Language Learner Student Profiles
- Hannah Julia Paredes Kilnoski
- Jul 9, 2021
- 6 min read
Updated: Jul 21, 2021
A thoughtful analysis of 3 language learner profiles
This blog post is in fulfillment of Module 25 Unit 2 Activity 1
Understanding language learner identities can greatly promote multiculturalism for the student, the teacher and other students in a class. In a study carried out by Campaign for Education. When teachers were asked to record what languages were spoken in their classrooms, they not only came to better understand their students, but they also learned of the existence of languages in their communities they were previously unaware of. By understanding students’ languages and cultures, educators can think of more targeted and efficient ways to best support those learners. These more specific and situation-based thoughtful approaches can also allow students to thrive. Their exact needs being analyzed, planned, executed and met, is fundamental to the continued growth of language learning students. Furthermore, acknowledging and celebrating students’ identities and cultures can help the students to engage more deeply with taught material and gain self-driven learning habits that will contribute to their continued success.
My thoughts on Student Profile #1
This first Learner profile is about Beatriz from Spain. She has taken many English exams and performed well in them thus far. She is a university student studying Computer Engineering. In the profile, Beatriz is described as being very talented and motivated by the English exams. She has a couple area where she could be improved mostly focusing on proper use of advanced vocabulary. She attended bilingual schools her whole life so her general English is quite high.
In this situation, I think Beatriz could benefit from high level practice exams that focus on vocabulary uses. The GRE exam for example has vocabulary flashcard sets and accompanying textbooks that walk the learner through the vocabulary word, associated grammar and gives examples of how that word should be used. The mock test in the accompanying book then tests knowledge on these same words using fill in the gap questions. The profile also recommends this approach using the CAE practice test books. To improve her other general skills, because her English level is fairly high, I think she can tutor lower-level English learners. Teaching is a great way to retain the information for the teacher, not only the student.
Furthermore, I think it’s important to support students in their overall academics not just their English learning goals. Because her degree of study is Computer Engineering, there should be an inclusion of relevant materials. These may include videos, documentaries, articles, journals, websites and books about computer engineering. To effectively teach this student, the educator might have to do additional learning and research to understand the concepts that Beatriz might already know but may lack the proper English vocabulary for.
You can find the complete learner profile here.
My thoughts on Student Profile #2
Learner Profile 2 is on Sarah. Sarah was raised around many languages in immersive environments. She has lived in many immersive environments and had linguistically immersive education experiences. She is very interested in learning languages and was always supported in her language learning.
For Sarah, I think her strengths are really well laid out. Just about every language learning strategy I’ve heard of is something incorporated in her normal practice. She began exposure to other languages as an infant, she had language immersive education, she independently uses mnemonic techniques… She seems to be doing everything right. On top of all this, she has taken a neuro-linguistics course to determine her language learning style and strategies that can cater specifically to her and her needs. In this situation, I think it would be really difficult to help. This would require an extremely qualified teacher who has taken the same courses that she has and gone on to even higher levels in those fields. She seems very self-motivated. Personally, I don’t know what to suggest for Sarah’s growth besides supporting her in the habits she already has and to introduce her to multilingual language resources she might not know.
I do have several questions though. I am excited and happy to see so many great theories and practices already included in her language practice but I wonder how realistic employing all of these are for most people. How can the average language learner take some of these strategies to become the most successful language learner they can? How does she have time for all of this language learning? I understand that immersive environments really promote fast language learning but learning a language requires so much time. Thinking personally, I live in China and work in a school where we speak Chinese and I have a structured Chinese class once a week but I also work a full time job and am a Master’s student so I struggle to understand how she has so much time to dedicate towards her language study. How can we support language learners who don’t have that much time?
You can find the complete learner profile here.
My thoughts on Leaner Profile #3
Learner Profile 3 was created by my group for Module 25 Unit 2. Before we get into it, I’d like to quickly thank my group members Katelyn Lopez, Yuri Yang, Mark Triana and Haifeng Xu for contributing to our imaginary student profile.
Our student profile was created by taking examples and experiences from our own students then adding in details and knowledge from others. Our student will be referred to as J. J is a 7 year old Chinese boy whose English is really high for his age. J spent a year when he was five in Boston and learned English really quickly while there and spoke almost exclusively in English in the US. He had a very supportive family and teachers. Upon his return to China, he enrolled in a predominantly Chinese speaking school though he does have English class three times a week. He also attends an English training center and has a private tutor. His English talents are well-known among his peers and he has even competed in English competitions. He is very active and curious. He is very interested in aliens, robots and spaceships and currently plans to become an astronaut.
In the case of J, I would focus on learning activities that he finds engaging. Because he is young and active, gamification of his English classes is essential to keeping him engaged. I also think the topics chosen for delivery of material is key. He is still learning grammar, vocabulary and learning strategies that would be on grade level in the United States. To make this sometimes boring material more engaging, the activities designed for class can be centered and themed around space and exploration so he can engage his imagination while learning key skills. Some additional reading sources and worksheets about space could be brought in from real science outlets such as National Geographic kids to supplement his current knowledge and build his vocabulary, reading skills, and drive for learning English. To take this a step further, You could ask J to write a story about aliens or create his own planet using inspirations from scientific sources. He could also draw a picture to help bring his idea to life and then present it to someone. This would work on and actively build all of his language learning skills.
My group’s Learner Profile can be found here.
Thank you to my group members Katelyn Lopez, Yuri Yang, Mark Triana and Haifeng Xu for all your contributions!
Works Cited
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