Taking an English teacher for example, the requirement is that he knows English very well. No one expects him to speak Japanese or whatsoever fluently except when his students are super beginners. On the other hand, I wonder if they can understand students' feelings because they have never gone through a language learning process. It's like a football director who has never played football by himself. I've just asked it out of the curiosity and would like to know the general opinions. Do you find them trustworthy? Personally I know what important the most is the compatibility between a teacher and a student. So I'm glad if you think about it ruling out of the ideas like "depends on ".
Thanks, in advance.
Thanks, allen. When it comes to English teacher, monolingual-rate happens to rather high unfortunately.
Thanks, DCSK2013. I totally agree with you and I found you pretty courageous. Not so many teachers try to learn their students' mother-tongues.
Thanks, Rosia. Like you said, nderstanding students' feeling should be curtail for teachers in general, and especially for a language learning. Because its fundamentally liked to communication.
This is a really good question. I think that it would be helpful, although not essential for a language teacher to have learned a language themselves. However, I think that it is more important for the teacher to have a grasp of the structure of the students' mother tongue, to understand which particular aspects of learning are difficult for them. For example, I don't think that it is necessary for an English teacher to speak Chinese in order to teach Chinese speakers, but I do think that in addition to general teacher training, there should be teacher training specific to the language combination being taught.
The helpful aspect of a teacher also being a learner, in my opinion, would be the emotional side of language learning, to understand the feelings of frustration and helplessness.
(By the way, I don't think that "trustworthy" is the right word. It is not a matter of their honesty, rather their reliability.)
I think the experience of learning another language is hugely important. Not sure about 'trustworthy' (though I'd like to think that I am), but it's certainly made me a more understanding teacher, especially now I'm learning my students' first language.
There are many good monolingual teachers out there, but I don't think being a native speaker is, in itself, a strong enough entry criteria: I wasn't taught exactly why I make many of the linguistic choices I make, and I routinely break a number of grammar rules when I speak in my 'natural' enviroment. I happen to have studied my first language in depth, but for the benefit of students I personally think this should be given more attention.
Every single on of the teachers who works in Japan has learnt a foreign language at school. They all know exactly what it is like to be in your shoes, so I don't really see the point you are trying to make here.
I have met a teacher who does not only have language learning experience, but also had never been to overseas. She had no idea what learning another language like and she was very insensitive and narrow minded. She kept making comments that discouraging students to learn the target language, instead of encouraging. So, I believe language learning experience is very important for the language teachers.
