Why All Language Teachers Should Be Language Learners

by Jane Golden

A common problem that students face in learning languages is that the teacher does not know how to present the educational material correctly. This often happens because the teacher is aware of only one side of the learning process - teaching.

Imagine, you are a student studying a foreign language, and you are going to spend your time and money on a teacher. Wouldn't you like it to be a person who really knows what it feels like to learn a language? A person who really understands which path you are going to go.

But what if the teachers could easily put themselves in the place of the students? It would be much easier for them to understand exactly how students perceive educational material. That is why good language teachers should be language learners themselves. They should have at least one language that they learn themselves.

Below are a few more reasons why language teachers should be language learners themselves.

Language teacher should feel what it is like - not to understand the language

This will help the teacher more clearly understand exactly what difficulties students may stumble into while the language learning. Also, the teacher will be able to better choose more suitable tasks and teaching methods at a particular stage of acquaintance with a new language.

Language teacher should become a friend to the students

As a student, it will be easier for the teacher to find common ground with the students. They will have at least one common topic for conversation - the process of language learning. Also, the teachers will be able by their own example to show the importance of learning new languages, increase their authority by showing that they are always ready to learn something new, even if it does not always work out easily.

Language teachers should be able to test their own techniques and teaching methods on themselves.

Language teachers will be able to experience all that they offer to the students through their own experience. This will allow choosing the most effective methods in language learning. The teachers should always keep their level of professionalism at the height in order to be in demand.

The more language teacher knows, the more he can teach other people.

Learning a new language provides new opportunities, in the future, the new language will also be possible to teach. Career opportunities are expanding and the demand for the language teacher as a specialist is increasing, which also can not but rejoice.

Each teacher should ask himself the question - is it right to teach the way you teach?

True teachers should always be able to reconsider their views on teaching if it does not bring the desired result. That is why it is very useful to go through the process of language learning from beginning to end as a student and transfer your personal experience to your students.

Learning a new language helps to rethink the world in a new way, travel with joy and curiosity, enjoy film and literature in another language, and so on. And this applies not only to those who learn the language but also to those who teach it.

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