Entry 2: Interview with Kiko Martinez
Entry 2 This week, I interviewed Kiko Martinez, who is a student at the University of Houston pursuing his Mechanical Engineering of Technology degree. Many other friends that I have spoken to regarding their experience with learning English as a second language is much like Kiko’s. His parents and siblings would only speak Spanish at home, with the exception of watching TV in English. Although he was born in the United States, Kiko did not formally learn English until he was in Kindergarten. Although it was not until he started school, Kiko was only five, which helped him significantly in building his fluency and proficiency. The Critical Period Hypothesis states that language learners benefit more when they begin at a young age. According to Wright (2015), “a much greater amount of instructional time in K-12 educational systems” to learn a language than adults learning a new language and tend to “feel more comfortable usi...