|
ESL Forum:
Techniques and methods
in Language Teaching
Games, activities
and teaching ideas
Grammar and
Linguistics
Teaching material
Concerning
worksheets
Concerning
powerpoints
Concerning online
exercises
Make suggestions,
report errors
Ask for help
Message board
|
ESL forum >
Ask for help > ENGLISH TEACHER OR TEACHER OF ENGLISH ???
ENGLISH TEACHER OR TEACHER OF ENGLISH ???
|
|
JuliaKaraban
|
|
Some years ago I decided to translate our school official site from Russian into English and asked my American colleague which is more correct " a teacher of English" or "an English teacher". He advised me to use " an English teacher".
|
7 Jan 2014
|
|
|
PhilipR
|
|
I agree with Bruce. The most used expression has to be English teacher, regardless of the nationality or position of the teacher.
Teacher of English does sound formal and unusual to me. We wouldn �t call the Math teacher (or Maths teacher) a teacher of Math(s), would we?
Btw, in general English refers to the subject that is taught, and not the nationality of the teacher. |
7 Jan 2014
|
|
|
Peter Hardy
|
|
Yep, I agree with Bruce and Philip that �a teacher of English � is quite formal. More common is indeed �He �s an English teacher �, as in he �s a Science teacher, a History teacher, a French teacher, a PE teacher, a Turkish teacher and so on. It hardly ever refers to the nationality, although it may at times. So a Turkish teacher teaching English is an English teacher. I myself am an English teacher in Australia, but I �m from Holland. (Just happen to live down-under for 30 odd years.) Anyone who teaches English to non-English speakers is officially an ESL or better EFL (English as Foreign Language) teacher. That seems to be too complicated, so we talk about teaching English, French, German, Turkish, Dutch or Greek and so on, instead of ESL/EFL, FSL/FFL, GSL/GFL, TSL/TFL, DSL/DFL or GSL/GFL. Well, you get my drift. Hope this helps, combined with the above answers. Cheers. Peter
|
8 Jan 2014
|
|
|
douglas
|
|
This topic has been explored on the forum in the past:
|
8 Jan 2014
|
|
|
alexcure
|
|
What about "an English teacher of Biology", then? To me, it would mean a teacher from England who teaches Biology, or "a German teacher of English" would mean a teacher of English from Germany. When we want to specify the exact origin of the teacher the construction " a ..... teacher of ..........." might be Ok, am I right? Correct me please, native teachers of English ;-) |
8 Jan 2014
|
|
|
yanogator
|
|
Yes, alexcure, that is correct, but it sounds more natural to say "a Biology teacher from England". This is especially becuase the subject matter works better next to the word "teacher".
Bruce |
8 Jan 2014
|
|
|
cunliffe
|
|
English teacher. I am not one, though. I am an EAL (English as an additional language) teacher i.e I teach English to non-native speakers. My friend is Italian and she is a mainstream English teacher. Very impressive!
...Except in adverts, and it goes �a teacher of English is required at...� |
8 Jan 2014
|
|
|
alexcure
|
|
Thank you, Bruce, it �s very clear now. So I must change the info on me in my profile!!! :- )))
What does it mean "an EAL teacher", Lynn?
(Wow, once I quarrelled with my ex-colleague about it, and I am glad I was right, her students were writing adverts and I suggested them to write "a teacher of Polish", instead of "Polish teacher" and she started accusing me of correcting her students while being wrong).
|
8 Jan 2014
|
|
|
gulsahbilge67
|
Wow !!! I �m certainly enlightened now 
Thank you very much for all your great contributions.
"English Teacher" has always been my preference. I �m relieved to learn that I �m doing the right thing. 
Greetings from Turkey.
G�lşah
|
8 Jan 2014
|
|
< Previous
1
2
|
