Community Cultural Interactions and Observations

Emalee Rabinovitch
Journal #2
Date of Observation: November 12, 2014- 7:30-5:30
Background Information:
I work at a daycare here in Corvallis that has a total of fifteen kids enrolled. The kids range from
six months to twelve years old. Out of those fifteen kids, two of them are English language
learners. Tyler is two and comes from a Chinese-American household and speaks both
languages. Zeyad is four years old and recently moved from Cairo, Egypt to Corvallis, Oregon.
Specific Language and Relevant Behavior Observed
Tyler speaks Chinese and English. Zeyad speaks three languages; Arabic, French and English.
Last observation, I decided to watch Zeyad more closely. This time I wanted to watch Tyler and
see the differences in how these two communicate and learn. This observation was completely
different from my last one. When observing Tyler I noticed some similarities to Zeyad, but many
differences as well. Zeyad engaged in parallel play rather than direct play but Tyler directly
played with the other children. It was interesting to watch because Tyler would try and speak to
the other children to tell them how he wanted to play. However, those children did not seem to
understand him well seeing as Tylers English is very choppy and he does not have a very wide
vocabulary. Due to this the other children would not listen to Tyler and how he wanted to play.

This caused Tyler to get frustrated and throw tantrums when he did not get his way. Unlike
Zeyad, Tyler has not been labeled a trouble maker by my other coworkers, but has been
labeled dramatic. Tyler tends to throw tantrums often when he does not get his way. Another
thing I observed about Tyler is he is very protective over his belongings and people he is close
too.
During school time, Tyler had a hard time sitting still and waiting for instructions. Unlike
Zeyad, Tyler spoke up in school time and was very involved. He was so involved that it didnt
give the other children much room to speak during school time. Tyler interrupted multiple times
and had a hard time communicating what he wanted to answer back to the questions asked of
him. When called on, he would sit back and take several minutes to reply to the question.
My Interaction with the ELL:
Being his teacher, I had direct interaction with Tyler all day. I was instructing him and leading
him in school time. I spoke directly with him, whether it was talking with him or correcting
misbehavior. Tyler constantly asks questions all day, replying with why? to everything we say.
I found myself giving Tyler more attention than other children because he needed me more.
Course Materials and Outcomes:
While watching Tyler this morning, I tried to keep in mind all the course outcomes and materials
we have learned so far this term. The reason Tyler probably acted out was because he did not
understand half of what was going on around him. Opposite of Zeyad, Tyler engaged in direct
play with other students. In Freeman and Freeman it is stated that individuals learn both content
and language as they engage with others in a variety of settings to accomplish specific purposes

(73). Tyler interacting directly with his peers and is his way of learning, unlike Zeyad who
tended to be more introverted when playing and learning. When speaking about how one
acquires language, Freeman and Freeman comments Any satisfactory model of language
development must be compatible with how children learn; their ability to perceive,
conceptualize, store and access information; and their motivations (105). This statement appears
to be true for both Zeyad and Tyler while learning languages. They both have to find what is
compatible with their learning development. I also found Tyler code-switching between
Chinese and English multiple times throughout the day.
My Reflection:
It was very interesting to watch Zeyad and Tyler. It gave me a real insight to how an ELL must
be taught and how their learning differs from native English speakers. I noticed that with both
there were many similarities but also many differences. I think this is interesting because it
proves the point that every student learns differently, not only native English speakers but
especially English language learners. Even though Zeyad and Tyler are both learning a second
language at an early age, it does not mean they are learning or producing it in the same way.
It was also interesting to see the differences in how their culture may affect their
language learning as well. Tyler required more constant attention to his every action, whereas
with Zeyad did not. Tyler may have more attention put on him at home seeing as he is the only
child with two parents. Zeyad has three other siblings and is being raised by a single parent. This
could play a huge role into their language barriers and also how their learning in general is
affected. After seeing the comparison between these two children, it is crazy to me to see how
each ELL is treated about the same in certain school districts. Not all ELL programs are going to

be the right fit for each ELL student. I want to keep this in mind when teaching my own
classroom or ELL program. It is important to know as a teacher that it may not work for each
student.