Resource centre - Theory and issues - Should TEFL Teachers Be Bilingual?
Do ESL and EFL teachers need to know the language of their students? In this article, Larry Lynch sorts through some of the pros and cons, and finds the question to be far from straightforward.
The Controversy
Often, when prospective TESOL trainees are taking their first TEFL certification
course, the question arises, "Do English teachers need to know a foreign
language?" Foreign languages are not included in the requisite curriculum of any
TEFL certificate course. The idea is to teach in "English only". This frequently
only occurs if the ESL teacher is working where the L1 (first language) is
English or classes are multi-cultural as in the USA, Canada or the UK. Aside
from some practical issues though, should English TEFL teachers be bi-lingual?
That is, have fluency in a language other than English? There is some
controversy surrounding this concept.
Why or Why Not?
There are reasons both for and against having Bi-lingual TEFL teachers. These
are some key arguments on the PRO side.
Teachers can empathize with language learners
Teachers have developed language learning skills and strategies of their own
Teachers can function locally in the L1 of the country where they live and work
Teachers can plan effective English acquisition strategies based on a knowledge
of the learners' L1
Limited use of the learners’ L1 can be an effective language teaching strategy
There are also some points on the CON side of the ledger:
Teachers may not necessarily work abroad but in their home country
Teachers are tempted to use the learners’ L1 in the classroom
Teacher can have multi-cultural classes requiring several different L1s
Teachers can lose fluency in English after extensive use of an L2 (second
language)
Some L2s are exceptionally difficult to acquire even after years of work
Identifying with the Students
People who have had the experience of learning a language other than their
mother tongue will be able to identify with their students. Even though many
would intuitively agree with such a sentiment, some are not certain that this is
true. The language-learning experience can be quite different from one learner
to another. The experience can also be radically different in going from one
language family to another. On the ELT forum at www.esl-jobs-forum.com
participants often expressed conflicting views.
One ELT forum
commenter wrote, "I speak two other languages and my learning experiences of
each of them were quite different. Learning Spanish was a joy, learning French
was an almighty pain in the butt."
The Importance of a Native Speaker
"I do understand that someone who has learned another language will have
more insight into what a student of theirs may be going through.” stated another
forum participant. In this point I also happen to agree. Experiencing the rigors
and challenges of developing fluency in a foreign tongue provides valuable
insight into the psyche of the foreign language learner. I've studied three
other languages and have acquired a fair level of proficiency in two of them.
The perspective of having struggled with foreign language elements is a definite
aid to my teaching both directly and indirectly. But while I strongly favor
bi-lingualism, there are some caveats.
Some Caveats to Consider
A detailed knowledge of language learning that only comes from immersing
yourself in the language learning process, is an infinitely helpful experience.
However, many schools absolutely prohibit the use of the learners' L1 in the
English language learning classroom. So if the L2 you've acquired happens to be
the learners' L1, you must be careful not to allow it to become a "crutch" in
your teaching and interaction with the learners. All too commonly this winds up
being the case. After all, if you live and teach in a Spanish L1 speaking
country in Latin America for example, fluency in Spanish is helpful and
practical.
In Conclusion
Developing fluency in an L2 can be a boon for the TESOL teacher. If you stay
in one place for an extended period, you'll need to develop fluency in the local
L1. This aids in developing rapport with your learners and in acclimatizing to
the culture. Do not allow your proficiency in the learners' L1 to creep into
your English classes or to erode your English. This will ultimately happen
unless you actively work to avoid it. As ELT professionals, the more we can do
to develop our skills and grow as individuals in the process, the better English
teachers we will become.
What do YOU think?
English only in the EFL classroom?
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PROS on more languages:
Here in Switzerland speaking more than two languages, is a must. Switzerland has
four official languages, German, French, Italian and Romansch (Latin based) with
also very many foreign workers and now English is the official second language
of the country which is taught in schools from an early age onwards. There may
be a little snobbery involved but definitely a plus point if you are able to
speak more than two languages. Trying to explain our English tenses and giving
examples in one of their languages - so that the students have a clearer
understanding on how and when it is used, is a clear advantage. They can then
refer to it, or in some cases accept that it doesn't exist in their spoken
language. But it is something they can 'hold on to' when explained to them.
I have studied two
languages. At the present time I am teaching English to an American woman.
Because she knows I understand Spanish, she does not make the effort she should
to learn English - she insists on translating English to Spanish mentally and
then translates back to English, which of course does not translate correctly.
I am also teaching two Chinese students - I cannot speak their language and they
are making great strides in English, the reason being that they have to study,
without help from me in Chinese.
I have taught in other countries and also found having no knowledge of the
native language my students seem to progress quicker.
Super article about a very
controversial subject. I must vote for the bilingual side. Yes, learning a L2,
as a teacher of my L1, has given me extra skills of the understanding,
perserverance and determination required to build the path. Also, knowing the
rewards and benefits of learning a new language and the logistics involved when
the new language is used in immersion situations. The real deal. Those of you
that fall victim to the lazy students who insist on relying on their baby
language native tongue, just stand by your guns! Show them that they are
building a "new language LIFE"...
I am teaching in Thailand.
I am learning the language as best I can - it is difficult to find committed
Thai teachers here. Nonetheless, my partial knowledge helps me to understand the
differences between Thai vowels and English vowels, and is a definite aid in
teaching the Thais to produce the English vowels. They have some which we do
not, and vice versa.
A second point: I get great respect for trying to learn the language. Respect is
a major cultural factor here. No matter how badly I do, the fact that I try is
respectful! Conversely, my best students are the ones who try hardest, not the
most skilful: this is an attitude I can understand.
Thirdly, my feeble attempts in front of the students have brought welcome
laughter: an excellent ice-breaker. Do not spurn the clients language - it is a
teaching tool along with all the others. Just don't rely on it...
I have lived and worked in
Japan for the last 8 years. Having become relatively fluent in Japanese myself I
can say that it is true that you tend to lose proficiency in your native
language while at the same time your second language skills become better. As
for using the L2 in the classroom. In my case I work in and elementary school,
without assistance from any other native Japanese speaking teachers. Although
the idea of teaching solely in English sounds good, practically speaking it is
almost impossible. I find that relating rules to games and explaining some
speaking points in the students L1 is essential for their understanding. I have
a 40 minute class in which I am expected to to relay a certain amount of
information and aid the students progress through their English curriculum. If I
cannot use Japanese in the classroom then I would spend more than half of my
class explaining rules and the children would be left with little speaking and
activity time.
I agree that used in excess the students L1 can become a crutch in the classroom
and impede the learner's performance in learning the L2. However, I believe that
students who enjoy the second language experience understand that their
improvement in the L2 depends on the amount that they use the L2 both inside and
outside the classroom. Students who take advantage of the opportunity to speak
English progress quickly, regardless if some limited L1 is used in their class.
If a students puts forth the time and effort to learn the language he or she
will be successful.
I am Indonesian. I teach
senior high school students. I think I have more problems than you have.
Indonesia is a country of multicultural and ethnic groups. It also has hundreds
of their own language, their regional language as their mother tongue. This is a
big problem when teaching them English. They tend to use their own language even
though they are in an English class. For your information, I live in Palembang,
South Sumatera. Every village has its own language to communicate. I use their
L1 sometimes when teaching them. The reason is if I use English all the time,
they find it difficult to comprehend the lesson. Since I teach at "Plus School",
I can make my students talk and talk in English. I have some ways to make my
students speak English. They are ESM (English Speaking Model), Lesson
Presentation, Debate, Discussion, Diary Presentation, and so on. The point is I
try to design any topic into speaking skills. And it's worked so far.
I am a Cambridge CELTA
qualified English teacher, I am also a high school graduate in Applied
Languages, I am French and teach English in China. I speak 4 languages but use
only English in the classroom, the others languages I use sometimes when
explaining vocabulary. I am learning Chinese too to understand the syntax and
the logic of the language so I understand my students' mistakes better. I
practise all my languages whenever I can, making sure I don't lose fluency in
any of them. Learning the language of the country you are in is not compulsory
but I think it helps, and on a personal point, it's very enriching. Funnily
enough I don't want to teach people with whom I share the L1.
I liked the comments
everyone posted here, it's really interesting to get to know new experiences. I
am Egyptian and I teach English Phonetics and Advanced certificates like TOEFL,
IELTS, SAT and that sort of stuff. All my students first ask for an
Arabic-English teaching method but I try in all ways to convince them of just
listening to English and I do that by using various body language techniques
which turns out in the end to be very beneficial. They feel it's fun because we
then set some rules that if anyone speaks his/her mother tongue they have to pay
money in order to not do it again!
I am an English person
living in Quebec and I teach English to francophones. It definitely helps that I
speak French because it helps me to understand the mistakes that they make. I
can therefore anticipate their mistakes and present the vocabulary, grammar or
pronunciation that they need in order to not make those mistakes. I can explain
to them the whys and why nots in their own language, which is a short cut,
instead of them having to go through lots of examples to discover for
themselves. If I explain an activity in English and they don't understand, they
will do it wrong which leads to frustration, not learning. I teach many levels
privately and also primary school. At school I resist speaking French, but
discipline would be impossible in English, which they are only just beginning.
However, it takes great discipline on my part to not slip into French and the
advantage of speaking French is less evident at this level.
The question arisen in this
article is noteworthy. The fact that I'm a Tunisian EFL teacher, my learners'
native language is Arabic and the socio-cultural context in which I teach is
Arabic, leads me to question the efficiency of referring to L1 when I have a
difficulty in explaining some points in my classes or, the other way, should I
or should I not make use of Arabic in my classes. It a huge problem for me and
for my colleagues to have English only classes because the majority of the
students, in secondary schools in Tunisia, tend to see it frustrating and
difficult to understand and use English in class, this remarkable problem led me
to adopt a strategy with my learners which is to use Arabic only when I need to
explain some abstract notions in the language such as: explaining the difference
between "past perfect" and "past simple" from an Arabic language perspective and
this is to ascend the interest and the understanding of the learners. The major
problem that we face everyday is that our students, as non-native English
teachers, is the link between the language and culture we teach and the
completely distinct environment of our classes.
Yes, it certainly helps if
you know your students' language. I was brought up bilingual. It makes teaching
English much easier. Only speaking English to beginners produces a lesson which
is 90% confusion and 10% learning - if that! There's nothing wrong with
explaining grammar in the students mother tongue.
My sincerest thanks to all
of you for your interesting comments. May I assure each of you that I read and
reflect on the commentary generated by my articles posted on this site and find
that quite a quantity of TEFL professionals seem to be benefiting from the
postings and exchanges as I myself also do. Many of you might also find my
English EFL teaching blog of interest. It is online at:
bettereflteacher.blogspot.com Essays and opinions on aspects of ELT will
continue to appear at this site in accordance with the webmaster. I find this
site to be of great value in deepening my viewpoints on ELT. Many thanks again
for your continued support and postings.
Firstly, thanks Larry for
having this article published and for creating the debate on eslbase.com, thanks
to you all.
L3, L4 and multilingual groups have been mentioned little and with language
teaching there is clearly an ever increasing complexity as both students and
teachers' studies become more advanced. Many of us relish the increasing
diversity of thought. However, in most language classrooms there are small
groups of individuals who gradually develop learning relationships together and
as a result we share intellectual and cultural knowledge. This is mostly
subconscious and therefore natural. We learn about our fellows' cultural/social,
educational and working backgrounds, our 'baggage' from beyond the classroom. If
a teacher has a group of students for more than a few minutes or hours then he
or she has a duty to develop knowledge of each of his students' personal
backgrounds, their identities.
As language is a tool of our cultural selves, with time any and every teacher
must develop knowledge of his students' cultures, and every student has a
distinct identity and therefore a distinct culture. A teacher who has no use of
his students' languages has no knowledge of the representation of his students'
culture and identity and therefore he or she, the teacher, will be an
impersonal, distant and apparently robotic or alien being towards his or her
students. With no knowledge of students' L1 the teacher represents his or her
culture in an inappropriately arrogant manner.
As to whether using students' L1 in the classroom is appropriate or not depends
on the diversity of languages that the students in your class actually possess.
I am tempted to write goodbye in umpteen world languages and as there is a
diverse readership I shall favour none other than my L1.
Cheerio
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