I feel like creating a learning environment with a good vibe is not just supplementary but essential for grammar and lexis and whatnot to sink in. What made you a tolerable teacher (read: a f*cking delight compared to an average Eastern European auntie in her 50s from a state school) is that learning was a choice on the students' side no matter the age. Education happens very well where freedom meets personal responsibility to interact with what's on offer. If that makes sense. Sure, different people need different levels of incentive and discipline, but essentially all knowledge passed down is a recommendation. When it's presented (and oh boy is it presented) as a must-have, it has about the same effect as "You have to see this movie" = most definitely never will. Good educators make appealing offers. Janat and Jyldyz seemed to have done that in their own ways. You did/do it in your own way, too.
I'm happy to hear I was tolerable, but come on, that's not a high bar to surpass with who you're comparing me to!
When I think of my time teaching history and civics in the US, I realise that we all have our limitations. I was faced with classes of 25-30 kids, many of whom had little interest in studying - even the so-called cleverer kids were just regurgitating nonsense because they had to. It was a tough sell in getting to see the need to study these. With English, even the worst, nastiest kids will begrudgingly admit that they probably need English and therefore, in theory, it's worth learning. That doesn't make it any easier.
I feel like I'm comparing apples and oranges though - it's so different with a private teacher and a group class. My group classes were generally pretty good in Bishkek, the students as a whole were nice and happy to study, which made our jobs easier. That's half the battle, getting them to accept that it's worthwhile to study. And then providing a fun learning environment.
Anyway, I think if I walked into a classroom of 15 kids now I don't know what would happen. I'd start grumbling about the state of the world, etc. Actually, that's no different from what I used to do...
I imagine it would go like this: The state of the world leaves much to be desired... Yet notice how the word "state" has multiple meanings, that's called a homonym! And "leave much to be desired" is an idiom. Ok class!
12 languages in 12 months !WTF! That’s a super genius! I tried for a year to learn Spanish, face to face small private classes , I was so terrible ! I can’t remember anything! Love the throw back pics !
Thanks so much for sharing your experience (an of course for promoting Love to Lingo). Your personal experience with different teachers highlights the exact reason why a one-size-fits-all approach doesn't work, and why even completely opposite approaches can work (Janat and Jyldyz). I'm certain your students benefit from your experiences as a learner and from your insatiable curiosity. Keep sharing!
Thanks, Christina, and in looking at Love to Lingo, wow, there's so much there and I'm in awe of what you've put together! I really am trying to get my language learning followers - most of whom feel more comfortable hanging out on Instagram - over to Substack and to follow you. You've got so much to offer, and I do believe that students can be pretty successful without using a teacher with all the resources out there. I'm almost tempted to start improving my German just to see if I can.
If anything, I tended to overload my students with ideas, resources, etc, and I had a very heavy emergent language approach which many appreciated but others found overwhelming. It was all part of my attempts to create a language-rich environment.
Fulda, Frankfurt, Darmstadt, Idar-Oberstein (nothing too difficult)... There's a place called Bacharach though and it's hard for non-natives to not injure themselves when pronouncing it!
A really interesting (and resource-packed) read! I did some teaching after I moved to Madrid, I had no experience and I think what saved me from totally bombing was that I was also a language-learner so I could connect to my students on that level. (And steal ideas from my Spanish teachers hehe.)
I don't think it is quite the same thing as the "lobster technique", but I used talk to myself in Spanish outloud in the shower to practice speaking (I was a little low on actual real friends at that stage 😅).
I really enjoyed this post, but I have to say I equally enjoy the 'usual somewhat unoredictable' content 😊
Thank you Jayne, I shall persist with the unpredictable stuff then! It's been nearly two years since I last taught and I feel with every passing day I'm losing my ability to do so, so I fall back on stories and imploring my students to read, listen, watch, absorb! Easier to throw stories at them at times than to put my teaching hat back on and offer up more concrete strategies for learning, which is why I wanted to share those other resources. I see so much shaky content on Instagram and, indirectly, TikTok, and I'm amazed by the numbers of followers some of these accounts get. In many cases I'm seeing lousy advice and poor, inaccurate language models and I just want to cringe. If only I could get their eyeballs and direct them to my lowly Substack...😭
I wish they would come over here and look at your Substack too! One thing teaching taught me is that it really, really is a skill. Just cus you know a language or a topic (like me getting the teaching job purely on the strength of being a native speaker) doesn’t mean you are going to be able to impart that knowledge in a clear, useful or enjoyable way. Teaching is a highly skilled job, so hats off to ya! I’m sure if you got back on on the teaching bike it would all come flooding back :-)
I feel like creating a learning environment with a good vibe is not just supplementary but essential for grammar and lexis and whatnot to sink in. What made you a tolerable teacher (read: a f*cking delight compared to an average Eastern European auntie in her 50s from a state school) is that learning was a choice on the students' side no matter the age. Education happens very well where freedom meets personal responsibility to interact with what's on offer. If that makes sense. Sure, different people need different levels of incentive and discipline, but essentially all knowledge passed down is a recommendation. When it's presented (and oh boy is it presented) as a must-have, it has about the same effect as "You have to see this movie" = most definitely never will. Good educators make appealing offers. Janat and Jyldyz seemed to have done that in their own ways. You did/do it in your own way, too.
I'm happy to hear I was tolerable, but come on, that's not a high bar to surpass with who you're comparing me to!
When I think of my time teaching history and civics in the US, I realise that we all have our limitations. I was faced with classes of 25-30 kids, many of whom had little interest in studying - even the so-called cleverer kids were just regurgitating nonsense because they had to. It was a tough sell in getting to see the need to study these. With English, even the worst, nastiest kids will begrudgingly admit that they probably need English and therefore, in theory, it's worth learning. That doesn't make it any easier.
I feel like I'm comparing apples and oranges though - it's so different with a private teacher and a group class. My group classes were generally pretty good in Bishkek, the students as a whole were nice and happy to study, which made our jobs easier. That's half the battle, getting them to accept that it's worthwhile to study. And then providing a fun learning environment.
Anyway, I think if I walked into a classroom of 15 kids now I don't know what would happen. I'd start grumbling about the state of the world, etc. Actually, that's no different from what I used to do...
I imagine it would go like this: The state of the world leaves much to be desired... Yet notice how the word "state" has multiple meanings, that's called a homonym! And "leave much to be desired" is an idiom. Ok class!
12 languages in 12 months !WTF! That’s a super genius! I tried for a year to learn Spanish, face to face small private classes , I was so terrible ! I can’t remember anything! Love the throw back pics !
Thanks so much for sharing your experience (an of course for promoting Love to Lingo). Your personal experience with different teachers highlights the exact reason why a one-size-fits-all approach doesn't work, and why even completely opposite approaches can work (Janat and Jyldyz). I'm certain your students benefit from your experiences as a learner and from your insatiable curiosity. Keep sharing!
Thanks, Christina, and in looking at Love to Lingo, wow, there's so much there and I'm in awe of what you've put together! I really am trying to get my language learning followers - most of whom feel more comfortable hanging out on Instagram - over to Substack and to follow you. You've got so much to offer, and I do believe that students can be pretty successful without using a teacher with all the resources out there. I'm almost tempted to start improving my German just to see if I can.
If anything, I tended to overload my students with ideas, resources, etc, and I had a very heavy emergent language approach which many appreciated but others found overwhelming. It was all part of my attempts to create a language-rich environment.
I certainly will keep sharing :)
You've lived in so many difficult-to-pronounce places! It's wild (and impressive) 😅
Sure, perhaps, but I've also lived in Spain and Germany 🤣
There are plenty of hard-to-pronounce places in Germany as well 😅
Absolutely! Can't say I've lived in any that are too hard to pronounce: Niersbach and Bitburg. You? I know you have roots there.
Fulda, Frankfurt, Darmstadt, Idar-Oberstein (nothing too difficult)... There's a place called Bacharach though and it's hard for non-natives to not injure themselves when pronouncing it!
A really interesting (and resource-packed) read! I did some teaching after I moved to Madrid, I had no experience and I think what saved me from totally bombing was that I was also a language-learner so I could connect to my students on that level. (And steal ideas from my Spanish teachers hehe.)
I don't think it is quite the same thing as the "lobster technique", but I used talk to myself in Spanish outloud in the shower to practice speaking (I was a little low on actual real friends at that stage 😅).
I really enjoyed this post, but I have to say I equally enjoy the 'usual somewhat unoredictable' content 😊
Thank you Jayne, I shall persist with the unpredictable stuff then! It's been nearly two years since I last taught and I feel with every passing day I'm losing my ability to do so, so I fall back on stories and imploring my students to read, listen, watch, absorb! Easier to throw stories at them at times than to put my teaching hat back on and offer up more concrete strategies for learning, which is why I wanted to share those other resources. I see so much shaky content on Instagram and, indirectly, TikTok, and I'm amazed by the numbers of followers some of these accounts get. In many cases I'm seeing lousy advice and poor, inaccurate language models and I just want to cringe. If only I could get their eyeballs and direct them to my lowly Substack...😭
I wish they would come over here and look at your Substack too! One thing teaching taught me is that it really, really is a skill. Just cus you know a language or a topic (like me getting the teaching job purely on the strength of being a native speaker) doesn’t mean you are going to be able to impart that knowledge in a clear, useful or enjoyable way. Teaching is a highly skilled job, so hats off to ya! I’m sure if you got back on on the teaching bike it would all come flooding back :-)