Part 1: Interview
Q1: How does morphology relate to the language development of English learners?
“Morphology is a structure and construction of words by using word structure, including roots, affixes or prefixes. Consider one example in which root word is ‘work’ comes under complex morpheme and could be changed into words such as worker, or working. One of the main developments for English learners is to gather understanding for words, spellings so that student’s vocabulary is increased. English learners can create new words, and it will also increase the ability to communicate verbally and writing.”
Q2: What strategies are used in the classroom to determine learners’ hindrances regarding morphology?
“I always feel that morphology awareness must be brought so that learner’s hindrances could be removed. Chart activity is an effective approach to create a tree-like structure for root words, suffix and prefixes. Next, suffix could be of any type and thus require students for introducing them including ed, fully, ing, t, d and s.”
Q3: What types of activities would you use to address these gaps?
“I implement several activities inside the classroom to address the gaps in context with morphology awareness. Following activities have been implemented in the classroom to overcome some issues.
- Activity #1: Determine root words from the English language
I offer them some complex words, including crying, falling, dogs, enjoyment, working, respectfully etc.
- Activity #2: Differentiate Prefix and Suffix for Given Words
I always find it amusing that after offering complex words, students themselves separate it into prefix and suffix through the match the column.
- Activity #3: Building of Words
My next step for them is to create new words through root words and suffix or prefixes options.
- Activity #4: Use build words into small sentences
Lastly, I make them use words in smaller sentences for written communication in the English language.”
Part 2: Critical Reflection
Teacher’s experiences and insights were helpful to understand the concept of morphology. It was gathered that morphology is a useful technique implemented by English teachers for language development (What is Morphology– All About Linguistics, n.d.). As an English learner, I have also gone through this technique while seeking education as a child. Whereas, morphology helps for understanding the English language with regularity (Rastle, 2019). Consider one example, from which morphing techniques are able to increase vocabulary. The root word is accepted, and it could be reused for creating other words including acceptance, accepting, accepted, or work could create into worked, working respectively (Paul et al., 2019). Additionally, different sorts of technologies could be implemented by teachers to help the student increase their language barriers. Some of them are disclosed, including building blocks, root words and prefix-suffix division, sentence creation to teach English learners (Zeh, 2017). Furthermore, the teacher also gives simpler approaches to teaching morphing for supporting English learners. Hence, the teacher’s insights were helpful to gather how English learners could increase their regularity and vocabulary building through morphology awareness (Stowe, n.d.).
College’s Conceptual Framework defines the role of a teacher for approaching the subject and prepare for it. The conceptual frameworks are offered to newly appointed teaching staff for understanding how teaching approach should be implemented in the classroom. Furthermore, the concept of morphology is linked with the college’s conceptual framework because it teaches application. In other words, teachers should understand how morphological awareness in English learners could be developed.
As discussed in the above interview, some of the activities shared by the English teacher seems helpful. For reading part, knowing root words will be the biggest help so that meaning for sentences could be understood by English learners. Especially non-native Speakers could understand what is written in the language. On the contrary, suffix and prefix joining will be helpful to create more meaning sentences for students. For example, if small sentence practices are initiated, then it could be transformed into paragraph writing. Personally, I found it match the column practice very easy to grasp. Each suffix and prefix in match the following concept will increase the cognitive understanding of students. Therefore, all four activities could be resourceful to teach students about the concept of morphology regarding English language learning program. I found three best practices after analysing the whole interview, including chart creation, root word introduction, the building of words into sentences. For example, chart process clicks immediately because of the graphical representation of a complex word. Another aspect is root words are already provided by instructor it could be mapped into word identification by classwork practices. Therefore, morphology is a critical aspect for improving learner’s hindrances towards the English language.
There are several strategies which are offered as part of morphology in English learning through professors. Therefore, two essential strategies can be implemented for providing morphological awareness in student’s writing. The tree chart is the best mechanism to teach students about vocabulary through the pictorial representation of root words, suffix, and prefix prefixes (Rymes et al., 2016). On the contrary, briefing students on morphology is another way to introduce them with the concept. However, the lack of such strategies makes it difficult for students to build language development. Especially if he or she is not a native speaker, then language becomes sudden barriers. I also though some activities shared by the English teacher was quite interesting. She follows a step by step approach to offer knowledge for morphology, making the complex process much simpler. Henceforth, the interview taught us how to approach complex English learning through small steps. Furthermore, morphology is an important concept which should always be incorporated in English learning and development lectures effectively.
References
Paul, R., Norbury, C., Gosse, C., & Paul, R. (2019). Language disorders from infancy through adolescence (1st ed.).
Rastle, K. (2019). The place of morphology in learning to read in English. Cortex, 116, 45-54. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cortex.2018.02.008
Rymes, B., Flores, N., & Pomerantz, A. (2016). The Common Core State Standards and English learners: Finding the silver lining. Language, 92(4), e257-e273. https://doi.org/10.1353/lan.2016.0080
Stowe, M. Teaching Morphology: Enhancing Vocabulary Development and Reading Comprehension | W&M School of Education. Education.wm.edu. Retrieved 26 February 2020, from https://education.wm.edu/centers/ttac/resources/articles/teachtechnique/teachingmorphology/index.php.
What is Morphology? – All About Linguistics. All-about-linguistics.group.shef.ac.uk. Retrieved 26 February 2020, from https://all-about-linguistics.group.shef.ac.uk/branches-of-linguistics/morphology/what-is-morphology/.
Zeh, N. (2017). Teaching Morphology to Improve Literacy (pp. 1-12).