SCHOOL MATTERS
Native Speaker Teachers:
Help or
Hindrance.
Today in the era of globalization
and progress we can get almost anything we want almost in every sphere
of our life including education. New
gadgets, tricks and technologies make
the process of education easier and
fill it with variety and fun. Learning
a foreign language has also become
more available and exciting as modern learners have an access to a higher amount of resources. What’s more,
they can practice the language they
learn with native speakers without
even getting up from the chair. For
most schools it has become a matter
of prestige to have native speakers
working as their teachers for no student will ever doubt the efficiency of
getting first-hand knowledge from a
person teaching their mother tongue.
People are ready to pay extra money to get what they think will make
them master a foreign language way
faster. However, are non-native teachers really so unprofessional and are
native speakers as good as they look
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on paper? When we go to a doctor we
expect to be examined and treated
by a person with proper education
and skills. How can learning a foreign
language with a professional teacher
be different? The golden rule says: we
can all speak our mother tongue but
not all of us can teach it. Leave it to
professionals.
Among the main criteria that might
influence one’s choice of a teacher
such factors as price, motivation and
quality might be decisive. Some people tend to think that a native speaker
is a universal solution to any problem.
But unfortunately not every problem
can be fixed so easily. The fact that
almost everybody can be trained as
a teacher can’t be denied. Let’s try to
figure out what skills and qualities a
native speaker should possess to be a
decent teacher and in what situations
a non-native can teach you better.
•
The first thing one should be
aware of in one’s search of a teacher
is the entry level. If your goal is to
obtain general knowledge and learn
the basics of a foreign language, a
non-native teacher will be more helpful and efficient both in improving
your grammar and vocabulary. In this
case you will get a solid base for your
further studies and a chance to get
more detailed and professional explanations from the one who shares your
mentality and mother tongue. Additional classes with a native speaker
are highly recommended from time to
time for a change of air. These classes
can be taken in the form of a conversation class corresponding with your
current level.
•
If you want to have lessons
with a native speaker you should set
your objectives first and define your
goals clearly. You should have a lucid
idea of what you expect from these
lessons. Most people need a native
speaker to improve their listening and
conversational skills in order to be
able to converse with foreign business
partners or when living and studying
abroad. To be able to get the most
from such lessons your entry level
should be high enough to absorb the
new information and process it.
•
If you don’t have enough
practice and would like to remain fluent in a foreign language, occasional
conversation classes with a native are
a good form of practice as well.
•
If your goal is preparation for
international exams such as TOEFL,
IELTS, FCE etc. a native speaker might
be very good aid on the condition he
or she is familiar with all the demands
and tasks the exam contains. Practicing with a native speaker will certainly
help you prepare for a speaking part