a native tutor is likely to obtain better results

Robin   Fri Sep 08, 2006 7:49 am GMT
I found this statement in

http://www.dur.ac.uk/postgraduate.english/Facchinello.htm

The article is called: Italian language for English students: beware of false friends!

What it says in the article could be applied to any language.

That you can only go so far learning grammatical rules etc etc. At a certain point it makes more sense to start immersing yourself in the language.

<<There is one sentence in the article that I found a little confusing. "Thus, even in the less fortunate, though more common, case of learning a foreign language away from its context of real use, having the learning delivered by a native teacher is certainly second best."

Presumably what is meant, is that having a native teacher is second best to immersing yourself in the foreign language, by living in the foreign country.

In the case of learning English, I would have thought that it would help to watch as much British (English Language) Television as possible. Particular 'News Type' programmes where the English is presented in a very articulate and well spoken way.

The big disadvantage of learning the language, in the foreign country, is that you might pick up some dreadful dialect. I think the other disadvantage of learning English, in Britain, is that you might get used to speaking in Broken English. Your English might actually be very poor, but it is sufficient for communication, and nobody will correct you. Also, you need it on a day to day basis. So, you are constantly reinforcing a peculiar and individual type of English. >>