Courtney Sobotka

EDUC 359 Fall 2016

November 2, 2016
Reflection Questions #4
The words that I used were cenacle and valetudinarian. I began by asking my students if
they knew what these words meant and if they could try to use it in a sentence. Because they did
not know the words, they were unable to create sentences. I then proceeded to show my students
what each word meant. I did this by creating my own sentences using the word and providing a
visual. Once I showed my students a picture and gave them an easier sentence, they were able to
figure out what the word meant. My objective was that each student would have a rich,
decontextualized knowledge of the words. My objective was achieved once I presented my
lesson to my students.
The definition of the word cenacle is a small dining room, usually on an upper floor. For
my sentence, I said, Dinner will be served in the cenacle. I then showed a picture of the Last
Supper. Once my students heard the sentence and saw the picture, they were able to figure out
the definition. The definition of valetudinarian is a sickly or weak person, especially one who is
constantly and morbidly concerned with his or her health. The sentence I created was, Johnny is
a valetudinarian; he has been to the doctors office this past month. I showed a picture of a
sickly person and then my students figured it out.
When teaching ELL students it is very important to use visuals, especially when teaching
vocabulary. Chances are they have not heard the word before, but seeing a visual representation
of the given word will help them. I think it is very beneficial for students, including ELLs, to

draw a picture of a new vocabulary word. It is important to show them a visual, but having the
student do the drawing, in my opinion, is more beneficial.