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69

Posts

EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 16 July 2011 - 22:44

I hate to harp on, but I will :-) you seem to assume that only native speakers can have correct pronounciation - I beg to differ - the point I am making is that some non native speakers can develop perfect pronounciation. I hope you agree. Or are you saying that ALL non native speakers have pronounciation issues? My point about being fluent in the learner's language seems to be taken only as in 'providing a translation' As I explained earlier that is not what I am talking about. I understand the principle behind the CELTA and TEFL blanket rules on keeping to the target language.

KarenBlixen1369

143

Posts

EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 16 July 2011 - 08:54

I know several ppl who took lessons at the British Council and were very happy. The only observation they made was that although the teachers were very nice and well qualified, they were reticent to correct students' mistakes in front of the rest of the class for fear of upsetting them. For this reason, a friend of mine switched to private lessons after a few months to improve her standard of grammar. I agree that the origin of the teacher should not be an issue, as CELTA-qualified teachers do not translate words into student's native tongue and this is often more effective. But I agree that having a native speaker is defintely better in terms of prononciation. HTH x

69

Posts

EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 16 July 2011 - 01:51

interesting debate and sorry if not strictly in line with the main thread. I agree that there are some English language teachers out there whose pronounciation is unacceptable. and whose mistakes perpetrate mispronounciation among the pupils. All I was saying is that there are some non native speakers who speak perfect English (or certainly to a level that could not be differentiated from that spoken by a native speaker) From experience, I find that speaking a pupils' first language fluently makes for very intersting in depth language analysis with upper intermediate + students. Agree that it should not be used on demand by the student as a lazy alternative to working things out by the context or looking up a dictionary.

619

Posts

EW GURU

Latest post on 12 July 2011 - 10:17

iI Lulla. Those are good points re clarification and so on, but this is generally a myth. It creates the wrong atmosphere that the student should be asking what that is in Arabic. Speaking from experience, certain cultures make the same errors in English that become 'inherited' for lack of a better word. I taught ESL in Bangkok and I could always tell the difference between a student who learned from a native speaker vs a Thai. Non native speakers don't know about these errors (habits) because every teacher before them has used them. I can give a couple of examples from Thailand. The pronunciation of the words 'stomach' and 'debt'. Thais will pronounce the ch in stomach the same as a ch in Charlie. They also pronounce the B in debt because they are told to by non native English teachers, so it comes out as de buh tuh. Back to willow. If your friend goes to one of these schools, they will test her to see which level she's at and then place her in the right class. <em>edited by natalie8 on 12/07/2011</em>

69

Posts

EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 11 July 2011 - 23:25

I generally agree with the advice given. However, bilingual qualified teachers would also be an excellent option. In some cases, people who have learned English as a foreign language can be much more au fait with English grammar and English use than native speakers. If accent is a concern, not all non native speakers fall down on this ( although I know it can be an issue ) and one might argue that a native speaker with a strong regional accent from wherever could present the same problem. Sharing the same native language can indeed be useful, enabling quick clarification of teaching points, albeit not essential. Sorry - don't mean to be pedantic - Just thought I would make the point, in case people reading this might think that native speaker is the only effective option. I would suggest it's a matter of checking each teacher for his or her ability.

100

Posts

EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 11 July 2011 - 14:15

Thanks!

619

Posts

EW GURU

Latest post on 11 July 2011 - 14:13

:) Ah, OK. There are also some schools that advertise on line. Try these: http://www.britishcouncil.org/me-uae-english-courses-details.htm http://www.eton.ac/languages/english.php http://www.ihdubai.com/

100

Posts

EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 11 July 2011 - 14:05

Thanks for your advice, Natalie8. It's not for me but for an Arabic-speaking friend. I thought maybe it would be easier for her to learn from someone who also spoke her language.

619

Posts

EW GURU

Latest post on 11 July 2011 - 13:37

Hi willow. I taught ESL for four years in non English speaking country. the first piece of advice I will give you is to learn English from a native speaker - British, Australian, North American etc and someone who is certified to teach ESL. There are a few posters on here who are, and you can also check Dubizzle or ads at Spinneys. I can turn things around for you for a bit of perspective and I did this when I was teaching. You said that you're an Arabic speaker. Ok, so if I want to learn Arabic, should I learn from a native Arabic speaker or someone who learned Arabic as a second language? The answer is obvious. Your English is good enough to type, so you're already partway there. Good luck with it.

100

Posts

EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 11 July 2011 - 12:52

Hi. Can anyone recommend a school/course for learning English? It's for an Arabic speaker so an Arabic-speaking teacher would be a bonus. Thanks.

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