Reflection Paper
Reading and Writing 140b Course at CRUV
Xenia Vigil Morales
Acquiring and learning a second language do not refer only to handling oral communication skills. It is more than that; it takes the students´ abilities in enhancing their lexicon, their management in syntax, and their perspective about words´ influences in people. Thus, summing this up, it is indispensable that ESL students have a grand deal about linguistic knowledge. In other words, ESL learners not only require speaking, but also reading, writing and thinking in English when they complete whatever English career.
For most of the ESL institutes and Universities in Panama, which bid English as a second language, this is their main goal, developing critical thinking in their students who can express it through either orally or written English language. However, stating this as their aim does not ensure that ESL Panamanian students will enhance their English proficiency. There are a number of administrative problems in those places, which influence their failure in getting their aspirations. Specifically, it has to do especially with the organization and development of their teaching programs. Another reason is the fact of teaching second language learners without a real input. Finally, there is a reality in our educational system, which is the low pedagogical knowledge in ESL teaching by some English educators in Panama. These and other external factors interfere in the teaching learning process.