1 jun 2015

Why Being a Native Speaker is Never Enough

Co-organizan: Argentina TESOL, Embajada de los Estados Unidos en Argentina e Instituto Cultiral Argentino Norteamericano (ICANA)

Speaker Keith Folse
How many times during my 35 years of ESL teacher have I had to explain to a friend or family member (or even administrator) what I do for a living? 

Me:  “I teach English to people who don’t know English.”  

Friend:  “Wow, so you speak all those languages?” 

Me:  “No.” 

Friend:  “Wow, how do you teach them then?” 

Perhaps you, too, have experienced this frustrating kind of interaction regarding our profession.  The implication is clear – if you speak English, then you can teach English.  What else would you possibly need to know?  In today’s talk, we will discuss some of the knowledge and skills that good and experienced ESL teachers possess.  Being a native speaker is not enough, but being a good teacher does not make you a good ESL teacher either.  I often hear teachers – mostly those with limited ESL training – say that ESL teaching is just good teaching.  Well, yes and no.  I would argue that ALL teaching is good teaching, but being an ESL teacher who is able to help students with the intricacies of English as a second language requires more than being a good teacher. 
In this talk, I will talk about my own experiences as an ESL/EFL teacher and then as an ESL/TEFL teacher trainer.  What are some of the things that we native speakers do not know about our own English language, but especially from the viewpoint of English as a second language?  For me, stepping into my very first ESL classroom was a rather rude awakening, one that I now try to help soften for new teachers.


Idioma: Inglés

Fecha: Jueves 4 de junio 

Horario: 17.00 hs


Lugar: ICANA, Maipú 672, CABA

Más información: http://argentina.usembassy.gov/  

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