
Originally Posted by
walrus
Miles, isn't it easier to teach English to the natives if you speak their language, just curious. I speak Chinese.
In some senses yes, in other senses no. When I was teaching little children, they were almost like sponges in that they could pick up vocabulary and sentence structures very effectively without really needing their native language. If I were to speak Korean all the time, I wouldn't have been in a job. Parents would complain. However, you try to keep a balance so that there are local teachers offering native language support in their classes.
At a tertiary level, I am expected to use my native tongue pretty much all the time. In the classes that I am in charge of (higher level classes) students expect their teacher to be a native speaker. I act accordingly. In a lower proficiency class I have dual role with a Korean teacher. We have clearly defined distinct roles. We cover similar material, but using different methods. In this case, learners could use more Korean, but if I were to just be using a lot of grammar translation myself then I wouldn't be doing my job as they have two types of teacher. I know a lot more Korean than I let on, but at work it is best to not let that mask slip because students will try to speak to you in Korean, they then think they can get lazy in class that way, and so it is best not to go down that path. You are talking a good decade of public school and private school education with more advanced students. They are usually sick of being told about grammar in their native tongue and that is why there is such a demand for native speakers.
Can you speak Chinese fluently? I know some Korean and I have completed textbooks on my own, but I am realistic about my proficiency. I'm similar to my lower level classes and their English. I make mistakes, I am halting, but enough to get by. Usually a person will talk down their ability to speak a language as the truth is we barely even know our own. Me too.
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