Chapter 8 Teaching Teenagers Who Are Still Learning English

A section of chapter eight that caught my eye was the part where a student was defending himself speaking Spanish with other students who could also speak Spanish. The student claimed that if they did not understand what was being said in English they would converse with other students who could speak Spanish to help understand what was being said.

This section of the chapter caught my eye because I disagree with it somewhat. I feel that students learning English should try and distance themselves from other students who can speak their native language because this separation will help them learn English faster. While this is frustrating to students in the beginning, they will eventually gain functional use of the English language enough so future learning will come much easier. I feel this way from observing two German exchange students within my high school. They had all the same classes together and could always be seen whispering in German between each another. By the end of their stay in Maine they had made little progress in developing their English skills because they had rarely spoken English in normal contestation.