Brittany Albright
Case Study 4
July 11, 2010
TSL 4081- ESOL 2,Summer 2010
I interviewed a girl named Adi, she likes to be called Didi because it is easier for people to say. She is from Israel and has lived in the states almost a year now. In Israel all students are required to join the Israeli Army, girls for two years and boys for three years, before attending any university. Once she was finished her time in the army she was asked to come over to the states to work for an Israeli make-up company because they needed help with selling products. The owners of the company told her that they would pay for her living expenses and transportation if she would come and work for them. She loves to travel and experience other cultures so she decided to pack her belongings and come over to the states. Due to Didi’s expertise in sales, she now partner owns the make-up company, which is called “Mica Bella Cosmetics”. She will only be here in the states for a little longer and than will be going back to Israel to live since the company is doing well. She is 23 years old and is catching on to the English language very well. In Israel a lot of the popular television shows and music is in English and so she has learned a lot of her English skills form listening and pretty much teaching herself. Many people in Israel speak English however they, like Didi, chose to speak Hebrew over the English language because it is easier for them to express themselves in their first language. Even though she can now speak English pretty much fluent some of her words and grammar is still improper. She doesn’t understand everything but she gets the hang of what you say majority of the time. She has a very strong accent and sometimes it is hard to understand what she says. She loves to travel and has traveled to many different places all around the world.
Since Didi understands most English if she hears it, I wanted to know if she read as well as she can speak. So I chose her to read a page out of the book “Eclipse” by Stephanie Meyer. I chose this book because she, like many people here in the states, is a fan of the Twilight Series and I thought this would be an appropriate book for her to read. Considering she is twenty-three years old she has had many years to practice her reading skills. I was very surprised though to hear her have no problems what so ever when reading the passage because the way we read in America is total opposite of how Israeli’s read. She told me that they write and read from the right to the left. I asked her if she has read books before like this and she told me that she mostly reads magazines but reading for her in English is not hard at all. When I had her write a couple of sentences for me, you wouldn’t be able to tell the difference between a native English writer and herself. I asked her if writing in English was difficult because we write form left to right and she said at first it was but not it just comes natural. Her reading and writing sample is much more advanced than a traditional ESOL student considering the years of practice and the job position that she holds here in the states. She has caught on very quickly to the native ways of America. It is not hard for her to fit in here in the states because she looks just like you and I. The interview that I completed was a lot more challenging than I thought it was going to be. Many of the questions I asked her were to complex for her to understand and I had to re-word many of them. A lot of the questions I had to give her an example answer that I would answer for myself to give her an idea of what an American answer to that question would be. She enjoyed answering these questions and also enjoyed hearing my own answers to them as well. This over all experience was unforgettable and I really enjoyed hearing the view of life from another cultures point of view.
Reading Sample:
Luckily I had Edward’s help, and Edward was an excellent tutor—since he knew absolutely everything. I figured my biggest problem would be just focusing on the test. If I didn’t watch myself, I might end up writing my History essay on the vampire wars of the south. I took a break to call Jacob, and Edward seemed just as comfortable as he had when I was on the phone with Renee. He played with my hair again. Though it was the middle of the afternoon, my call woke Jacob up, he was grouchy at first. He cheered right up when I asked if I could visit the next day. The Quileute School was already out for the summer, so he told me to come over as early as I could. I was please to have an option besides being babysat. There was a tiny bit more dignity in spending the day with Jacob. Some of that dignity was lost when Edward insisted again on delivering me to the border line like a child being exchanged by custodial guardians.
Writing Sample:
Hi, my name is Adi Eitan and I love to shop here in america. The clothes are beautiful. I look forward to flying back home to Israel because I miss much of my family and friends.
SOLOM and Miscue Analysis:
Comprehension: 4- She understands nearly everything at normal speech, however sometimes repetition may be necessary.
Fluency: 4- she is like between a 4 and a 5 because she can have a conversation like a native speaker however she sometimes searches for the correct manner of expression.
Vocabulary: 4.5- she uses vocabulary and idioms approximates that of a native speaker. However sometimes she messes up on her words.
Pronunciation: 4- Her pronunciation is very well sometimes it is hard to understand what she is trying to say because of her strong Hebrew accent and occasional inappropriate patterns.
Grammar: 4- For the most part she speaks like a native speaker, though sometimes her word usage is out of order.
Her Miscue Analysis was much different than a traditional ESOL student. This is due to her age and fluent ability to speak the native language. Considering she is not in her first couple of months speaking the language. She really didn’t have a miscue when writing and reading. She did however read a bit slower than a native reader. I would not consider this a miscue because this could be from her upbringing or her lack of reading growing up. I would recommend that she perhaps read out loud to help you ability to read fluently instead of just reading word for word.
Interview:
1. Have you observed your parents with other children… Do they encourage open-ended exploration, or would they prefer children to play quietly with approved toys?
Her answer: “Yes, I have observed my parents interacting with other children growing up; however I didn’t like them getting to close to them. Yes, my parents encouraged open-ended exploration because they believed this was the best way to raise their children.
My answer: “Yes I have observed my parents with other children. My parents most definitely encourage open-ended exploration because it helps us grow mentally and allows us to build our communication skills.”
2. What was the knowledge environment like in your home and what type of reading did your father and mother do?
Her answer: “My parents encouraged us to go to school and learn more so we could be someone some day. They read a variety of things from magazines to novels.
My answer: “My parents were and still are all about enhancing and advancing our knowledge and making us more informed with things in society. My Dad reads his Bible, inspirational books, and things on the web. My mom likes to read her Bible, romance novels and suspenseful novels.”
3. Did you have a diverse group of friends in high school, why or why not?
Her answer: “The group was mixed, however majority of friends were white Israeli people.
My answer: “I never really thought about what color my friends were, but thinking about it the majority of my friends were white growing up. However, in school I did have a lot of diverse groups of friends.
4. What do you like about your ethnic Identity?
Her answer: “I like everything, the culture, the food, the environment, most of all I like the warm attitude… people care for each other in Israel.”
My answer: “I like pretty much everything about the American culture. Most of all… I love that we have freedom here in America, it is a blessing to live in a free country and to be able to walk out my front door and not be scared I’m going to get shot.”
5. What was your experience with ethnic diversity?
Her answer: “No culture shock, I travel a lot so I love meeting new and different people”
My Answer: “Sometimes I get a little annoyed when I have customers come in to my work and they don’t speak that good of English because I feel like they are in America they should speak the language. However, I know they probably feel the same way when I visit their country. I guess I don’t have that big of a shock when I visit other countries because I am never there long enough.”
6. How would you characterize your desire to learn more and why?
Her answer: “knowledge is power, the more you know in life the more you can solve problems in life.”
My answer: “I definitely agree with Didi that knowledge it power. I love learning more and more because it betters me as a person. I feel more at ease when I know how to do something and know what’s going on around me. I feel knowledge allows you to go above and beyond society’s expectations of ones self.”
7. Who is considered family and who among these live in the home?
Her answer: “Family is everyone who has blood relation. My mom, dad, myself, 2 sisters, and 1 brother all live in the same house growing up.”
My answer: “Family to me is everyone who is blood related as well. My dad, mom, sister, brother, and I grew up all living under the same roof.”
8. What is the hierarchy of authority in the family?
Her answer: “My mom and dad equally share the authority in the family.”
My answer: “My parents are equal in some aspects, but my dad definitely has the overall say in what happens or goes on in my family.”
9. What are the attitudes, expectations, and behavior toward individuals at different stages in the life cycle?
Her answer: “Each family and each person has their own individual roles in society. After high school when we turn 18 years old we are by the law required to join the Israeli army. Girls are required to be in the army for 2 years and guys 3 years.”
My answer: “Children are expected to go to school, do homework, and play. Teenagers depending on their family styles are to go to school, do homework, and get a job to start gaining their own responsibilities. Adults are to have a full time job to provide for their family and self.”
10. How do people greet each other? What forms of address are used between people in various roles?
Her answer: “It all depends how close we are to each other. Just like in America…”
My answer: “We normally waive our hand and say hi or slang phrases like what’s up, depending on whom you are greeting.”
11. How are insults expressed?
Her answer: “They are expressed pretty much like in America. We are a little more patient and kind then those in America.”
My answer: “Dirty looks, name calling (depending on your age.. sometimes), In America on the high way beeping your horn, cursing, and flicking people off.”
12. What languages are used in the home? By whom? When? Where? For what purpose?
Her answer: “we all know English but in the home we only use Hebrew because it is our 1st language and it is easier to express our selves.”
My answer: “Everyone in my home speaks English only; we do not know any other language. We speak this obviously so we can express our feelings and do it in an efficient manner.”
13. Is learning language a source of pride? Is developing bilingual competence considered an advantage or a handicap?
Her answer: “I love to be able to speak other languages than just Hebrew! I think it is definitely a good thing to be able to be bilingual because it allows me to watch different movies and learn other cultures better and it is very convenient.”
My answer: “Yes, learning a different language I would think would be a source of pride. It is definitely an advantage to know another language than your native language because it helps with communication and allows you to learn first hand of other cultures.
14. How many years is it considered normal for children to go to school?
Her answer: “It is considered normal for children to go to school for 12 years, then they go to the army, and after that if they chose they will go to the university.”
My answer: “It is normal for students to at least finish high school. Many are expected to go to some type of a college and further their education.”
15. What media and instruments are traditionally used?
Her answer: “The same like America… TV, internet, piano, guitar….. In Israel a lot of the TV shows are in English so it helps us learn the language better.”
My answer: “We use every instrument you can think of that is normal. TV and the radio are definitely America’s main media sources.”
16. What is considered normal speech behavior? Why?
Her answer: “It depends, younger people and those not well educated speak a lot of slang and older people speak more correct.”
My answer: “It really all depends on where you are from and how you were raised, the social class you are in and how much education you have.”
17. What is discipline? What counts as disciplines in terms of the culture, and what doesn’t? What is its important and values and why?
Her answer: “Discipline means being told what to do and respecting those who are older. If you do something bad you have to pay the consequences. Discipline is important because it protects the country and prevents problems… in the army it is very very important because people are putting their lives in their hand.”
My answer: “Discipline is a way of keeping people in line. In America if you do something wrong in terms of the law you are punished by going to jail most of the time. In school discipline is shown through giving out detentions and suspensions. It is very important to have discipline as a role in society because it helps keep everything in order and allows society to run more smoothly.”
18. What beliefs or practices are there with regard to bodily hygiene?
Her answer: “Bodily Hygiene is very highly looked upon in Israel, we don’t like when people stink. We take showers everyday, sometimes twice a day… we like to be clean!”
My answer: “It really depends on what social class you are in and how you were raised and how lazy you are. Many Americans are not very clean. My family personally gets showers every day even sometimes twice a day, we like to look presentable.”
19. What foods are favorites? What is taboo and what is typical?
Her answer: “My favorite foods are “shnitveles” (German food but everyone eats this in Israel… it is a breaded chicken breast deep fried) “Humus”. The normal food to eat humus, the past few years fast food is becoming more and more popular… Israelis are trying to become more and more like America in many ways!”
My answer: “There are so many different styles of food that I love. This is one good thing about America, diversity! I love pizza, tacos, chicken, home cooked meals!!! It is taboo and typical for families in America to eat out a lot because it is more convenient and a whole lot easier than cooking a meal and cleaning up the mess afterwards.”
20. What individuals and events in history are sources of pride for the group?
Her answer: “First of all, for us it is very important the declaration of Israel as an independent country…. It is a small country but yet everything is advancing…. All the wars we have gone through and the things we face everyday and we are strong and winning. Everyday in are life is something to be proud of because everyday is a battle considering we are surrounded by countries who hate us.
My answer: “In America there are many different things in history that we take pride in; for example, George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, The Four Fathers, Martin Luther King, Rosa Parks, and Thomas Jefferson.
