Language teacher

[yazalamaful]

Only a person interested in the technical aspects of language would want to learn grammar. What you describe to be the skills of a performer is the most perfectly put way describing who students wanting to learn a foreign language need as their teacher.

[saxquiz]

I really dislike it when teachers focus on too many rules. When I was learning Arabic some of the teachers would spend entire periods focusing on case endings and the minutia of grammar when all we as students really wanted was to be able to speak like the average native.

Grammar really is the biggest joke in language learning.

[lacysorcas]

The word "benchmark" makes the system sound terrible boring.

[daglug1]

ok i started learning russian today and could you please explain how you started and got to where you are today?

[lingosteve]

I will do a video on what I did to learn Russian.

[Esoparagon]

It's like teaching mechanical engineering to people who want to learn to drive a car.

[coolsteven2]

the best language class i have ever had involved a very relaxed environment. And we learn grammar very loosely. we learned it so that we can learn vocabulary and put them in the right order. i liked it that way. because now i can learn MORE vocabulary and not wrry wether or not i am putting it in the right order (Chinese) O no。。。video cut short

[turbine187]

how long it took you to learn french Steve?

[coolsteven2]

as long as you want it to take xD

[Tokyorichy]

Steve, pity your vid was cut short. I agree what you are saying, I am an English teacher in Japan and it is all down to the 'performance', when it coms to teaching at Elementary level anyway-no grammar rules or nothing just pure fun to get them motivated and positive about English

[acromel]

A language teacher's role is to guide their students through the syllabus, providing support and clarification for areas of difficulty. Their role is secondary at best.

Compare:

Of those taught languages in school how many are fluent in a second language due to their teachers? A low proportion.

Of the people who are fluent in multiple languages how many have done so by themselves? A high proportion.

I believe that this constitutes a pattern.

[schattenjedi]

steve, in order to get the volume at a normal level you need to put the microphone close to your mouth for example attached to your shirt.

[silent0watcher]

The only thing that really counts is getting a big enough vocabulary. This is the only real difficulty in learning a foreign language, in my opinion.

(The dumb thing is: teachers can't really help very much with vocab. A learner just has to go out and do the spade work for himself!)

[laoshu505000]

This was an excellent video Steve. As usual, I agree with you 100% of the time regarding languages. I'm currently teaching students now and despite me not being perfect in or have ''mastered'' any of the languages I study, every last single one of my students are veeery motivated to learn the language they're learning. I have all of my students start actually speaking the language after 1 or 2 weeks. It takes a great deal of mitivation to be able to do something like that.

[lingosteve]

Moses, I saw your video on the importance of an open mind and I am gong to do a reply to that. I also remember seeing a video reply that you did to one of my videos and do not know where to find it. Can you help. Thanks. Steve

[laoshu505000]

Oh sure. I can send it to you right now.

[lingosteve]

Is it not accessible on youtube somehow?

[laoshu505000]

Actually, it is acessible. It would be the video titled ''Being a good teacher''

[bigballa269]

I saw a documentary where this guy learned Icelandic in one week. I find that ironic since schools take 2-4 yrs average to teach a language. They're the biggest waste of time, in HS i didn't learn a lick of French, yet i wasted so much time and effort. :(

[zocurtis]

That guy was a savant. The average person can't do what he did. You are referring to Daniel Tammet.