNSHIP FIRST IMPRESSION POST #2

Hello bloguer's

I had today my first day of internship at The Boys And Girls Club of Lasalle. I have to say that it was amazing. I really enjoyed playing and help the kids. At first we did an activity in the gymnas. Some of the kids where playing basketball, frisbee and volleyball. It didn't get to long for the kids to be confortable with me.  After the gym, we went eating something and after that they do homeworks. I did love to help them.


There is a lot of different culture and all the kids speaks at least 1 or 2 language. French and english. Some speaks only in english and some others only in french.

You know very quickly who is speaking wich language because if they don't understand what you are saying they will just look at you with a funny face, so you know they speaks the other language.

I had some misunderstandings because some of the kids didn't prounonce very well each words and some were speaking to fast for me because they were speaking in their native language, so I was asking them to repat slowly.

One girls came to me and ask me for a ball:
Girls: hey, can I have peachball?
Me: I was like....WHAT?? I was talking to my self in my head: what is a peachball? So I ask her what she wanted again because Iwasn't understanding what she was telling me and she showed me the ball.
Me : haaaaa! A beachball

I guess she was speaking to fast for me or she didn't pronounce her words correctly because she was closing her lips as she wanted to say P and not B.

At the end of everything I had a lot of fun with the kids.