Reflection Paper #1

[Vivian Shon]

When I came to the United States back in 2007, I only knew how to write and speak basic Korean words. I absolutely knew nothing about the English language and I struggled a lot through the first few weeks of elementary school. However, I remember being placed in an ESL (English as a Second Language) class because I simply could not understand class materials and failed to follow my other classmates at the same pace. Fortunately, I fell in love with that class and my teacher because I was able to free myself from this shy, protective shell and be confident in speaking a language- English. And in that class, I realized that I learn best in a comfortable group setting involving collaborative learning and discussions. In this manner, I feel that I am able to actually practice the linguistic knowledge that I acquired and speak without feeling embarrassed or judged. In other words, I would say that I am an evaluative thinker (according to the FIRE model). I first need to be acknowledged personally as an individual before getting down to business with new faces. It also helped when the teacher provided me with compliments and constant assurance that it is entirely okay to make mistakes. However, unlike what Evaluative section states in the FIRE model, I actually enjoyed a highly competitive learning environment because I think it pushed me to work harder. As a competitive person who does not like to lose, it forced me to study extra vocabulary words and go the extra mile to do well in those games. In ESL class, I really enjoyed learning games that involved competitive games and activities with my other classmates. Sometimes, language learning can become tedious and frustrating, but interactive games kept me engaged and interested to learn more about the language. On the other hand, I really disliked when my teacher only gave us repetitive worksheets and reading assignments to complete. This form of studying and learning was not engaging at all and it made me dread going to class everyday. In addition, according to the learning style surveys, it also says that I am a visual thinker which means I learn by reading or seeing pictures, and understand and learn things by sight. When I study, I also try to visualize the concepts and draw pictures to help me remember certain ideas. However, this also means that I can get distracted very easily, especially when people are walking by the classroom. For instance, when I study in the library on the first floor (interactive section), my head tends to always flicker up and down. Once this happens, I completely get diverted from my studies and cannot focus to the best of my abilities. This is why I now try to study in rooms and places (especially in the library basement) where it is completely quiet. I also always place my phone to the side and on silent, so I can get rid of extra distractions. Regarding expanding my learning activities, I hope to space my study time well in the future. I have the tendency to “cram” my study sessions. This does not necessarily mean procrastinating, but I sometimes do not give myself enough time before assessments to finalize my studying and review the materials.