dogsbody, do you actually read the posts posted?
guy said he would rather learn from a bum. he prefers uneducated, probably drunk, lazy homeless person over educated non-native teacher.

i am not telling natives can't teach. is my english really that bad that you can't get the point? i am telling that unprepared natives are probably worse than prepared non-natives.

and you just admitted that you helped with pronunciation but in order to teach grammar you should get help.

I would say that the OP is right to some degree.

Especially Native Speakers from the UK are awful. Their accent is so complicated and out of this world, that I don't understand how some schools would like to hire them.

I would never in a million times do that. I would prefer a German Native, who studied the English language for several years over any other Native speaker.

Even most Canadiens and Americans abuse the English language with their terrible pronunciations.

But a well spoken American Native is of course better than a German Native. However the gap isn't that big and the grammer part most likely belongs to the German, if however the American didn't study his own mother-language.

PS: Can be applied to every Nation of course ;) not just Germans^^

Yes so in order to get the grammar I would have to make sure that I taught correctly and no I have not read the whole thread.

I think you mean "I am SAYING" not" I am telling".

It is many years since I was at school-- but I am very well read I speak clearly without an accent.

Many English speakers do go to a college in order to teach the language, but If I recall correctly-- James who teaches in Japan-- did not?

I could always double check anything I was unsure of--

If you are saying that I should not even attempt to help someone who wishes to learn English-- well thats double dutch to me.

Evanny, I see your point but I can't say I entirely agree.

For grammatical structures, maybe a non-native speaker will do just fine when having to explain it to someone who's learning the language at a basic/intermediate level, but when it comes to speaking and pronunciation, I believe it is way better for it to be taught by a native speaker. I have had millions of English teachers during my learning stages, both native and non-native, so I know what I'm talking about.

Also, it very much depends on how much the non-native teacher knows. Of course if the teacher is genuinely fluent even if it wasn't originally his first language then it's fine, but I've had the case where I'd be in an English class given by a non-native speaker and I'd pick on mistakes and think gee, I'd do a better job at teaching it. I am in my 3rd year of Uni and have some subjects that are taught in English by non-natives and trust me, I'd much rather have actual English people give the lesson, I am more fluent than they are and I am supposed to be learning from them, instead of having the constant urge to let them know they are mistaken.

...?

I have had brilliant British teachers. It is so stupid to assume all British teachers are awful cause of their accent.

WELL I think you are crazy. grammar not grammer.

Ok 90% are awful Suki. Just listen to most English Natives Suki. They abuse thir own language!! It's not funny anymore.
And then go up north, towards Scotland and Wales.. Ireland OMG in this area English doesn't exist anymore.

Not talking about me hunny ;) Even though my English is quite good!

The only mistake you will find^^ I always did that mistake haha

I will never learn it I guess..

So...much...linguistic misinformation and bullcrap...in two....posts.

Wooooah. I've never heard anyone suggest the Welsh accent is impenetrable! Sounds like you just don't have a good ear for English. And also sounds like you think anything other than Standard American English (PS this accent doesn't actually exist anywhere in the US!) and Received Pronunciation are the only "correct" ways to speak English.

It's funny how you think a minority of a handful of royals + non-existent Americans can define what is "correct" English.

In additon to what I said earlier.. Texans are no better in that aspect than the people from the UK.

Not quite as offensive, but certainly abusing!

I said Wales, Scotland (mostly Scotland and Ireland) and Ireland!!

It's a different language you first of all have to get used too. The problem here is, that most people from there cannot speak "normal" English which doesn't qualify them to teach English to people who want to learn the correct pronunciation of the words.

I don't want to learn the British accent. I want to learn English!

And most importantly, I want to learn it from a Teacher who I can understand very well.


Thats why most Natives aren't qualifiied in my eyes! Non-Natives actually learn the right pronunciation of the words when they study it.

You don't like the English spoken in Britan, Wales, Scotland, Ireland, Canada, the US... in what part of the world do you think English is actually well spoken? :confused: