Gibbons CH 5: Reading in a Second Language

I found the writing for this week very enlightening because I have a very diverse population of students in my field placement class this year. While reading, I found it interesting that readers use a number of different strategies to help them comprehend meaning. Depending on the readers' background knowledge and previous experiences the text will be interpreted differently. I liked the quote in the book: "In one sense, reading simply confirms what we know: we map our already existing experiences onto what we read" (Gibbons, 79). I think this is very true because from my experiences as a reader, and from discussions I have had with other readers, texts can be understood differently depending on a variety of factors including differences in culture, ethnicity, etc. The example in the book (pg 80) emphasizes the fact that meaning is not solely made from the words themselves, but from the unique relationship between the text and reader.

In my field placement classroom this year, there are two students who hardly speak a word of English, and I found it interesting that the CT does not use many of the strategies mentioned in the book (before, during, and after reading activities). The CT does not do much to accomodate the ESL students in the classroom, only further contributing to their sense of alienation among their peers. As the book mentions, ESL students should be used as resources in the classroom instead of hindrances to learning. If the CT would set aside a couple class periods to showcase the ESL students in a geography lesson for example, the ESL students would feel more included and accepted among their peers, while the native English speakers would gain more of an appreciation for places and people from all around the world.