Taking English lessons - a teacher's perspective

Good afternoon.

I've been reading the articles on the antimoon website for some tips on how to learn a language other than English (Italian if you wish to know) and have found quite a lot of their advice extreamly valuable to my own learning experience.

I'm also an English language teacher and, having read their article on 'why lessons suck,' I thought I'd add a few thoughts of my own with regards this subject from the other side.

I think the value in taking English lessons depends on the student. For some people, learning English in class is a motivational tool that encourages them to learn. Many people would not bother to try and learn anything without some form of schooling and this is where a lesson can work for some people, by putting pressure on them to try as well as by setting an amount of time in which something will be achieved.

For other people, home study is better. I personally prefer learning at home as I can move at my own pace and can always digress into areas which I find of interest.

English can be seen as a subject like any other. Another subject that I enjoy is History. Since the age of 14 I haven't taken History as a school subject and I have gained my knowledge through reading books, looking at the internet and watching documentaries. I have friends who I have discussed History with who have studied the subject at university. Sometimes I know more than them, sometimes they know more than me - but we have both got to a decent level through different means. There is no one hat fits all technique. You have to know what suits you the best.

So, If you decide to go to lessons, what should you look for?

1) To begin with, do not be put off by L2 English-speaking teachers. A friend of mine is currently suffering because she speaks English as a second language, despite the fact that her English language ability is on a par with any native speaker.

Remember, a native speaker hasn't learnt the language. Therefore, they don't know what problems exist when learning a language. Somebody who has learnt it and has succeeded is better equiped to help you as they will know the pitfalls that exist.

2) Remember that EFL is first-and-foremost a business and the educational aspect is secondary. If you decide to go to a language school, you should find out what the school is like for students. These are some simple questions.

- How long are the lessons?
Anything over 2 hours is pointless as by the 3rd, your mind starts to wander out of the window.

- What facilities are there for students?
Computers with internet access and well-stocked up-to-date libraries are a sign that the school has at least thought about you and your education

- What qualifications/experience do the teachers have?
Many teachers in EFL get by without even a CELTA (certificate in English language teaching to adults) or TESOL (teaching English as a second or other language) qualification. These are bare necessities and, even then, do not show great teaching ability. They are merely licenses to teach in the way that a driving license allows you to drive. Considering the number of bad drivers out there, a CELTA is not a guarantee of good teaching and is not even that difficult to obtain. Mine took a month, I put in very little effort and I still passed despite some awful, awful lessons - failure on these courses are very rare. Another trainee also passed and she Couldn't spot an adjective in a sentence to sav her life.
It should also be remembered that many people take the CELTA because they want to earn some money when travelling. Therefore teaching English is just a holiday job and nothing more - and the pay for teachers in most schools is a reflection of this mindset. If this is the case, don't expect good lessons.
Other qualifications such as a DELTA (diploma in English language teaching) and an MA are a good indicator of good teaching - though not a guarantee. I have witnessed a lesson by a DELTA qualified teacher with 20 years of experience who was gushing with praise for her students who had been taking intensive English lessons for three months (20 hours a week) only for it to become apparntly clear that they did not yet know that you would find a bath in a bathroom (let alone what a bath or a bathroom actually was).
Still, at least if people have spent time on gaining proper qualifications, there's a chance that they will be able to do a decent job.

- what coursebooks do you use?
Schools use coursebooks but, quite often, good teachers don't. If you discover that your teacher relies on their own skills to teach, you'll probably get a better deal.
Even then, some textbooks are better than others. One book to avoid is English for Life. It's cheap and that's why many schools use it. English file is a bit old now and I find its organisation messy, but it does teach pronunciation and many students find it challenging. Headway has become very popular and isn't too bad but it also avoids many principles of TEFL and can leave students and teachers confused.

- How many hours a week do your teachers teach?
A teacher should not teach more than 25 hours a week and should probably be teaching less. Anything more than this and they have little time left to prepare decent materials. If they do teach more than 25 hours, chances are that you'll be learning from the textbook.

- What levels do you cater for?
A school that splits students into beginner, elementary, pre-intermediate, intermediate, upper-intermediate, advanced and proficiency levels is more likely to put you in a class that will actually test your ability than a school that lumps students of different abilities into one room. It's unlikely that an advanced learner will learn some idiomatic English phrases if the guy sitting next to him is struggling with 3rd person singular -s. Yes, I have seen this happen.

- How many people are there in a class?
Anything over 15 is a nightmare and anything over 10 is likely to inhibit your progress.

So if you are going to a school, ask questions, talk to the Director of Studies (They're in charge of the programme) and ask to talk to a teacher. That way, you'll get an idea of whether the school is good or not. Also, look around the place. You're going to be spending time here so if it feels like a prison, just don't go.

3) Don't expect to learn everything in a lesson. Home-study is just as useful and by reading magazines, watching films or even just going through lesson notes, your English will improve. My students that do the homework do make decent progress, those that don't, don't improve their English in the least.

Hope these are some useful tips for anybody wishing to learn/improve their English. Sorry it's a bit wordy and I'd like others to add to this list - both teachers and students alike.

Good luck in your adventure in English. It's a great language with so many odd formations and phrases that I can't help but find it interesting. I hope you do to.

May I know how you learned English? What approach did you take? An approach based on grammar and output or on lots of reading and watching TV programs?

To add to the topic, I don't believe in English classes other than a motivational stimulant. There is just too much hassle with them. Who needs them if you can do better on your own? (There is a lot of resources to help you along)

Qualifications are not a good way to judge a teachers ability.
An unqualified but experienced teacher is better than a fresh out of university anytime.

I learnt English as a mother tongue so it wasn't hard for me but, unlike many other teachers, linguistics was my topic of study at univeristy and so I have a decent background in phonology and grammar.

But, to give another example, I'm trying to learn Italian while living in Italy. I've only been here 6 weeks and I'm already developing the ability to comprehend what people are saying through a basic knowledge and some decent input which I had have looked for myself.

Edward Teach - Abolutely correct, experienced teachers are better than inexperienced teachers to a great extent. What I was trying to do however, was to provide a decent overview of the profession. You should also be warned, many schools have few checks on their teaching staff and many can get away without improving for a long time. I know teachers in the profession who have been doing it for years and all they do is read the textbook ten minutes before class by way of prep work.
Qualifications aren't everything, no, and the CELTA is worth very little, but those who have gone on to take further qualifications are often those teachers who have put in the effort to learn their subject and improve thier teaching. This is not to say others haven't, but how else would you know?

What I should also have added is that anybody thing of doing a course should research the school beforehand. look at forums and find out both what the students and the teachers make of the institution.

Well said Le Quack, I see you have worked alongside teachers of dubious standard just as I have.
Ideally teachers should be judged on a case by case basis but sadly there are just too many teachers for this to be possible.

I used to be an English teacher and I must admit that I was one of very dubious standard. I got sick of teaching people who are incapable of learning, so I decided to give them a little nudge down the inevitable road to failure. I did this by subtly demotivating them. When they wrote a piece I would correct everything, adding "suggestions" to slightly awkward sentences that didn't really need correcting to make them "more natural". I never complemented their work and I spoke in a very fast and slurred manner and led them to believe that was "how natives talk" and that if they didn't understand then they'd failed. The text book was my best friend and never stayed unopened for longer than 5 minutes.

a demotivator,

You are so bitter and so insecure that someone might actually do better a job of learning languages that you're trying to do those little pitiful attempts at what you call demotivating. I feel sorry for people like you. It's like you don't a life of your own. I wonder how well you actually speak the languages you "know". With your sad insecurity I can't imagine you being any good at speaking.

While non-native learners can have a perspective that can help students, every students should get at least some lessons from a native speaker. Otherwise, any errors just propagate. This is especially true when people learn English in a country that doesn't speak English, and all the teachers speak English with the same accent. If you come to America and learn English from a bunch of different teachers with different accents, at least you have a chance of learning how to speak properly. Only people with abnormally high language acquisition skills can learn English as a foreign language well enough to teach it in advanced classes. People can study it for years and still pronounce "use" the same regardless of what part of speech it is.

What I found absolutely amazing at Aberdeen College is that they employed a Polish woman to teach English to 'English' (Scottish) people.

I am not one hundred percent sure of my facts and I am not trying persecute anyone.

Why do I have a problem with this?

One: I find the teachers are often incapable of progressing beyond a limited standard. To have someone who is not a native speaker is to admit that this level is acceptable.

Two: If you have students who are well qualified attending a class that is awarding a basic qualification. The teacher is unable to raise the standard above the standard required for the basic qualification.


I appreciate that a foreign language speaker is able to bring interesting insights to teaching the English language. However I suspect that most of the time, they are just struggling to cope and going through hell in order to earn a pay packet they would not be able to earn in their native country.


How does Aberdeen College find itself in this position?

Political correctness gone mad?

<<What I found absolutely amazing at Aberdeen College is that they employed a Polish woman to teach English to 'English' (Scottish) people. >>


How long has she been in the UK? Could she rightly be classified as having 2 native languages? For example, someone who arrived in the UK before 12 or so years could very easily end up being 100% native.
I know many such people and they are indistinguishable from natives. The only difference is that they speak another language too (usually worse than they speak English).

The Polish woman teaching an English class in Scotland has only been in the UK for a couple of years. To be honest, I do not know. But I am fairly sure that she got the job on the strength of qualifications. Academically, I imagine that she is quite good. To a certain extent, there is something to be said for having someone who is bright and well educated. I suppose I feel particularly aggrieved because as an English person; an English person with a Degree, I have to have a Higher in English in Scotland if I want to teach anything. Whereas I would not have to have an English 'A' level in England and Wales. So I did the Higher course in order to be able to teach in Scotland. Presumably the idea is that you have some idea of the Scottish language and culture. So how am I going to get that from a recently arrived Polish teacher who has been teaching in England? She had a job in England in poor area with a high immigrant population.

There is also the question of 'British jobs for British people'.

I do not want to bang this drum too hard. But the Japanese always boasted of their ability to sell Japanese cars in the UK. Whereas British car manufacturers after encouraging the Japanese motor car industry find it quite difficult to sell British cars in Japan.

For my views on these subjects I can refer you to my Topic in Antimoon - 'The pleasure and pain principle'.

http://www.antimoon.com/forum/t14822.htm



I have also written about Nick Griffin and the BNP in Antimoon.



"Let's make something clear about trolling" Page 4

http://www.antimoon.com/forum/t14795-45.htm


________________________________________________________

BNP leader Nick Griffin owns Jack Straw - BBC Question Time

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I8Wkyfw4mzM

"I do not want to bang this drum too hard."

My mistake not picked up by Microsoft Word.

What I wanted to say under this Topic was that I personally feel there is a social aspect to attending classes - social and motivational.

I recently visited my brother and met my nephew. My nephew has been going to University but coming home for weekends - not really taking part in the life of the University. He has also been missing lectures.

My nephew tells me that this is not a problem because the lecturers put their lectures in a Power Point format and he can catch up any time using the internet.

I am doing a class at College and they have a similar system. I recently missed a lecture and I had a look at the Power Point presentation.

Personally I feel that it is a poor substitute for going along. In the first lecture, the Lecturer established his credibility - his credentials. In the second lecture, I was rather disappointed because I was in a small group with a fellow student who I had a very low opinion of. However I also met one or two other people. We also did a class room exercise (Food Porn) that is not reflected in by the Power Point presentation.

Marks and Spencer

Russell Donald

In the third class we were presented with a dilemma. We were told about characterisation and 'Fagan' from Charles Dickens was given as an example. However we were also told not to use racial stereotypes of good and evil.

"What is good for the goose is good for the gander."

I missed the fourth class, but I have done a piece of work.

Classes are a bitch because they're full of tards, talkative bimbos, homos and liberals.

Good to see that this post has been politically hijacked.

The concept of British jobs for British people is a pointless and outdated one. Welcome to the globalised economy.

Yep, the UK could go isolationist, but only at a high cost. If we do decide to do that, imagine something like Bielorussia with high unemployment, corruption and a thriving black market.

The BNP aren't just a racist party, their policies are unworkable and complete garbage, which is really where the fight against them should be taken.

A BNP government would basically bomb Britain back into the 18th century.

I agree in that the BNP are a bunch of inept xenophobic morons but there is more than one kind of predjudice.

Anyone who lives in the U.K. will be aware that the immigration system is in need of a serious overhaul.

As it stands an immigrant from Iraq with no identification, qualifications or family residing within the U.K. is entitled to remain within the country and claim benefits whilst I cannot take my wife back home even if I agree to provide financially for her and can prove I am able to do so.
This is nothing short of a fucking outrage.