Entry #4 Attempting to Read in Another Language

Retrieved from http://www.englishspanishlink.com/recipes.htm on September 27, 2010.

Un ejemplo de dos platos principales en español e inglés
FILETES DE POLLO A LA CREMA DE YOGUR

DIFICULTAD: Fácil
PREPARACIÓN: 25 minutos
COCCIÓN: 35 minutos
INGREDIENTES: 4 personas



INGREDIENTES:
8 filetes de pechuga
150 grs. de cebolla troceada
1 vasito de vino blanco
200 ml de yogur natural
30 grs. de mantequilla
3 cucharadas de mostaza a la pimienta verde
3 yemas de huevo
Aceite de oliva, sal y pimienta

1. Colocar las pechugas congeladas dentro de una bandeja honda cubiertas de leche dentro del frigorífico para que se descongelen lentamente, y la cebolla dentro de una escurridora para que al descongelarse elimine toda el agua.

2. AI día siguiente, poner una cazuela al fuego con la mantequilla y un poco de aceite. Sofreir las pechugas previamente escurridas y salpimentadas. En cuanto cambien de color, se añade la cebolla descongelada y escurrida y se deja a fuego lento removiendo de vez en cuando.

3. A media cocción, agregar el vino, y mientras cuece el pollo, preparar la salsa colocando el yogur y las yemas dentro de un cazo al baño maría sin dejar que hierva. Batir la mezcla hasta que empiece a espesar o se forme en la superficie un poco de espuma.

4. Añadir la mostaza y seguir batiendo hasta que la salsa espese, añadiendo por último la salsa de la cocción previamente pasada por el colador chino. Seguir removiendo fuera del fuego para formar una salsa ligada. Servir las pechugas cubiertas con la salsa acompañadas de unos bocaditos de patata o un flan de arroz.

CENTROS DE SALMÓN AL CAVA CON CHAMPIÑONES

DIFICULTAD: Fácil
PREPARACIÓN: 10 minutos
COCCIÓN: 20 minutos
INGREDIENTES: 4 personas



INGREDIENTES:
4 centros de salmon noruego
500 grs. de champiñones
100 ml de crema de leche
1 cucharadita de harina
Aceite de oliva, sal y pimienta

1. Colocar el salmón salpimentado y previamente descongelado dentro de una bandeja engrasada. Cubrir la bandeja con papel de aluminio cerrándolo herméticamente e introducir en el horno precalentado a 180º durante 5 minutos.

2. Poner los champiñones con un poco de aceite dentro de una sartén al fuego y cuando empiecen a absorber el agua que desprendan, agregar el cava dejando que reduzca a la mitad.

3. Añadir la crema de leche mezclada con la harina, salpimentar y sin parar de remover. Dejar hervir lentamente 5 minutos a fuego lento para que espese y se cueza la harina.

4. Cubrir los centros de salmón con la salsa de los champiñones, introduciendo la bandeja de nuevo en el horno precalentado 5 minutos más como máximo. Se debe tener en cuenta que el pescado debe cocer poco.


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I love to cook, so I chose two publications of recipes in Spanish. After attempting to read the instructions, I can honestly say I would not invite anyone over to dinner to eat my creations!
Since the publication provides an English version, I quickly printed the recipe and had a friend cut out the English text. I then began to attempt to make sense out of the recipe. I was immediately frustrated. I relied heavily on some known strategies. For instance, I constantly went back to the picture to see if words match the picture. I saw the word CREMA. I assumed it was milk or cream since the pasta looks like a white sauce in the picture. I also easily saw the word SALMON, since it is in the picture and because it is the same in English.
While recognizing out words that I may know was useful, it also became very confusing. According to my interpretation, the ingredients would include 4 “persons” or people. That seems highly unlikely! In addition, while the numbers were helpful, I did not understand the measurements or precisely what they were asking for in the list of ingredients I also was very lost when it came to “how” to cook the ingredients. To process my prior knowledge, I wrote out the recipe and replaced the English words with Spanish words.
Then, to scale back the text and provide some type of guidance, I had my friend give me words that I thought would be helpful to figure out the text. In a way, I approached it like a puzzle. I knew if I asked for clarification on a word that was constantly repeated throughout the text, it would help me make meaning out of the words surrounding that word. Also, it seemed I really needed assistance with verbs. I would make a guess to demonstrate my thinking, and then my friend would give me the word. I used my prior knowledge of cooking to guess some of the cooking verbs, but I was hardly accurate.
When it was all said and done, I needed a great deal of scaffolding. This was partially due to the fact that I would have to make this dish and I knew I needed accurate information to cook it successfully. I feel, if it was not for the sake of the finished product, I would have been satisfied at partially understanding the text.
As a teacher, this experience was significant to understanding my English Language Learners. I realize that they are often “in over their heads” when approaching English text. It also implies the importance of scaffolding. What really caught my interest was the way I was feeling throughout the process. I would constantly want to peek or be told the next word. I was not thrilled about struggling through the reading simply relying on my known strategies (which were limited). I also truly recognize the importance of making the reading meaningful. I was inspired to keep working at the text, because I knew I would have to make the dish. Of course, I did not really make the dish, but I would use this type of activity to motivate the students to want to learn the words on the page. I thought it was very powerful, opposed to simply reading an article to discuss. I think that cooking or doing science projects would be a very rewarding reading experience for all learners.

Here is the translated version for your information…

FILETES DE POLLO A LA CREMA DE YOGUR
CHICKEN BREASTS WITH CREAM OF YOGURT

DIFICULTAD: Fácil
DIFFICULTY: Easy
PREPARACIÓN: 25 minutos
PREPARATION: 25 minutes
COCCIÓN: 35 minutos
COOKING: 35 minutes
INGREDIENTES: 4 personas
INGREDIENTS: 4 People


INGREDIENTES:
INGREDIENTS:
8 filetes de pechuga
8 chicken breasts
150 grs. de cebolla troceada
150 grms of chopped onions
1 vasito de vino blanco
1 small glass of white wine
200 ml de yogur natural
200 ml of natural yogurt
30 grs. de mantequilla
30 grms of butter
3 cucharadas de mostaza a la pimienta verde
3 tablespoons of green pepper mustard
3 yemas de huevo
3 egg yolks
Aceite de oliva, sal y pimienta
Olive oil, salt and pepper

1. Colocar las pechugas congeladas dentro de una bandeja honda cubiertas de leche dentro del frigorífico para que se descongelen lentamente, y la cebolla dentro de una escurridora para que al descongelarse elimine toda el agua.

1. Place the frozen chicken breasts in a deep dish covered with milk. Then put the dish in the fridge so that the chicken defrost slowly. Put the onion in a strainer so that as it defrost, all the water drips away.

2. AI día siguiente, poner una cazuela al fuego con la mantequilla y un poco de aceite. Sofreir las pechugas previamente escurridas y salpimentadas. En cuanto cambien de color, se añade la cebolla descongelada y escurrida y se deja a fuego lento removiendo de vez en cuando.

2. The next day, put a saucepan on the heat with the butter and a little oil. Strain, add salt and pepper to the chicken breasts and then lightly fry. As soon as they change colour, add the defrosted and strained onion and leave over a low heat stirring from time to time.

3. A media cocción, agregar el vino, y mientras cuece el pollo, preparar la salsa colocando el yogur y las yemas dentro de un cazo al baño maría sin dejar que hierva. Batir la mezcla hasta que empiece a espesar o se forme en la superficie un poco de espuma.

3. When half-cooked, add the wine and while the chicken is cooking, prepare the sauce by putting the yogurt and the egg yolks in a saucepan bain-marie without letting it boil. Beat the mixture until it begins to thicken or a little froth forms on the surface.

4. Añadir la mostaza y seguir batiendo hasta que la salsa espese, añadiendo por último la salsa de la cocción previamente pasada por el colador chino. Seguir removiendo fuera del fuego para formar una salsa ligada. Servir las pechugas cubiertas con la salsa acompañadas de unos bocaditos de patata o un flan de arroz.

4. Add the mustard and continue beating the mixture until the sauce thickens, adding at the end, the previously cooked and sieved sauce. Continue to stir off the heat to make a light sauce. Serve the chicken breasts covered with the sauce and accompanied by some potato morsels or a rice cake.

CENTROS DE SALMÓN AL CAVA CON CHAMPIÑONES
SALMON FILLETS WITH CAVA AND MUSHROOMS

DIFICULTAD: Fácil
DIFFICULTY: Easy
PREPARACIÓN: 10 minutos
PREPARATION: 10 minutes
COCCIÓN: 20 minutos
COOKING: 35 minutes
INGREDIENTES: 4 personas
INGREDIENTS: 4 People


INGREDIENTES:
INGREDIENTS:
4 centros de salmon noruego
4 fillets of Norwegian salmon
500 grs. de champiñones
500 grms of mushrooms
100 ml de crema de leche
100 ml of cream of milk
1 cucharadita de harina
1 teaspoon of flour
Aceite de oliva, sal y pimienta
Olive oil, salt and pepper

1. Colocar el salmón salpimentado y previamente descongelado dentro de una bandeja engrasada. Cubrir la bandeja con papel de aluminio cerrándolo herméticamente e introducir en el horno precalentado a 180º durante 5 minutos.

1. Place the defrosted and seasoned salmon in a greased tray. Cover the tray with aluminium (US aluminum) paper, closing it hermetically and put into a pre-heated oven at 180º for 5 minutes.

2. Poner los champiñones con un poco de aceite dentro de una sartén al fuego y cuando empiecen a absorber el agua que desprendan, agregar el cava dejando que reduzca a la mitad.

2. Put the mushrooms with a little oil in a frying pan onto the heat. When they begin to absorb the water they give out, add the cava allowing it to reduce by half.

3. Añadir la crema de leche mezclada con la harina, salpimentar y sin parar de remover. Dejar hervir lentamente 5 minutos a fuego lento para que espese y se cueza la harina.

3. Add cream of milk mixed with the flour, sprinkled in without pausing in the stirring. Leave to boil for 5 minutes on a low heat so that it thickens and the flour cooks.

4. Cubrir los centros de salmón con la salsa de los champiñones, introduciendo la bandeja de nuevo en el horno precalentado 5 minutos más como máximo. Se debe tener en cuenta que el pescado debe cocer poco.

4. Cover the salmon fillets with the mushroom sauce, and then put the tray back in the pre-heated oven for a maximum of 5 minutes. Be careful to cook the fish for a very short time.

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Entry #3 Oral Language and the Reading Process

There is a great debate about the relationship between acquiring oral language skills and learning how to read. Most researchers support the idea that oral language is an innate skill built into the human system for the sake of communication (Freeman & Freeman, 2004). Therefore, children quickly “acquire” their first language through interactions with family members and the world around them. Consequently, formal instruction is not required to learn a child’s first language (Freeman & Freeman, 2004). While I agree with oral language acquisition, the question still remains: Can children acquire reading and writing in much the same way as they acquire oral language skills?
Researchers argue that children acquire their first language and they do so rather quickly without explicit instruction, however reading, writing, and second languages are much more difficult to acquire (Freeman & Freeman, 2004). The two forms of communication, oral language and written word, carry different vocabulary, as well as, different structures (Freeman & Freeman, 2004). Consequently, written language is not natural and becomes a more learned activity. While all of this seems true, I believe that a child exposed to reading and writing in an interactive setting can acquire many of the skills necessary for reading. Through reading and making meaning with an adult, a child can understand story lines, depict problems and solutions, and become familiar with character development. The children constantly interacting with books are often the children that parents talk about by saying “They just started reading, no one taught them!” These students appear to have learned how to read out of no where, but it would be fair to say that they acquired reading by reading. For these reasons, the debate continues.
Consequently, while I believe acquiring reading is possible, I also realize it is not likely to happen in our society. I believe the acquisition of reading skills can occur at an early age with constant participation in reading activities with parents or early childhood teachers. However, in our busy society, the possibility of this happening is very slim. Therefore, I feel that students that “missed out” on this interaction with text at an early age need explicit teaching in order to catch up with their reading peers. The children exposed to literacy experiences have several advantages over their non-reading counterparts that include a rich oral and receptive vocabulary, phonemic awareness, and story structure. Explicit and systematic instruction is needed to close the gap. The conclusion and result of this debate leads to a final answer…Balanced Literacy.

Entry #2: Writing Reflection

Throughout my previous course work, I have reflected several times about the instruction I have received in the area of writing.  It pains me to always point a finger at my elementary teachers for not encouraging or listening to the “voice” in my writing.  I blame them for my fear of writing rejection, born from the Initiation, Response, Feedback method of teaching and questioning that my teachers exposed me to day after day.  This strategy of teaching referred to in Scaffolding Language, Scaffolding Learning (Gibbons, 2002), stifled my internal need for reflection and thinking about the content being taught.  I had an anxiety about saying or writing the “wrong” answer.  In addition, there was little or no significance put on an extend response.  Overall, I was taught to locate the right answer and write it down.  I was not taught to think.  I never remember a teacher saying, “Why do you think that?”  All I remember hearing is that it is wrong to think that, because that is not the correct answer.  As a result, my comprehension withered and my class participation and oral communication fell off.   What resonates most from these experiences is my reluctance to discuss an academic topic.  There is a book by Joel Saltzman called If You Can Talk, You Can Write.  Does this mean that if you can’t talk, you can’t write?

The fear, anxiety, and often desperation I have about writing are abundantly clear.  However, I will not let my past writing experiences define my future writing successes.  I also would never bring those fears and anxieties into the classroom.  I love my students too much.  In fact, the negative experiences have catapulted my teaching into a much better place.  I teach with genuine concern for my learners, their needs, and their points of view.  I realize that the cookie cutter methods are not for everyone.  I also realize that some students strive off these methods.  My deepest concern was that my teachers didn’t know me.  They didn’t know me as a learner and they didn’t listen to me as a writer.  My hope for myself and my advice to all teachers is to truly get to know your students.  In doing this, you will discover what you need to teach and what you need to learn.

Entry #1 Philosophies about teaching literacy

I recently discussed my philosophy of teaching literacy with a veteran teacher at my school.  She is currently teaching kindergarten, but has taught at every elementary level and is trained in Reading Recovery methods.  While we have similar views about how students learn to read and write, we have very different methods for teaching literacy.

We both agree that children need a strong foundation in the "Big 5:" phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, comprehension, and vocabulary (Put Reading First, National Reading Panel).  We acknowledge the importance of teacher readiness and planning ahead for each lesson.  With that, we recognize the importance of daily rituals and routines that provide structure, guidance, and expectations for our learners.  We also both believe that it is our soul responsibility to assure an education for our students and scaffolding is one of the most effective ways to accomplish this goal.  We hold each student to the standards for our grade level, and hold ourselves accountable to teach to the standards.  In essence, we trust that every child in our room can succeed and become a reader and writer through the implementation of a research-based curriculum, the utilization of best practices, and a great deal of heart.
While, the underlying principles are the same, our methods vary.  Through observations and our conversation, I know that my colleague is very structured and her students follow a well defined, guided path towards becoming literate.  The students’ literacy work is accomplished through constant supervision by a teacher or paraprofessional.  If they are independently engaged in center work, it is usually without a well defined literacy goal.  I, on the other hand, want my students to have and take control of their literacy experience.  I explicitly teach during whole group and small group, but I also sit back and observe while students engage in independent and partner literacy experiences.  While she has a quiet classroom, I have a “talking” classroom.  My students are encouraged to discuss and question throughout the literacy experience.  This type of busy classroom environment is often difficult for teachers to handle, but I truly believe the benefits are worth it.  In fact, I can not see any other way to incorporate the much needed practice of a new skill without allowing the students to engage in literacy in this way.  In Classroom Instruction that Works with English Language Learners by Jane Hill and Kathleen Flynn, it states that students do not become competent in a task until they have practiced it at least 24 times (Hill & Flynn, p.10, 2006).   I do not see how the students can accomplish this goal if they only experience literacy while the teacher is directly present.
Overall, I understand the differences in our approaches in executing the same idea about literacy.  Several attributes factor in when analyzing teachers’ philosophies and methods; such as age, experience, personalities, educational backgrounds and interests.  The lesson here is to understand the differences and learn and grow to best help our students.