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Throughout this course, my thinking about second language learning has deepened, but in many ways it has also confirmed ideas that I already believed as a teacher. Over the years, I have created a classroom where students feel comfortable communicating and using the language. What this course has done is provide a clearer framework and vocabulary for practices I was already using. Concepts such as comprehensible input, interaction, and the affective filter helped me better understand why these approaches are effective in the classroom.

One idea that has become clearer is that a single theory cannot explain language learning. Instead, the theories we studied work together and help explain different parts of the learning process. As the course went on, I started to see the theories we studied like pieces of a puzzle. Each piece helps explain part of how language develops, but not one single theory explains everything. Depending on the situation in the classroom, one idea may be more helpful than another in understanding what is happening during the learning process.

This course has pushed me to give students more real chances to use the language.  In my classroom, I provide authentic materials, communicative tasks, and group work that enable students to interact and negotiate meaning with one another. I also try not to correct every mistake and instead encourage students to take risks when they speak. Activities that lower the affective filter allow students to participate more freely and engage in the language in a natural way.

One thing that really changed my thinking during this course relates to age and language learning. I previously believed that younger learners had a clear advantage when learning a second language. However, the research we studied showed me that people can learn a language at any age. Learners do not need a special talent to acquire another language; what they need are meaningful opportunities to engage with the language and supportive learning environments.

Another point from the readings that stood out to me explains that language development is not simply the process of adding one rule after another. As they learn new forms, they fit them into their developing interlanguage and sometimes adjust what they already thought they knew. This idea connects strongly with the puzzle metaphor I have been using throughout the course. As learners encounter new language, they continually adjust their knowledge until the system begins to make sense.

Overall, this course has helped me better understand the processes behind what I already try to do in my classroom. It reminded me how important it is to provide comprehensible input, encourage interaction, and create a classroom where students feel comfortable communicating.

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When this course started, I still carried a few common beliefs about language learning. I used to think some people just have a special talent, that age matters so much that earlier is always better, and the best way to prevent bad habits was correcting errors immediately. After reading the book, having our discussions, reading different experiences, my thinking changed a lot. What I learned in Methods last semester helped me, but this course made that knowledge deeper because now I understand the theories and the research behind these ideas, not just the classroom strategies.

One big shift for me is how I see "mistakes" I no longer see errors as something that must be removed right away. Now I see errors as part of a developing language system. The book explains that learners are not only copying what they hear. They are actively building rules by noticing patterns and trying them in new contexts. This helps me understand why learning is not linear, and why students can improve, struggle, and improve again.

Another shift is how I understand individual differences. I still believe some students learn faster than others, but I do not see it as "they have it or they don't." I learned to think more about factors we can support, like learning strategies, time on task, and classroom opportunities. What looks like "talent" is connected to effort and habits, not something magical (this is something I will always keep in mind).

I also think different about age. I used to believe that starting earlier automatically guarantees success. Now I see that starting early only helps when students actually get enough meaningful exposure and chances to use the language. Otherwise, early start can be slow and frustrating.

This course will help me respond better when people hold incorrect ideas about language learning. If someone says, "students should not make mistakes," or "correct everything immediately," I can explain that development takes time and learners need support, not constant interruption. If someone says, "only talented students can learn a language," I can point to research and explain how many factors influence success. Now I can argue for language learning based on evidence, not just opinion. :)

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My thinking has changed, for the better, over the last six months. Teaching Spanish was always a dream of mine, but my career didn't start there. I was literally thrown into my position overnight, so for the last year and a half, I have taught my classes basically blind as to how language should be taught. Learning the various theories to second language acquisition has shown me how valuable various forms of comprehensible input is, how important interaction and the sociocultural perspective is and how meaning over form can give students new to a language the opportunity to try out the language without fear of making mistakes. While I was aware that input was important, after reading Krashen's thoughts over this past year, I now put this theory more into my practice by providing input through reading, listening activities as well as videos. I think it's extremely valuable for my students to hear authentic Spanish being that I am not a native speaker. They have really started to enjoy reading different passages as well, I try and find stories with humor that include vocabulary and grammar we are focusing on. I used to teach these things in isolation, but not anymore! Interaction is also such a huge part of language acquisition. This is where I love to hear my students use collaborative dialogue and negotiate meaning together before just coming to me for help and the answer. I have really switched my process on creating groups when working together to try and include more of an "expert" in the group to facilitate the conversations. Lastly, I am so glad I learned more about meaning over form. I was constantly correcting my students form and pronunciation because that's what we did in a regular classroom to ensure students could produce output that showed exactly what I taught. What a relief to let students work on language for meaning, to be able to read/speak for true meaning, picking up on the correct form along the way. I have seen my students begin to self-correct or proactively ask for feedback because they aren't afraid of being wrong. I am so grateful for these classes and how my teaching has changed for the better!

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How My Thinking Has Changed: Theories of Second Lang. Acquisition 

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How My Thinking Has Changed: Theories of Second Lang. Acquisition 

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I am happy to say my thoughts have changed significantly during this course! I have been able to apply theories and proposals to my teaching that I was not aware of before, but have been doing the whole time. Like the interactionist perspective, and the "Let's Talk" proposal. I have been implementing this in my teaching, but I was not aware that there is a specific theory. Throughout this course, my thinking changed about how learners acquire language and how teaching theories have shifted throughout the years. The research behind the theories and personally seeing it in my classroom put it into perspective for me. What intrigued me the most was how non-native speakers can reach native-like fluency in their L2. Age does not matter, but many researchers believe it does. This resonates with me because Spanish is my second language, and I did not grow up speaking it. Therefore, age does not matter. With immersion, interaction, application, and learning from errors, a non-native speaker can reach fluency just like I did. Until this course, I was unaware of the term "interlanguage," though I realized I had been operating within one when learning my L2. Interlanguage is the mental system a learner creates while learning L2. This system is influenced by L1 and L2, and evolves. When students collaborate and negotiate meaning, they learn from one another, and this continues to develop their interlanguage. Communicative language teaching is how learners acquire language naturally, with comprehensible input. Interactions, authentic materials, negotiating meaning, making connections, and collaborating continue to develop their proficiency. In chapter seven, the authors revisit that communication should be meaningful in the classroom. Instead of imitating the grammar, students should feel encouraged to use the language in meaningful communication. This course really put all of these theories, perspectives, terms, and proposals into my personal perspective that I did not know before. I feel more confident now in the classroom with my students, knowing this information and applying it to see it come to life. What we do is more than just teach a language; we create a space where learners explore interculturality, experiences, and interests through language.

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At the beginning of this course, I believed many of the common assumptions about language learning, that students learn what they are taught, that errors should be corrected immediately, and that accuracy was a sign of real progress. As the course progressed, my thinking shifted significantly. Chapter Seven helped me understand that language learning follows developmental sequences and that students often acquire structures on their own timeline, not necessarily when we teach them. This idea completely changed the way I interpret student errors and progress. I also realized that communication, not perfection, is what truly drives learning. This aligns with what I shared in my exam: for me, it is far more important that students feel comfortable expressing themselves than producing flawless language. The Padlet reflections reinforced this idea several colleagues emphasized the importance of authentic communication, interaction, and meaningful tasks rather than memorization or isolated grammar practice. Another major shift in my thinking was understanding the balance between input, interaction, and form‑focused instruction. I used to see these as separate approaches, but now I understand how they work together. Students need comprehensible input, opportunities to negotiate meaning, and well‑timed feedback that helps them notice gaps in their interlanguage. This perspective has helped me rethink my role as a teacher: I am not just delivering content but creating conditions where language can develop naturally and confidently. Overall, this course has helped me move away from perfection‑based expectations and toward a more realistic, research‑informed understanding of how languages are learned. It has strengthened my commitment to creating a classroom where students feel safe to take risks, communicate freely, and grow at their own pace.