A final reflective of ENGL C0853.

         I found this class incredibly helpful. I am an instructor at Zoni Learning Center where I teach English as a Second Language students. The readings from this class helped me in terms of making my classroom more engaging and transformative. By learning about andragogy, I was better able to understand the struggles of my adult learners. I was able to use my experiences as a traditional and adult learner to inform the running of my class. I was particularly taken with the readings by Mike Rose, Paulo Friere, and the concept of transformative learning.

 Transformative learning theory influenced me into being aware of the potential for transformative learning in my classroom, and Rose helped me to recognize the skills that the students needed outside of grammar. For example, I introduced the topic of media manipulation. Although that topic was only the main focus of one lesson, the students began to make increasing connections between that lesson and other topics such as gender coding and corporate culpability in factories overseas.  I watched them grow and develop critical thinking and communication skills in English. In the Zoni teaching method, the focus is on surface level mechanics and moving students forward in a linear, static manner. However, in watching my students critically reflect on the subjects brought up in class, I saw the transformative process unfold. For instance, one of my students applied the concept of media manipulation to her own motivation to coming to the United States and her goal of speaking non-accented English. Initially, she believed that her motivation of speaking non-accented English was to be better at her job. However, after critically reflecting, she learned that she really wanted to get rid of the stigma of her original accent and reap the benefits of speaking English without a Spanish accent. This kind of transformative learning—the kind where I could visibly see the utilization of past experience, critical reflection, application of that learning to her life—was immensely satisfying. I will continue to read more in the area of transformative learning theory—especially works by Mike Rose and Paulo Friere—to further enhance my teaching skills and to broaden the potential for transformative learning in my students.