Teachers speaking your native language too much in lessons Hi everyone. I just wanted to go on a small rant/know if I'm the only one who has experienced this. Long story short I started learning Spani

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Jenay Randall

Teachers speaking your native language too much in lessons

Hi everyone. I just wanted to go on a small rant/know if I'm the only one who has experienced this. Long story short I started learning Spanish on italki 2 years ago and I remember that teachers tended to try to explain things always in Spanish and not translate to English unless I asked them to. Now that I have started learning French a month ago it's almost as if teachers want to prove or show off that they speak English and almost all of them write to me in English, translate words to English or just generally can't seem to understand how unhelpful that is, coming from someone who has successfully reached C1 level in Spanish and going towards C2 I know what not to do...and one of things is thinking or translating to your native language. Even if I tell them I prefer not to use English at all so that I don't get encouraged to translate things and rely on English, most still do it and I can't understand why. My level is high enough to where I understand everything so it's not even called for...... I would understand if I was a complete beginner and I just literally could not understand what they were saying to me...in that case English could be used as an occasional tool.

My question is to tutors and learners alike, do native English speakers often ask what something means in English and prefer translations and when tutors speak to them in English? Even though I am totally against that and think its absolutely ineffective, maybe I am missing something? It would be interesting to know simply just to know people's learning preferences. Also, learners can you relate to what I am saying or do you like when teachers translate or speak in your native language? Tutors and professors, your opinion?

Edit: I am a Professional Teacher on italki and I am also a student who has learned a language from zero to C1+ level and is learning another one.

2 Thg 04 2020 13:36

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Why is it “absolutely ineffective” to teach in the student’s native language? If you’re learning French grammar, whether you’re learning it in English or French, what you’re learning is French grammar. It might take more words to explain the same concepts in a different language, but you’re still learning. So it’s less efficient, but calling it “absolutely ineffective” seems like hyperbole.

I think the most important thing is efficiency. For beginners, it’s more efficient to teach in their native language. Otherwise they won’t get most things and it’ll take more time for them to understand what’s being explained. You’re just adding a communication barrier. For more advanced students, it’s more efficient to teach using the target language, because explaining the grammar of a language using another language requires more words.

It’s usually quite easy to gauge a student’s level. I’m not going to teach in Arabic if the student stops me every second sentence. But I expect more advanced students to be able to understand explanations in their target language.

I prefer having a teacher who speaks one of my native languages (which usually means English), just to have it to fall back on. When the teacher only speaks my target language, explaining words I don’t understand can take too long, and that hurdle is unnecessary.

I am curious how often it has happened to you that you asked a teacher to teach in your target language and they continued to teach in English.

I think there’s often pressure on students to start speaking in the target language as soon as possible, and usually that means immediately. It can be quite discouraging. I hated language-learning back in high school because of this approach. I found it overwhelming. I think maybe some teachers like to make sure you have the option to learn in your native language and that they’re not judging you for it. But it's weird if they continued to teach in English if you had asked them not to.

2 tháng 4 năm 2020

If you’re paying for a service, then it’s reasonable to make your expectations clear and not continue with a teacher if they are not meeting them. That should be part of the process of selecting a teacher. You’re paying for their time and I agree with you that the time should be spent in your target language as much as you can understand it.

2 tháng 4 năm 2020

I would think that different people learn differently. Like you, I prefer to do as much in the language I’m learning as possible because It is so much easier to say everything in my native language that I might never learn otherwise. Maybe you could discuss your learning style with your tutor so that you could get more out of your lessons.

2 tháng 4 năm 2020

Communication should be always in your target language. When a student doesn't understand a word, I first try to explain it by using different words. If that doesn't work, I gladly translate for them.

2 tháng 4 năm 2020

Jenay:

I addressed your entire point, but I found your post confusing. I wasn’t sure if you meant it was just ineffective for you or you were making a more generalized statement. So thank you for clarifying. And I apologize if my response was off-topic.

I do think that you’re learning something if you’re learning the grammar of one language using another language. Because you’re learning grammar. Grammar can be taught separately from conversation/practice. I do think it’s better for advanced students to learn in the target language, but I wouldn’t go so far as to call it absolutely ineffective to learn using your native language.

As I said, I find it weird that your teachers continue teaching in English even after you’ve asked them to teach in your target language. Have you considered asking them why they do it? I mean, you’re making an assumption that they just want to show off their English. I’m sure you can figure it out by talking to them about it. Or just go through as many teachers as you need in order to find one who works for you. That’s one of the benefits of italki. I always treat the first few lessons as a trial period.

2 tháng 4 năm 2020

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Jenay Randall

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