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ESL forum >
Message board > what is your comment about native speakers ?
what is your comment about native speakers ?
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suterja
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Thank you AB, Zora and Libertybelle! I am trying not to take these statements too personally.
As an English Teacher in Japan, I teach at a variety of public and private schools. I teach all ages and all levels. Of course, I didn �t ask for half of these positions and I would not say I am necessarily qualified for everything that I am asked to do. Yes, I applied to work here and I know some Japanese and I have an advanced Teaching Liscence, but sometimes I don �t have the vocabulary I need to explain all the details of the English language in Japanese. I am often thrust into situations in which I am not prepared and it is because of the board of Education that I work for. I think that if I was placed with only higher level students and in more conversational settings where I could use English more, I would be a more effective teacher here. I know that I am not the best English teacher in Japan, but I would like to think that I am not the worst either, just because I am not a fluent Japanese speaker. I was hired before I knew any Japanese and my company knew about my lacking Japanese ability. I have done my best and many of my students have learned a lot of English since I arrived. I don �t want to take credit for my students language abilities because in the end, isn �t it the students job to listen, study and ultimately learn the language? No matter what language you speak to the students or how much you talk at them, they are the ones that have to be willing to learn and actively participate. |
24 Nov 2009
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suterja
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sorry altan_neu, I have no idea what this means:
sorry for �s � I have corrected :) the main topic is that for ınstance a student ask what is the meaning of a sentence or a part of it or something else, how do they explain ? they are learnıng a language with a language that they don �t know. here is a contrast :)
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24 Nov 2009
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GIOVANNI
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Like most of you, I have also found that being native or non-native doesn �t necessarily make you a good teacher. It �s the whole package that counts.
I would agree with Linda that a native speaker has a much stronger grasp of the language. As a native speaker you are brought up learning all the phrasal verbs and expressions and the flow of the language comes as a second nature. I also speak two other languges and know that my use of these other languages will never by as good as the language I was brought up with and educated in.
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24 Nov 2009
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Olindalima ( F )
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Hi GIOVANNi
Welcome , you are the SECOND TRAITOR.
This promises to be a good discussion, I �m so sorry I am completely worn out, I would like to go on, but, my bed is crying loud for me, upstairs,
Big hugs, don �t fight very hard, ... just a little to put some pepper in the conversation. ( UWAU; IS THIS SOMETHING A NATIVE WOULD EVER SAY ?????? guess not, so I am going out by the back door... )
Hugs
linda
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24 Nov 2009
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darryl_cameron
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Native vs non-native?
My comment is:
"Horses for courses."  |
24 Nov 2009
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PhilipR
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There is more to learning a language than just cramming grammar rules. I agree non-native speakers are often better at explaining grammar to students (in L1), but what good does it do them? Students need exposure to English, they don �t need hours of L1 explanations.
Being a native speaker doesn �t automatically make someone a good teacher, that is absolutely true, but neither does being a non-native speaker. I think this may well boil down to the fact that in many countries (esp. those where �face � is important) there is discrimination between both. Schools (and parents) often insist on having native speakers, even if there are enough qualified locals. Moreover, they pay native speakers quite a bit more, which often leads to jealousy and backstabbing in the teachers � room.
Don �t condemn all native English teachers for what they are. Just expose the rotten apples among them instead of generalizing. And BTW Altan, your written English is terrible.
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24 Nov 2009
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Mahalo
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Where I teach, out of 12 teachers, one is from Bulgaria (and is vey hard to understand), two are from Mexico (and often speak Spanish to their students). My boss hears these comments, but refuses to make teacher changes. I feel that the students are missing out on proper English lessons because of this. |
24 Nov 2009
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libertybelle
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What do you mean we �re deficient in the county where we teach?
Why do you generalize? Where did you get that information from?
Don �t you know that generalizing is the root of misunderstanding?
Do you know for a fact that all native speaking English teachers don �t speak
the language of the country where they teach?
The more I read your message the more pissed off I get.
I try and teach my students to be open minded - meaningless generalizations such
as this message of yours only perpetrates prejudice.
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24 Nov 2009
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maoopa
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I agree, generalizing because of what we see at our places is not good at all.
I �ve seen native speakers who are horrible teachers, and non-native speakers who really rock. But I �ve also see awesome native speakers delivering great lessons and non natives who don �t know how to teach a language.
Liberty, I know how frustrated you feel.
Mauro |
24 Nov 2009
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JulietaVL
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I�ve had EXCELLENT native teachers... they have solved my vocabulary, idioms, etc. doubts that sometimes non-natives couldn�t... I appreciate native teachers...
I�ve also had non-native teachers... they understand my doubts better because they know the mistakes that a Spanish native speaker makes.
I�m sure both (native and non-native teachers) can be good...
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24 Nov 2009
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