People want native teachers but is it really always good? I learned English mostly from my friend who is German but speaks English very well. He could teach me things which I didn't understand and was wondering about but friends who are native English speakers couldn't understand what I didn't understand often because all of the things I was wondering about are all natural things for the native speakers.
For advanced student, native speakers are the best for the teaching but I doubt if it's good to be taught by native English speakers if you are a beginner.
2007-05-26 08:02:10 · 10 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Languages
My point is that non native teacher (German friend) could point what I couldn't understand which native speakers couldn't understand why I couldn't understand because it's natural for the natives.
2007-05-26 08:23:00 · update #1
Well, I'm a native-speaking English teacher so I may be biased...
I do prefer advanced students, and I am better at teaching them than beginners, but I would say in the case of beginners, the advantage of a native teacher is that s/he is less likely to slip into the other language. Once you've slipped in, it can be very hard to pull yourself out. However, that can also be true of non-native speakers who are nonetheless very proficient in the student's language. Also, some students who have always had non-native teachers just don't believe native speakers when they finally correct some mistake the teachers had made too.
Those of us who are goddesses of grammar understand what you can't understand.
2007-05-26 08:18:25 · answer #1 · answered by Goddess of Grammar 7 · 0⤊ 3⤋
You are correct. Non-native teachers may understand a language in a way that a native teacher does not. Studying other languages helped me understand my own native language (English) from a perspective that I did not have while studying it in school.
HOWEVER, they usually cannot provide the perfect accent and the easy recognition of language patterns that are used or not used in the native speaking environment.
In either case, whether a teacher is a native speaker or not has NOTHING to do with how they transfer that ability to their students. Your German friend is just a good teacher. He could probably teach any subject he knows well, even if he is not a professional teacher.
In my experience there are teachers who have a natural ability to present and develop content to students, and the rest do the best they can, and may even do an OK job. But the naturally skilled ones leave a greater impression.
2007-05-26 08:55:33 · answer #2 · answered by Mimii 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I am studying Chinese (mandarin) and of course, my teachers are all Chinese (2 from Beijing, 1 from Taiwan). The one from Taiwan has a masters in teaching Chinese as a foreign language so, of course, she is an excellent teacher and her English is very good too. The other two both have degrees (probably in the same thing, I'm not sure) and are good teachers but I feel they're only so good at English because they've been living here for 20 years. With Chinese I prefer native speakers because they don't have any problems with forgetting characters and naturally know the grammar inside out which still can be tricky for a near-native speaker.
2007-05-26 08:30:17 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
II would say that (and I mean no offense by this), in general English people tend to know very little about their own grammar and the structure of their own language, making it really hard for them to explain to a foreigner learning their language what they can't understand.
Foreigners, at least Europeans, tend to learn their own grammar very well from a very early age, so they know their parts of speech, how to conjugate, etc, so when they have queries, they're very specific about what they need to find out, and I have always found that someone no-native who has already learnt the language themselves can relate more to that query and understand more easily what the student is struggling with.
In most cases, someone who has learnt English as a second language will be better at spelling and grammar of the English language than a native person themselves.
2007-06-01 12:18:22 · answer #4 · answered by 13 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Non-native teacher with native-like ability
OR
Native teacher with near-native English skill.
Those are the ideals. Since you may not get that, I think non-native teachers work best in the beginning phases, and natives at the advanced stage.
2007-05-26 08:12:29 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
...well for vocabulary and figure of speeches I'd choose native teachers, but for grammar I'd probably go with a non-native teacher. in the end choose somebody who knows how to teach languages and break down the rules of proper grammar...don't just listen to anybody who only knows words or cursing.
also, after a certain skill level it's best to go to the country itself and learn the language from the people...books, tapes, teachers and school can only do so much.
2007-06-02 10:59:49 · answer #6 · answered by jacaha001 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Other then knowing the language basics, Native Speakers also know the dialects and many other slang phrases within the language which helps understand when you will actually face a real life conversation.
2007-06-01 12:44:56 · answer #7 · answered by Javi 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I think a non native speaker, would teach you better since he can use techniques, similar, to the ones he used when he learned.
2007-05-30 06:57:29 · answer #8 · answered by ♥ Ferdie ♥ 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Native speakers are only good if they are also fluent enough in your language for you to understand what is being said.
2007-05-26 08:06:43 · answer #9 · answered by Belie 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
If you determined in finding out to speak Chinese then you must now that the best option is a Course for Mandarin.
2016-06-04 14:51:01 · answer #10 · answered by Trevor 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋