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ESL forum >
Message board > To all the ESL teachers
To all the ESL teachers
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HARIM
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To all the ESL teachers
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Should we teach the Englishes we picked up or the one we learnt ? |
10 Mar 2009
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source
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I think harim is trying to ask should we teach in your native language or target
language.... As for many years they had cheated us not talk in your native language
only English..shhh it is forbidden...But I think getting benefits of your own native
language mustn �t be a taboo .In some cases it is impossible to express yourself in the
target language and also harder for students to grasp what are you talking about...So if
the question is like I guessed .I �m in favour of using both languages... |
10 Mar 2009
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eng789
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I think harim should explain what he means. |
10 Mar 2009
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HARIM
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Sometimes there are striking mismatches between what we acquired and what we learnt.Should we reject a grammatically correct sentence just because it sounds awkward to us natives?
I hope it �s clear now.
Cheers |
10 Mar 2009
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Tere-arg
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I am afraid I am not qualified to answer, as I am a non-native teacher, but I have my position taken:
I was taught what I call "academic English". I mean English based more on grammar than on every day use.
Then, by being in touch with natives, I came to "re-learn" it ... 
I think we should have bear in mind the reason our students want to learn it:
- if to be teachers some day...they should be taught grammar and exposed to every day use, as well
- if just to be able to communicate (travel, business, etc): we should focus on every day language much more than on grammar.
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10 Mar 2009
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alien boy
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I �d go so far as to say that there are often far more regular disparities between the varieties of English than �sometimes �!
As Tere-arg said, a lot depends on the purpose of the instruction. If it is for �communication � as well as �academic � then it is important that students are aware of the very real differences between �Standard British/Standard American � Englishes & the spoken varieties. Even then, it isn �t very likely that you could expose your students to every dialect of spoken English - there are hundreds in the UK alone! (I �ve even read about English TV programs that were subtitled in Standard British from their local dialect so the language could be understood...)
In Japan if you are employed as an Assistant Language Teacher then you are there not just to teach English but also to expose the students to English speaking cultures. So in my current full time employment I �m also somewhat of a �cultural ambassador � in addition to being a teacher. I have a couple of students who are pursuing acting, so I have introduced them to several different resources on spoken English around the world & several texts from acting friends & drama teachers on the same subject.
You introduce some good topics Harim!
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10 Mar 2009
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Zora
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I agree with Tere...
As a teacher and somebody who learned a second (and third) language, I think it is necessary to have a "firm" and clear base grammatically. Then as you progress in the language "everyday and slang" English can be introduced...
Unfortunately a non-native saying things like "My favorite food is apple", or "I have been to London in the weekend" makes other natives cringe inside when they hear such a thing said...
It might be a double-standard but that �s the way it is - with any language... If I said something in Spanish (when I was first learning and didn �t know the difference) in a "everyday" way that I heard someone else say, I was often corrected by others... *shrugs*
Besides with TV, books, video games, music, etc... students will soon learn coloquial every day English and as teachers, I think that it is our duty to teach them properly - without entering into extremes - since they will eventually learn otherways. Also, a good base is fundamental since many will go on to higher studies where English is a must or they might simply want to do an "official" exam like Trinity or Cambridge... |
10 Mar 2009
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HARIM
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Zora
If "My favorite food/fruit is apple" is a cringe-making sentence,which is not the case in most English speaking countries, should we count it correct or incorrect? |
10 Mar 2009
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Zora
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The answer to your most insistent question Harim is quite simply - yes. I have in the past done so... and I will continue to correct it when I am in class and reviewing this topic... BUT on a general basis, if I am doing a speaking activity - and depending on the level of my students - I will perhaps let it go by...
Also, my corrections are not harsh nor abrupt... they are simple and gentle interjections made time to time when the student is talking. Constant correction is a deterrent and makes many students feel self-conscious... BUT a student at a certain level should have the fluidity and knowledge not to make basic mistakes when speaking...
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10 Mar 2009
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