TEACHERS DISCUSSION FORUM
Mike B - 2004-06-22
In response to Re: Hello (Shin)

> My name is Shin from Korea. I could talk to you. I hope my English
> level is ok for you. I noticed that there are at least one or two
> users here that feel offended when none native English speakers do
> not speak English fluently. I am not here learning English.

If non-native speakers wrote English perfectly they would be better than many native speakers, who write with many mistakes. I am a native speaker working in Mexico and I am not worried when I see Mexicans writing English with errors, it is good for me to see they are trying hard to use English.

At the same time, many English teachers live in a place and make very little effort to learn the language; this is a clear sign they have no interest or respect in their student's language and culture.

It is sad how people who go to a language school in an English speaking country expect the teacher to speak English, but when they go to another country they say "Only English in the classroom, no Spanish/Korean/Chinese." I hope to move to Korea in August or September, and one of my priorities before I go is to pick up a few phrases in Korean, and to learn enough to communicate as quickly as possible once I get there.

I tell my students the first thing you need to worry about is that people understand what you are trying to say, that's the whole purpose of language, to exchange meaning, to communicate.

Messages In This Thread
Hello -- Janice M. Sapp -- 2004-06-22
Re: Hello -- Nargiza Yuldasheva -- 2004-06-23
Re: Hello -- Shin -- 2004-06-22
Re: Hello -- Mike B -- 2004-06-22
Re: Hello -- boots43 -- 2004-06-23





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