Nkeng Moses
- 2007-11-01
Who is a Non-Native Speaker?
Non-native speakers come from a variety of backgrounds with many different needs. In the Writing Center, we work with students non-native speakers who...
Learned English in school as a second or foreign language.
Speak English at school, work, or with friends but have difficulty writing in English.
Have never used English in an academic setting.
Read and write English well but lack confidence in a classroom setting.
Conversation Hours
Every months I hosts open Conversation Hours for those students who want to improve their English in a relaxed atmosphere. Topics will vary each week to include cultural issues, professional skills, personal stories, current events, and anything else students are interested in discussing. You may attend as many conversation hours a week as you like. There is no need to sign up in advance; simply come to the conference room and join the discussion. Feel free to bring a friend!
Other Resources
I can also provide you a number of books and dictionaries written especially for English language learners. These include helpful charts about English grammar, lists of idioms and common phrases, tips on writing essays, and pictures to accompany many difficult vocabulary words. You dont need an appointment to come and use these materials. You may use them with a tutor or for self-study in your free time during any of your business hours.
And, as is in some senses inev-itable, certain assumptions recognized or not have to be made when writing a grammar.
However, the primary consideration the needs of the prospective (and, practicing) language
teacher. Thus, in contrast to so many modern texts, it is not an introduction to some particu-
lar linguistic theory presented in the guise of an introduction to English grammar being foisted
on students with other interests and goals. If that is what is being sought, it will not be too
hard to find, but it will have to be found elsewhere. sStudents need information about several things that are often either omitted orslighted even in supposedly pedagogical grammars: written English (and its relationship to
spoken English) and the aspects of English which, although they cause little problem for
native speakers do cause problems for non-native speakers of English (countable and uncount-
able nouns, the determiner system, the meanings of the various verb constructions, and so on).
A greater emphasis on written English was necessary because most of my students either
intend to teach or at least are more concerned with written than spoken English. Thus, this
text has sections on spelling, including the crucial connection between word parts and the
spelling of English, and it has an appendix on sounds that includes much on how these sounds
are represented in the spelling system. Primarily the neglected areas were concerned with written English. For this text, thedecisions about what to include and what not to include were dictated by the fact that the text
Read this Korea, Japan, China
By Dr. Edwin sunder
Contributing Writer
South Koreans are passionate to learn English. This craving to learn the English language has led them to spend millions of dollars per year. Students attend hagwon or private language institutes, English camps and even go to the extent of making trips abroad to native English speaking countries.
However, the outcome is not that fulfilling. Although many students gain some ability to read and write English, they seldom improve their skills in listening and writing, which is disappointing. Most parents are ambitious and desire to see their children conversing in English fluently.
For this, they leave no stone unturned to ensure their children gain the ability to speak English fluently. They send their children to good hagwon where they use books written by renowned authors and publishers usually from the west.
Moreover the teachers hired by these hagwon are normally from native English speaking countries. In spite of this, it is surprising to note that, most students are not able to learn to speak the language as expected. This has caused anxiety not only to the students but also to their parents.
When this problem is analyzed according to the norms of educational research, it is found that teaching principles are relegated in English learning centers by the students, parents and teachers, especially in hagwon. One renowned educationist said, In teaching and learning, what you teach is not important, but how you teach is very important.
In some Asian countries, proper teaching methods are adopted with qualified teachers. They employ a uniform syllabus in all educational institutions so that students learn English with much ease. They teach English to their students through the medium of English only; no native language is used to convey meaning. Trained teachers help them to understand meaning.
One of the best present examples is China, according to the reports of Times of India daily. Recently China has recruited significant number of Indian English teachers to teach English and prepare Chinese to converse in English for the upcoming Olympics, because, Indian teachers have proved their ability to teach well in the West also.
Whatever you teach should be taught in a methodical way by qualified and trained professionals to facilitate effective learning. Without proper teaching methods, however good the reference books are, they will have little effect. That is what is happening here in South Korea. Somewhere someone has made a huge blunder by influencing the minds of Koreans that only native speakers can teach English!
Korean hagwon and English camps and schools are hiring English native speakers who are not suitably qualified and trained to teach English. Most of them are untrained to teach and know little or nothing about teaching. These ones teach ignorant and innocent South Korean students. What a tragedy indeed! Many of them come here as a stopgap and for traveling.
To make English learning more effective in Korea, the wrong notion of native English speaking teachers has to be removed from the minds of Korean students, parents and hagwon, because, most of the students cannot keep pace with the speed these native speakers talk. One cannot understand why there is such discrimination! Color and race is not important in teaching -- this has to be borne in mind by all.
How many Black Americans do these educational institutes hire here in Korea? Recently the writer had applied for a teaching job in one of the universities. Though he is highly qualified, he was denied by the university authorities because he is not a North American white! It is disappointing to note that, some universities hire teachers though they have no masters degree just because they are North American whites.
To improve English ability among students in Korea, qualified and trained teachers have to be appointed in all the educational institutions. English should be taught as English without the help of the Korean language. Most of the schools and hagwon know this problem and they are interested in hiring Indian and other Asians qualified and trained teachers to teach. But the Korean authorities are not ready to issue an E2 teaching visa to these qualified and trained Asian teachers.
They are however ready to issue the E2 teaching visa to non-qualified and untrained persons who want to come here to teach from English native speaking countries.
Dr. Edwin sunder is studying at Keimyung University in Daegu.