The Chemistry of Teaching and Learning
- Training Lounge
- Apr 30, 2020
- 2 min read
What do I need to learn a language? So many things, but above all you need chemistry. With your teacher. The article contains some tips to consider when choosing a language teacher.
There is an abundance of online tips about how to learn a language. Whether your plan is for a trip or for immigration, whether you have two hours a day or two hours a week – you will for sure find a book, a website or an app designed just for you.
Many times, however, it is overlooked that who teaches you is equally important to what you use to learn or how much money and time-wise you are ready to commit. Beyond flashy social media pictures, here are some things you may want to consider when choosing your language teacher.
Professional training
Having been in the industry for over 15 years, I must sadly acknowledge there is a belief that anyone who can speak a language, can teach it. The field is full of people transitioning between careers and treating this as a part-time job while they get where they need to be. Same as knowing how to use a treadmill doesn’t make you a personal coach, speaking a language doesn’t make you a language teacher. Professionally trained teachers spend years studying the principles of psychology, pedagogy and andragogy on top of polishing the knowledge of the content field. Can you learn with someone who got certified in a couple weeks? Sure, you can. But you can equally learn by watching a movie in English or reading a book.
Motivation
A lot has been written about students’ motivation. However, teacher’s motivation is equally important. What drives your teacher to be in the classroom with you, face-to-face or online? We all have bills to pay, but for the teaching profession, as banal as it may sound, one really has to be motivated by something bigger than just “I am doing a job I am paid for”. Is it difficult to get any feedback from your teacher, other than at times when you are in class? Does your language coach cut you half-way through the sentence to finish on the dot? Those are probably red flags.
Context
I am a huge supporter of the idea that you don’t need to be a native speaker to be a language teacher (see Tip 1). On the contrary, having gone through the process yourself, you may bring some important insights for your students. Professional non-native speaking teachers are usually grammar and syntax experts. However, we need to remember that language is a fluid, alive and changing system. No media can capture the “real” way people speak because tomorrow it will be different. Having a teacher who lives in the country where the target language is spoken or is otherwise immersed in this context is definitely a strength if you are interested in sounding fluent and natural.
The last but not the least…. Chemistry
This is probably the most important factor: find a teacher who will make you stick to learning. Someone who is interesting to watch and talk to. Someone who is exciting to be around. Someone you can respect and trust. And once you have that teacher, you can freely dismiss everything you’ve read above and just enjoy the journey.
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