Welcome to my second Vblog Entry!
After interviewing Priscilla about her experience learning English in the public school system as a child, I found several connections between what she discusses about her experience and what scholars mention. When Priscilla was asked about her teacher, peers and the activities used to support her in learning English, she mentioned that she mentioned that her teacher was not able to provide full translations, but used pictures to help Priscilla learn English. From Priscilla's description, it sounds like she was placed in a submersion classroom where she had to try her best to remember and understand words in English. She also mentions that some students were pulled out of her class, but she was not. Wright (2015) mentions that many different ESL programs can be present within a school campus. Wright (2015, p. 107) mentions that at some schools where pull-out ESL instruction was offered, some ESL students simply did not receive pull-out instruction. Wright (2015) goes on to discuss how if students do not understand what is being taught in their mainstream class, pull out instruction could have been beneficial for them, yet was not provided. Priscilla mentions that although she did not understand what was being taught some of the time, she had to try her best to remember what words meant. In Priscilla's case, pull-out instruction may have been beneficial according to Wright (2015).
I also would like to discuss the tension Priscilla describes when it comes to high stakes testing. She mentioned that her teachers seemed so focused on the test scores, that they were not actually able to provide the individual support that English language learners need to succeed. Wright (2015, p.136) mentions that one of the harmful effects high stakes testing can have on ESL students, teachers and entire classrooms is that they create a stressful school environment focused on testing which leads to test anxiety for students. Wright (2015) goes on to mention that low performance on high stakes test can lead to lowered self-confidence in ESL students, as well as frustrated and demoralized teachers. What Priscilla described in our interview directly aligns with what scholars have proved through research about anxiety that can be caused, both for the students and the teachers, by high stakes testing.
