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Learning English with a native speaker: pros and cons

Learning English with a native speaker: pros and cons

A native speaker is a person for whom this linguistic instrument is native — that is, learning from birth without any teaching methods. He does not only speak this language but also thinks and even dreams. We can say, he uses it in any life situations effortlessly.

Native speakers speak correctly, moreover, they use a "living" language - with all the colloquial words and other specific characteristics of a certain geographical area.

But can every resident of this or that country (English is used as the first language in the UK, USA, Australia, Canada and in some other countries) become a teacher? Of course not. Native speakers are people of different professions, and although communication with native English speakers is always useful for a student, the benefits of such communication should not be overestimated.

Who is the native-speaking teacher?

What foreigner can become a real teacher of their native language? To answer this question correctly, it is enough to ask yourself: can I teach Russian in all the intricacies of its phonetics, grammar, syntax and punctuation to a person from another country and another culture?

This cannot be done without special training. In some English-speaking countries, there are special courses for people of different professions who want to devote their time to the language teaching of foreigners. After passing these courses and exams, you can get primary teaching skills.

It is useful to master the spoken language with such enthusiastic teachers, but if you are interested in teaching your child with a native speaker, choose a professional who knows the appropriate methods, training programs, the basics of pedagogy, and have the experience of applying all his professional knowledge and skills, which must be confirmed with:

  • diploma of specialized education;
  • certificates and diplomas reflecting milestones of professional activity.

However, even in this case, one should not forget: classes with a native speaker have not only important advantages but also some disadvantages.

Pros of learning English with a native speaker

Choosing to study English with a native speaker, you can count on the following positive aspects of the lessons:

  • rich practice of speaking, high intensity of listening;
  • natural assimilation of colloquial vocabulary and the basics of grammar;
  • opportunity to study the language spoken by our contemporaries (without outdated grammatical constructions and formal expressions not used in speech);
  • parallel study of the culture of another country, complete and reliable information about its traditions, interesting information (for example, about holidays, habits, etc.), current news cases.

Usually, such teachers do not speak Russian, so the training is conducted strictly in English, not allowing you to relax and phoney in the hope that sooner or later you will receive a translation of what was said or written by the teacher. Of course, listening is difficult at first, but it brings quick and noticeable results.

Classes with native speakers are usually not only intense, but also exciting: literally, every lesson brings an impressive number of new words, information is absorbed in a shorter time, and communication is fulfilled by an abundance of curious facts that only a person who grew up in another culture can know, the originality of his assessments and reasoning.

Disadvantages of studying with a foreigner

Of course, there are several difficulties in learning a foreign language with a native speaker - some of them follow directly from the advantages listed above.

Teaching classes exclusively in the target language creates increased tension for the student, sometimes it is even stressful. For people with a language barrier, this is not the best solution.

Any native speaker has an individual intonation and a particular manner of speech, he can use slang, specific words - and, unfortunately, he is not always a carrier of British normative pronunciation (the so-called Received Pronunciation, or RP). Therefore, teaching can be spoilt with the fact that the student will speak with an accent or become addicted to words that are not in common use.

Another problem is that native speaker is sometimes not so good at grammar rules and the intricacies of vocabulary. It might sound surprising, but it has a reasonable explanation: a teacher who has mastered language constructions at an intuitive level cannot always clearly explain them to a student.

Finally, it must be admitted that a lesson with a Russian-speaking teacher of identical qualifications is simply more affordable.

If you decide to teach English to a child

People want to study the most popular language for a variety of reasons: getting ready to communicate with foreign guests or to move to an English-speaking country, wanting to get acquainted with another culture or simply "shake off" the language barrier to continue to enjoy free communication with people, watching films, reading books in the original.

A separate theme is the education of children to broaden the prospects for their future, including the possibility of admission to prestigious British educational institutions. In this case, an integrated professional approach is required, the participation of highly qualified teachers, the use of advanced techniques and training programs.

The British school CIS International School offers effective English language training with a native speaker in Moscow, St. Petersburg and Tashkent – call us and find out the terms for admission and studying, order a school tour to familiarize yourself with the campuses of the British school.

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