Ann, what area are you in, if you don't mind me asking, my friend(and boss) is looking for someone to teach English to her son, he's 6, and can already count to 25, and say "it's delicious", but that's about it. I don't get to spend a lot of time with him, and when I do, it's all so vit-fait we never speak English. His mother would prefer him to have a decent accent, because she hears me giggle everytime we have anglophones in the hotel and she has to speak to them.
I remember learning German in school, and we could ask for directions to the museum, order a hot dog at a sausage stand, and describe my home and family, but apart from that, i gained no real understanding of the language.
I think if a language is taught as a language at a young age, it subconciously gets in. If it is taught as a technical study subject, the kids minds' are not yet able to fathom all the little bits and bobs that go with it.
In saying that, I ask french grammar questions to my work colleagues all day, and nine times out of ten, I get told they can't explain why, and "c'est comme ca, et... c'est tout"
Check your spelling, Jackie Halle - problème avec ton English ! !
I agree with Peter re best practise but understand that TEFL or EFL methods are completely different to those taught in schools. A teacher in our collège is censured by the parents because she isn't teaching grammar but trying to cover the syllabus using additional materials instead of the textbook. She is trying to impart to the children that english is a method of communication used by anglophones - not a set of grammatical exercises.
Our kids don't get 20/20 as the teachers will deduct marks for spelling or punctuation or most definately for not participating in class. (Catch 22 - the teacher doesn't ask the child preferring to ask the french children first and the anglophone children as a last resort so their mark for participation is low). It is absoutely out of the question for our children to correct the teacher - imagine what happens in a class of teenagers when someone is seen to undermine the status of the teacher - the classes have enough problems with discipline.
We do have one great english teacher who is correctable, offers extra work and marks it to mother tongue standard for my eldest child etc. The other french teachers of english seem to feel rather threatened by the anglophone pupils.
Eerm - my kids have and are?
obsercation, faute de frappe Peter, or ?????
6. Most of the Brits on this site who say that "I teach some English (who doesn't)" - to quote the OP.
There are failures in the French Education system as far as teaching foreign languages are concerned (especially English)
We have developed a communicative system of teaching English as a Foreign Language which works. But neither the English system of teaching foreign languages, nor the French system of teaching English have developed as efficiently.
The French educational system is 20 years out of date as far as the Brit system is concerned.
And the Brit system is 10 years behind 'best practice'
Hi Emily. I taught English to some teenagers the first year I was here, and had to give it up because although they could barely tell you their own names or where they lived, they were expected to fill in very rigid text books for their homework, mainly focused on points of grammar such as when to say "shall" vs "will" and parts of speech. I thought it was ridiculous, and sometimes I couldnt do it - it was too subtle or undoable. They and their parents were only interested in them not "redoubling" their year, not in actually speaking English - fair enough.
I get on better with adults, but generally levels are very low in spoken English I find. It doesnt help that teachers are civil servants, and to be a civil servant you have to be a French citizen, so very few native speakers. You can be a teaching assistant in schools working I think 12 hours a week for low pay - contact the relevant Academie. This could set you up if you did it for a year say.
I am surprised the parents are saying "n'importe quoi" to your face - I take this to mean rubbish!! Not much advice here I'm afraid, except follow the curriculum, get hold of the books they are using and go over them - they wont value anything else I feel.
1. Agree - indeed. Profs tend to hide behind their 'qualifications' and 'formateurs' are happy to work with their students.
2. I hope their parents object.
3. Oh for goodness sake - again I hope their parents complain. I do. And the marks are 're-adjusted'
4. This is an entirely different debate.
5. I don't think many people do TBH - I still think teaching is a vocation. You either have a flair for it - or not.
6. Who said you could? Bemused?
La différence entre être professeure et Formatrice - that says it all - but doesn't attack the main problem.
My grandkids are in the French system and their teachers try to tell them that their parents (my daughters) are wrong when they correct the teachers' faults.
I've been to parents' evenings (and grandparents' evenings!) where teachers have tried to deduct marks from the moyen "because you mother is English so it's easy for you"
However, the faults within the French educational system cannot be equated to the faults committed by English 'amateur' teachers.
Quite simply - if you don't know how to teach, don't try to teach. I'm sure many people need to try to make a living any way that they can - but please don't pretend to be a professional teacher of English just because you are an English national.
You're not an English teacher just because you are English. And you can't assume that you can teach English because you are English.
@ Catharine
Your children have to pass through the French system - that means that they are NOT required to be bilingual (even though that's what we want). They have to pass the Brevet and the BAC, so they have to pass what the French system requires.
We give our kids the +++ that makes them bilingual.
well I agree. I wish they wouldn't offer those courses.
My University didn't ask my permission and when she turned up to watch I almost sent her away. However, she had a nice friendly manner about her so I made the proposal that she joined in with the monitoring and prepared a part of the lesson every week. She actually stayed longer than the 6 hours she was due to complete. I suppose I kind of trained her and observed her. I pointed out some mistakes and advised her here and there. I sat in on the last four lessons she did, checked her lesson plans and gave feedback. I suppose I felt sorry for her being dropped in the deep end ha ha ha
Great teachers (in my experience) are more often than not people with engaging and positive personalities. I'll learn a lot more from from someone who is passionate about a subject than someone who is technically accurate but dry.
The on-line TEFL courses which ask for a certain number of 'obsercation hours' are useless - it's the actual teaching hours that are observed which are important.
The woman who came to observe you was likely cheated out of her course fees.
here here. She sounds inspired doesn't she?
Merci Catherine :-) Not only it is enough but it is the best you can do.
I know who I would like my children to learn English with :-)
Nadege (still French)
Totally.
Well TBH Peter in 1975, I was still playing with sand and water.
This doesn't make me a bad teacher; far from it.
And I disagree, having kids in the French system, I would FAR rather they were taught by a native eng speaker than anyone with a 'qualification' - who might tick all the boxes but still has no feel for the language.
As a formatrice, I aim to enthuse and inspire. That is enough.
I taught English graduates in Russian Teacher Training "Instituts Pédagiques" (IUT in France) for 3 years. Those students could give me a perfect definition of every tense and grammar point - even explain a subjunctive - but they had problems telling me, in English, what they had done yesterday.
And it's the same with many people in French Lycées and Facultés- the definition is there - but they are incapable of using it.
I once gave a light hearted professional course to Russian teachers of English in Moscow and saw a woman at the back of the group in tears. At coffee time I approached her and apologised if I had said anything that upset her - she replied that after teaching English for 15 years in Russia it was the first time that she had met a native English speaker and she was overwhelmed - I sometimes think that in some cases it's the same situation here.
Here flipping hear!
I agree Tracy.
A certain gift is also essential. Basically one needs both that and good training. Any help should be taken and noted. It's up to whether or not the person receiving the help has the talent or not. Very difficult subject and almost impossible to judge everyone with the same eyes really isn't it?
I know how hard it is to please every client. You can only try your best and be open to criticism in order to progress. aaaarrrggghHHHH it's not easy! ha ha ha