Do you feel that you learned anything valuable from your English teachers/professors when in school?

Question

If so, what? If not, why not?

Answer 1

English was a foreign language to me, so I learned grammar and spelling, yes. German, that's my mother tongue and the lessons are comparable to English in English-speaking countries, there I learned a lot from my last teacher. I learned a lot about literature and about books, I would have never read without him. I learned to look to a text and to find out about its beauty and its feeling just by using the right words. I learned a lot about myself, too, why I loved books and why I hated certain ones. He was a great teacher, and I was very sad and couldn't believe when last weekend I read in the newspaper that he died just a few days ago.

Answer 2

Absolutely! I have been fortunate to have English teachers and professors that have

In high school, we had a program called enrichment week where you would spend a week doing a project or taking a seminar outside of your normal curriculum. I took a class on writing short-shorts (also known as flash fiction-- stuff under 1000 words long).

The teacher running the class was someone who I had take freshman English from, but this was where I learned the most. We read aloud short fiction by authors I had never heard of, and the class was focused. We went around the room each reading a paragraph, and even when the boys read sections about sexuality from a woman's perspective, no one giggled. I have NEVER seen this in a room full of teenagers before! Everyone who was there wanted to be there. I had loved writing before this class, but I think this was where I first understood that I was a writer at heart.

In college, I took a class in legal writing. I was planning on going to law school and figured this would be a productive way to take care of one of my composition requirements. The teacher was a lecturer that I had heard excellent things about, so I decided that this was how I was going to spend my summer vacation.

What I didn't realize was that this man demanded the best from each and every one of his students. I was always bright, so in high school I was lazy and did only what was required to get by. This teacher, in a short five week intensive summer session, helped me unlearn all that. I learned the value of editing, flash cards, and hard work. I didn't procrastinate. He encouraged me to try my hardest and to leave my self-handicapping at the door. I may not always follow it, but I try to take his advice with me wherever I go.

So, those are my two examples, chosen from a dozen different teachers. I hope that each and every one of them knows how much they mean to their students.

Answer 3

I did learn somethings valuable from my English Teachers. They helped me like reading and writing. But, I learnt most from Priamry School teachers and Tutor teachers. My high school teachers didn't really teach any more English.

Answer 4

I learned many valuable lessons, both in high school and college: spelling, grammar, comprehension strategies, and the writing process, for example. In college, I tested into Freshman Honors English. I tried to drop the course because it was so demanding for a non-major, but couldn't. Ultimately, it was the best thing that ever happened to me. God bless Sister Mary Charles. I dedicated my first novel to her.

I am happy to read that so many other people also had good experiences.

Answer 5

I had at least one really decent English teacher in school who supported my creativity and brought the whole class back to basics as previous years hadn't covered things like grammar and the whole "There / they're / their" thing, etc. Since then I've had degrees on Writing, so you'd expect them to teach valuable lessons, but I reckon Mr White at my secondary school was probably the best English teacher/tutor that I ever had. Since then I've signed a publishing deal, so I reckon at least some of that's down to him.

Answer 6

I had some good English teachers, but the one who had the most influence was Lorena Bobbitt. She taught journalism and drama. I learned how to effectively write a short article with a good lead and good organization under her. I also had my first experience with acting and discovered I would rather write for the stage than be on it. Much more fun. I dedicated my seventh book to the teachers who made the most difference in my life--Miss Lorena Bobbitt and Mr. Wallace Rice.

Answer 7

First, decide whether you want to learn British, American, or Australian English. There are important differences. But they are all equally understandable (you can speak to an American with a British accent, for vice versa). I recommend learning American English, because Americans speak more clearly and never drop their R's. Then, listen to pronunciations. There is Pronunciationbook on YouTube to teach you how, or you can use a dictionary. There are some words that can be pronounced more than one way (like "often" or "either") and be equally correct. There are also some words that are written the same but have different, but often similar, meanings (separate, for example). Then you must learn how to "blend" words". Foreigners tend to give words their full pronunciation, and leave pauses in between the words. That will sound unnatural, like you are enunciating. Words blend together and may change their pronunciation sometimes. The "T" in "Metal" and "it is what it is" is often pronounced more like a "D". It is important to learn the English R sound. This is like an L, but curl your tongue back a bit. It should not touch the roof of the mouth. This is because the "Rolled R" can be confused with a "D" or "T". Also, learn the "Th" sounds. There are two versions of 'Th', both pronounced using the same tongue position. Don't be afraid to stick your tongue out a bit for Th. You have to! It may be rude in some cultures, but not so in ours. Try talking to some English speakers. Maybe take a trip to America, UK, Australia, or another English-speaking place. I went to Mexico for a week and I noticed an improvement in my speaking skills for Spanish.

Answer 8

I learned to love books and reading from my parents.

I learned to love literature as a form of art from teachers and professors.

Teachers and professors also taught me to trust my instincts when analyzing a work of literature.

They taught me the basics of grammar, spelling, and usage, but I learned more about those on my own, through reading, than I ever learned in a classroom.

They taught me that the only stupid question is the one that goes unasked.

Answer 9

Yeah! a lot.
My first English teacher not only taught me the language, but also many things which went a long way in making me what I am today.

Answer 10

Given that English is my second language, I've learned quite a bit. I've learned how to construct an English sentence and how to put sentences together in an essay.