After reading these three selections, there was one story that stuck out the most to me and that was the one with Jeremy and Jabu. Throughout reading this, I could see and understand both sides of the situation. Jeremy probably thought that he was helping his student, whereas Jabu felt insulted and belittled. Unfortunately, this situation occurs on a daily basis with language teachers and students. The reasons range from lack of communication to stereotyping to prejudice. It was frustrating to read because I could sense the tension and irritation that Jabu felt every time Jeremy addressed her or spoke to others about her. I myself have felt this way in my own foreign language classes in high school. My comprehension is much more advanced than my oral proficiency. When the teacher would lecture or explain things to us, I understood everything that she would say to a T. But the second that I was called on to answer a question, I would freeze up and stutter and mess up my conjugations. I knew that this was not the best of my capabilities and I would become angry with myself for allowing myself to look incompetent infront of my teacher. But then whenever I would mess up in class, the teacher would start to treat me differently. She would talk slower and louder and look directly at me when she spoke to me. It was really annoying because I felt like she was sugarcoating everything and it didn’t need to be that way. I knew what I was capable of, I just needed to prove that to my teacher. I remember that when I would turn in papers or exams, she would be so surprised at my work and give me extra praise. Normally, I would welcome this praise with open arms, but I knew that this was only because she did not expect that much from me. Therefore, it would embarrass me and aggravate me. In the end, I approached my teacher and explained that I did understand everything we were doing in class, that I struggled with my speaking skills, and that I felt like I was not being challenged enough in her class. Once we discussed this, everything was much better, but we had to get to that point where we verbally communicated what was going on.
My personal experience and that of Jabu’s in the story are evidence of how important it is for teachers to recognize how fragile communication is between themselves and their students. We need to acknowledge the strengths and weaknesses of every student, but not belittle them or treat them differently because of those differences. First off, NEVER speak to them the way you would to a 2 year old; it is rude and degrading. Just because they have a different native language doesn’t mean that they need you to shout at them. Treat them as equals, and if need be, ask them how proficient they are in speaking and listening. Communication is the key to successful teaching, and both parties need to be on the same page or else one is going to be miserable.
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