Return-Path: <nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov> Received: from literacy (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by literacy.nifl.gov (8.10.2/8.10.2) with SMTP id i2BMPZI20907; Thu, 11 Mar 2004 17:25:35 -0500 (EST) Date: Thu, 11 Mar 2004 17:25:35 -0500 (EST) Message-Id: <20040311.170231.-416099.0.arconn@juno.com> Errors-To: listowner@literacy.nifl.gov Reply-To: nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov Originator: nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov Sender: nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov Precedence: bulk From: arconn@juno.com To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov> Subject: [NIFL-ESL:10013] Re: Fw: Diversity in staffing X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 X-Mailer: Juno 5.0.33 Status: O Content-Length: 2831 Lines: 71 This was an interesting reply. Two years ago I set up a class for people who were all from Syria. They insisted that they wanted a teacher who was from the United states. They said that they were first taught by a Syrian and she reverted to her native language when she was teaching them. They felt if someone did not understand their language, they would have to speak English. So I guess it is up to what ever the student wants! > Why then is it so essential to have native speakers of > English perceived as being the most valid teachers of > the language? On what grounds > > A correct accent is essential in my opinion to teach any language. I > have a friend who teaches ESOL with a very heavy Spanish accent, > She is not clearly intelligible in her pronunciation and her > emphasis is on the wrong syllable many times. I, my self, wouldn't > want to learn a language from someone who wasn't a native if I had > the choice. > Tanya Tweeton GED and ESOL > Fort Lauderdale, Florida > > Maria, > > > > Thanks again for another sensitive and well thought > > out response. I was taught English in India. I grew up > > speaking English, Hindi and Marathi (and understanding > > Punjabi, Gujarati and Malvani) almost simultaneously. > > And as Americans have pointed out, I *DO* have an > > accent. An Indian accent from western India, and a > > strong British pronunciation. Everyone has an accent. > > > > ESOL for me is similar to the FLE classes my son had > > to take when he started school last year in France, > > which is Francais Langue Etrangere, or French as a > > Foreign Language. What matters is communication. The > > difference between high school language lessons and > > ESOL to me is the difference between learning Language > > as a subject (and thus no real emphasis on speaking or > > communicating or learning the living spoken language) > > and learning a spoken living language. ESOL to me, > > represents the latter. We hear this all the time, "I > > had five years of Spanish/German/French in school and > > still can't speak it." That to me is a subject. And > > more often than not, we are taught this by non-native > > speakers of the language. > > > > Why then is it so essential to have native speakers of > > English perceived as being the most valid teachers of > > the language? On what grounds? Seems more of a > > sociopolitical thing to me, rather than something > > based on research or inquiry. Should it not be mastery > > of the language and the ability to teach it well be > > the reason we hire teachers? > > > > regards, > > Ujwala Samant > > > > Director > > Learning for Life UK > > > > > > > > > > > > __________________________________ > > Do you Yahoo!? > > Yahoo! Search - Find what you’re looking for faster > > http://search.yahoo.com > >
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b30 : Thu Dec 23 2004 - 09:46:40 EST