Teacher Discussion Forums

I think it all comes down to what type of person you are. Yes, the vast majority of people need to be told what to do and how to do it. However, a small percentage of people are able to figure out what exactly they want and how they can get it. If I decide to learn a language, I can develop my own s...

JuanTwoThree wrote: You asked "have you ever seen a person who has learned a second language "in a classroom"?"

Thousands.

And would you say the can hold a conversation with any native speakers including people from Scotland and other parts in the UK? Can they express their thoughts in English and make phone calls?

So what are you trying to say? That learning through the traditional classroom approach is the most effective method? Don't you think that if a person really wants to learn the language, they can make progress much faster by creating their own learning system? Also, what would you say did you teach ...

So how exactly did your teacher teach you to write essays? Do you think you can write good essays? Why can't you "lift sentences" out of essays and letters as well as you did with your emails? Why can't you read a lot of good essays and letters and memorize some of the phrases you like? What do you ...

"the only way of learning a language is living it on a daily basis" So explain my 18 year old students, who live in a small provincial Spanish town, haven't travelled to an English speaking country in their lives nor started English until they were 5 or 6. There is no tourism and the English speaki...

Openmind, have you learned a second language as an adult? My "first second" language I learned is Russian and later I started learning English as my third language. In the process I have become aware of some basic grammar rules but I also know that the only way of learning a language is living it o...

I think what's really painfully slow is "being taught grammar". How many people do you know who were taught grammar at school and don't remember much except that it was a frustrating experience? The immigrants you describe don't learn the language because they don't want and/or don't have to. They s...

How do you "teach" somebody to write properly? If you exchange emails with a native speaker you can copy their phrases and ask them how to say certain things in English. So why shouldn't it be possible to pick up written language by communicating with a native speaker?

How do you define "formal grammar"? If there is "formal grammar", does "informal grammar" exist too and if so which of both is better? I think it is impossible and unnecessary to teach grammar at all. Think about it: How do you learn a language? By learning grammar rules? No, by getting language inp...

I agree with Fluffyhamster, responsibility is an important key word when it comes to describing the role of a teacher. The question is can you really teach English or any subject for that matter? Based on my experience you can only learn so what exactly does "teaching" mean? A language is nothing bu...