Blog 11: Holiday Research Update

1. It is important to consistently work on your senior project, whether it is break or we are in school. What did you do over the break with your senior project?

• I used the tips and tricks of language-learning my mentor has taught me in order to acquire Japanese. I have also implied methods learned from my ENG 323 class to teach my baby cousin how to speak.

2. What was the most important thing you learned from what you did, and why? What was the source of what you learned?

• Enjoyable input is something that really effects language learning because if you're learning a language, you need to surround yourself with it. Books, magazines, and songs are ways you can surround yourself with the target language, but it's more beneficial if you are looking at something you enjoy. I saw the effects of enjoyable input within myself.

3. If you were going to do a 10 question interview on questions related to answers for your EQ, who would you talk to and why?

• My mentor, obviously, because she is the one who has taught me different aspects about child language acquisition in the first place. 

Blog #10 : EQ

1. I reviewed the rule of three for writing an EQ.

2. a. What is the most important factor in healthy weight loss?

• Yes, this EQ meets the rule of three.
• Provide a framework for studies (It calls for breadth and depth of research, Is not a yes/no question)
• Take a stance (It allows you to argue some point, Cannot be a recitation of facts or a list)
• Format (It is specific, The wording makes sense)

b. What is most important to securing a conviction in a criminal investigation?

• No, this EQ does not meet the rule of three.
• The wording on this EQ could be done better. "What is most important..." should be "What is the most important factor..."

c. What is most important in creating a hairstyle that best satisfies a customer?

• No, this EQ does not meet the rule of three.
• Like the previous EQ, the wording could use some improvement. "What is the most important..."Also, this EQ seems rather broad. It needs to be more specific.

d. How can an anesthesiologist best treat chronic pain?

• No, this EQ does not meet the rule of three.
• This EQ can be answered with just a recitation of facts.

3. Based on your review of the rule of 3 and your experience with assessing four EQs, please write another draft EQ for your senior project. The senior team will be meeting with students shortly for EQ revision and approval; you are expected to bring your research notebook to that meeting with your EQ draft written inside in pencil.

What is the most important factor in child language acquisition?

Blog 8 - Research and Working EQ

Title: Blog 8 - Research and Working EQ

Label: Research

Due Date: Thursday October 16 by 8AM

1. What is your working EQ?

• What is the most effective way for a child to acquire a language?

2. What is a possible answer to your working EQ? Please write the answer in thesis format.

• EQ: What is the most effective way for a child to acquire a language?
• Having daily conversations in what ever language that is targeted
• Association between the meaning of the word and symbols
• Introduce words to children by theme (example: cooking- "laddel", "spatula", "pot", etc.)

3. What is the most important source you have used that has helped you come up with an answer to your working EQ?

• The most important source I have used is an episode from the television series, "The Human Language Series." The episode I have watched revolves around language acquisition within children; more specifically, first language acquisition. The video goes into detail as to what goes on during a child's mind during the first few years of his life when he or she is acquiring his language and how children are able to pick up words, grammar logic, and new sentences without being taught. The video doesn't straight up hand me the answer as to what is the most effective way a child can learn a language, but it leaves me large puzzle pieces to put together and determine which learning pathway I feel children should take when acquiring language.

4. Who is your mentor, or where are you doing mentorship, and how does what you are doing relate to your working EQ?

• My mentor is Doctor Karen Russikoff who teaches Language Acquisition up at Cal Poly Pomona. Because she is teaching my senior topic, she is a very helpful source to turn to when I would like to learn about any for of language acquisition (whether it be SLA for adults, SLA for children, or first language acquisition). She helped me narrow down what form of language acquisition I would like my senior project to revolve around by having me explore all the different forms of language acquisition. From that, I knew that I wanted to do language acquisition with kids.

Blog 5 - Mentorship and Research Reflection

1. Describe your experience in how you found your mentorship. If you haven't found one yet, describe your experience so far in the search of a mentor.

• Since I have changed my topic to something that doesn't pertain to what I did for the summer hours, I am still searching for a mentor that will help me with my senior project revolving around Language Acquisition. So far, I've e-mailed about ten language teachers at Mt. SAC for convenience, all of them teaching a language at the elementary level. Many of the teachers I have e-mailed have given me a reply yet. I kind of question if they ever opened up their inbox in the first place (which to me, foreshadows a bad mentor). To the one that has replied to me, Professor Salinger, I interviewed him for the interview component in order to test the waters.  a great guy, but I didn't feel like I would enjoy having him as my mentor. Our personalities didn't seem to click and I couldn't see myself working with him for a whole year, thus I decided to just interview him. I am still currently in the search for a mentor.

2. What has been your most important article you have read so far and why?

• I feel like the most important article I've read so far has been "Brain Development and Mastery of Language in the Early Childhood Years" by Elaine Shiver. It goes into great detail about what goes on within a child's brain as they live through their early childhood years, develop communication skills for first language acquisition, and try to learn a new language later on in life (more specifically once the child is 6 years old). This article also talks about why children are able to learn a new language faster and what periods of time should they learn a new language before that opportunity window closes off.

Blog 3: Topic Choice and Working EQ

1. List your topic here: Language Acquisition

2. Write a question that helps to focus your research this month: What is the most effective way to learn a language?

3. If you look to the right of this page, you will see my working bibliography under the Links list.