Quite often, a student will say something like "I have 'arba' children." (arba is four in Hebrew) This brings about a lot of laughter!
Of course just because a person speaks a language doesn't mean they can teach it! But knowing the structure of the language of the people one is teaching is helpful. For example, in English we say "I want you to help me." That same sentence - in Hebrew (translated directly to English) would be "I want that you will help me." So it helps that I know that and can show them that in English it's different. Chaya --- On Sun, 11/1/09, pln471 <[email protected]> wrote: From: pln471 <[email protected]> Subject: [ESL Podcast] Re: What're the advantages and disadvantages of having a native speaker teacher? To: "ESL Podcast Study Group" <[email protected]> Date: Sunday, November 1, 2009, 2:27 AM Good Sunday morning,Pablo Chaya Claire Gail Edward and all inquisitive learners,;) What a pleasant surprise,Pablo,one of our most senior members of the think-tank here!!! As always,you brought us very imformative links related to the threads! As an ESL/EFL teacher teaching abroad whose mother tongue isn't English, I suppose I hold a better view of the pros and cons of this issue. Speaking the langauge well since birth doesn't make you a natural-born teacher. It's is a very valuable point. I myself have encountered problems teaching Chinese,my mother tongue and need tips and advice from my French friends who have learned to master it,in another word,their know-how... On the other hand,when I teach English or used to tutor French,I don't have such worries or concerns. But I think it's questionable if a native speaker teacher needs to speak the language of the local students. Quite often,once they speak the local language,they start to lose their sharp and natural touch when their students make mistakes of implanting sentences from their mother tongue into English... It's like a local teacher correcting students' writing,they think in their mother tongue,thus it's easy for them to understand the content of their students' writing. But when I correct their writing,I don't make excuses or presumptions. Whatever I don't understand,I either put a 'question' mark or correct the sentence in the way English speakers write... It's also very true as Pablo said if your level is lower than intermediate,it's more time-consuming for both the student and the teacher to have a fruitful result. Here at the language centre where I've been teaching for 3 years in Poland,the management and administration still prefer to use Polish teachers to conduct groups whose levels are as high as CAE or BEC Higher... I find this phenomenon quite disturbing and they told me it's because they don't have enough native speaker teachers and they find local teachers more reliable(which means more predictable manageable when it comes to the quality of teaching?) I still am clueless!LOL Great Sunday to all of you,new or old,active or silent! Pln On Nov 1, 7:46 am, Chaya Eitan <[email protected]> wrote: > The ideal situation is for the teacher to be a native English speaker and be > able to speak the language of the country. I'm from the U.S. and live in > Israel and - of course - speak Hebrew. Most of my students are Russian > speakers but most of them speak Hebrew. > > Chaya > > --- On Sat, 10/31/09, Pablo <[email protected]> wrote: > > From: Pablo <[email protected]> > Subject: [ESL Podcast] Re: What're the advantages and disadvantages of having > a native speaker teacher? > To: "ESL Podcast Study Group" <[email protected]> > Date: Saturday, October 31, 2009, 6:04 PM > > Hi Claire and friends, > > Here you will find lots of opinions about the subject: > > http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/talk/polls/native-speaker-teachers > > http://www.esl-school.com/archives/2006/04/the_nativespeaker_teacher_... > > As you can see there are a broad variety of opinions and experiences. > I consider that the important think is to see whether or not the > teacher you choose has the required skills and qualities, both > academic and human. I mean, to know how good is your teacher, and if > she or he can transmit motivation and passion for the language. > > Well, having a non-native teacher is good because you can understand > him/her more easily, and to understand is one of the fundamental > principles of the acquisition of a new language. What's the good thing > of having a native speaker if you can't understand him/her? This is > particularly important for beginners and intermediate students. And > also, a teacher who speaks your own language can communicate and > understand you better, and knows where the difficulties of the English > acquisition are, because they were once students like them and had the > same problems. > > I mean, we would have to weigh up if there is the chance of choosing, > without overestimating the things. And we have to bear in mind that > the most part of the work need to be done by the students, the role of > a teacher is to be a guide more than a teacher. > > Regards, > > Pablo > > On Oct 31, 5:48 pm, claire <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > Hello Edward Gail Chaya and all active and silent members, > > > Welcome back,Edward!!!Of course I remember you.;) > > > That's wonderful for you to have a regular exposure to a native > > speaker teacher's English for 1 hour every day,isn't it? > > I can imagine how exciting and nerve breaking it must be for you to > > try your best to express yourself and to be understood by her.;) > > > But I can guarantee you that it will be an impressive and > > unforgettable experience...exchanging different ideas and thoughts > > with your teacher who comes from a completely different cultural > > background! > > Where is she from,by the way,Edward? > > > As some might say,it's called 'culture shock' actually!:D > > All the things she says and teaches you will be so much easier for you > > to remember as she tries to explain to you with > > drawings,gestures,facial expressions,body movements,etc!LOL > > > I myself find naive speaker teachers are much more motivating and > > creative when they engage you in role-plays,discussions or debates. > > With them,you are forced to use English because they don't speak your > > language. > > In a way,it's similar to exposing yourself abroad among foreigners! > > And that makes the whole process of learning more attractive and > > effective.;) > > > Getting used to different accents is just a bonus of having a native > > speaker teacher.;) > > When they used to teach me vocabulary,it was so much easier to > > remember because of their creative way of explanation. > > I didn't find dictionaries necessary as the native speakers are > > practically living dictionaries!!!LOL > > > Good night again and wonderful weekend! > > Claire > > On Oct 31, 5:38 pm, Chaya Eitan <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > It isn't only the correct pronunciation (whether that be American or > > > British), but also - as someone mentioned - the slang. Plus, there is > > > knowledge of history and culture that a non-native speaker might not know > > > about. > > > > Chaya (native English-speaking teacher) > > > > --- On Fri, 10/30/09, Wichuda Satidporn <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > From: Wichuda Satidporn <[email protected]> > > > Subject: [ESL Podcast] Re: What're the advantages and disadvantages of > > > having a native speaker teacher? > > > To: [email protected] > > > Date: Friday, October 30, 2009, 12:32 PM > > > > Hello there, > > > > > > In my opinion, there are several pros of learning English with native > > > English speaker. First, you can practice listening because you will have > > > an opportunity to familiar with the native accent either American accent > > > or British accent. It is important to us who learn English language as > > > second language because it is such different sounds between native or our > > > own speaking. Moreover, you will understand how to pronunciation each > > > words correctly particularly many students from Asia countries always > > > have pronunciation problems between "R" sound and "L" sound or " D" sound > > > and "T" sound. > > > > > > > Second, you will learn and know well how the native speakers make some > > > simple conversations, and of course, learning with slang. Certainly, you > > > will copy to speak those conversations automatically and use in > > > appropriate ways in real situations. > > > > > > > All in all, it is my real experience. > > > > > > Gail > > > > > > > . > > > > On Thu, Oct 29, 2009 at 5:50 AM, claire <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > Dear all who are keen on better your English,;) > > > > What are the advantages and disadvantages of having a native speaker > > > > teacher comparing to a local teacher? > > > > Is it necessary for the teacher to provide students dictionaries while > > > teaching in the classroom ? > > > > Thank you in advance for your participation! > > > > This is an opportunity for us to get to know one another better and to > > > > let us older members meet newer members if you speak up here by > > > responding to the threads!;) > > > > Best regards and good day, > > > Claire- Hide quoted text - > > - Show quoted text - --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "ESL Podcast". 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