Do You Really Need a Teacher to Get Fluent in a Language?

[@Thelinguist]

The app I use to learn languages -> shorturl.at/AJTY2 My 10 FREE secrets to language learning -> www.thelinguist.com Have you benefited from the help of a teacher in your language learning. What makes a good teacher?

[@user-qy9lz9ur8p]

有道理

[@stephencindrich6787]

I tested @ B1 in French after 15 months of daily listening, as a native English speaker. I could understand, but still could not speak. I found a tutor online from Normandy. I began meeting with her twice each week, and was speaking nicely, not perfectly, within two months. I felt like the seeds I’d planted for five quarters, had sprouted and bloomed! More recently, I’ve trimmed back to meeting with her once per week, but I’ve also been listening to Italian daily over the last six months. I’m back in a similar situation. I can understand much Italian, but can’t speak it. I’m looking forward to finding a good Italian tutor online! Best wishes et bon courage to all language learners!

[@coletteburdin21]

where did you find a tutor?

[@parisbreakfast]

How much time did you spend listening daily and to what? I listen to a French business program daily bc they speak Very fast and some if it sinks in.

[@kevinjoe1211]

there is no need for a teacher unless you want to sit in for a language proficiency exam.

[@GorgieClarissa]

As an english teacher that also studies french, i think it's important to consider a teacher almost as a tool after your native or 2nd language. A teacher can of course teach you things, but most of what you are going to learn is going to be on your own time. A teacher, especially working one on one, can point out your specific weaknesses that you cannot identify or maybe you don't know HOW to improve. I think each person is different, but the more languages a person knows, the more knowledge they have within to actually identify their own weaknesses and they get that from a teacher. Of course, again, each person is different. There are a lot of things online and in books we can learn independently. Once we have the foundation and ground work, repeating the same process over and over again will actually get easier and easier. I only study with private teachers now because of my level. I find group classes to hold me back. But i also teach! And i find the students that advance quicker are the ones that put in the time and effort into their studies independently. They take the in class time and expand it on their own! You arent going to progress if you think your teacher is going to do everything for you.

[@hichkas1]

Hi how are you? How did you self-study french?

[@donnawoodford6641]

IMO, the role of a teacher is to facilitate learning a language faster.

[@michaelkegeles8926]

You'd better learn how to write the word English, before saying that you're a teacher!

[@edwinlucianofrias1643]

You don't need a teacher to learn how to drive either but it helps.

[@alvodin6197]

Is that a good analogy tho? What can potentially happen when you drive without a teacher vs when you make a mistake learning q language. The rest is self explanatory.

[@athensxv88]

​​@@alvodin6197e probably meant he doesn't need a professional instructor, Americans usually learn how to drive a car with their fathers or family members. But that still IS someone who teaches you this skill, so it's not a good analogy

[@edwinlucianofrias1643]

I know of people who just taught themselves how to drive; no formal instructor, no relative or friend. They went on what they had observed from other people driving and winged it; took a car in a secluded area and used the good old trial and error method. It can be done but in some circumstances it isn't very safe.

[@Celestina0]

Trying to speak a foreign language isn’t dangerous, but trying to learn to drive on your own is

[@athensxv88]

@@thomasmccormack4796 usually in my country driving schools are known for not being able to teach you properly how to drive in traffic. Everyone learns how to actually take part in traffic *after* they get their license.

[@danubiodeoliveira6108]

Having a teacher to learn a language reminds me of one of the many learning dimensions stratagy: relationship. As a phenomenon like falling in love, you have less strange feelings on something that someone you love makes in a systematic base... I like Steve Kaufmann's overviews on how our brain is destined to improve its skills...

[@VenomEmperor]

I recently got a one on one Japanese teacher in Italki and it makes a massive difference compared to a group class. A teacher helps correct your mistakes and can focus on your strengths and weaknesses.

[@GorgieClarissa]

I also take French and I've also taken Chinese on italki! I also teach on italki too! 😅

[@prowrestlerfighter]

How is it like? Ive been lookong for teachers of Japanese and German but I cant find teachers that teach like B1 level and beyond. Do italki has a method of its own or the teacher chooses the one he wants to adopt? Are you using like Genki, minna no ninhongo or another one?

[@r.d.5946]

@@prowrestlerfighteritalki is a great app. I have 3 teachers over there and learning 3 languages at the same time .

[@norabalogh5910]

I connect having a teacher (or much better, a private language tutor) with active production of a language when one is not yet advanced. The reason Steve is saying that you don’t need a tutor as a beginner is because he doesn’t recommend attempting to speak in the beginning of a language-learning journey. But I automatically do try to speak, using whatever few words and phrases I know, right from the start, for the simple reason that it’s super motivating for me. Passive input without any attempt at active production is relatively boring for me. Attempting to communicate something is what causes me to pay close attention and to remember. As a beginner struggling to convey something in a new language, I definitely need to be working with a patient tutor! Regarding grammar, I strongly prefer to learn it on my own, with the help of a good, systematic reference, but it’s great to have a knowledgeable tutor at hand of whom I can ask questions as required. This though is much less important than having someone to practice my language skills with! At more advanced stages, I no longer require a tutor because I can participate in activities in my new language with native speakers and hold my own!

[@prowrestlerfighter]

What do you mean by participating in activities? Sounds like good way to practice when you reach past intermediate I think if steve was to answer you, he would say that you can practice creating your own phrases from start. You dont need to study in a passive manner just because you are studying by your own. To be honest I find your method, of struggling to use the language from start, the most effective way to learn. Personally I think its somewhat painful compared to passive input, so usually I just input lol, but I think I should do like you and I recommend people to do the same

[@norabalogh5910]

By activities, I mean doing things with native speakers of your target language. To use German as an example: take a cooking course in German with native German speakers, or join a church where the congregation is German, or join a German book club, or book a hiking vacation with a German hiking group… etc… etc…!!!

[@gee8883]

​@@norabalogh5910 that does not apply to most people learning German from distant countries

[@norabalogh5910]

It depends. I’m practicing/keeping up my German in Ottawa and have done several of these! In fact I’ve never actually lived in a German-speaking country but have managed to get my German up to a pretty good level. One keeps one’s ear to the ground and finds out what the local expat community is up to… And re hiking groups, and travel in general, you join the group on vacation! I’m going to be taking part in a trip to Morocco with a German hiking group later this year… You may have more or less resources, but often there are possibilities if you look for them!

[@alicemj1436]

For beginner, I do believe that he/she needs a teacher to hammer out all the basics, even when you are half way to being fluent, you still need a teacher to help you to move to upper lever, but when you are fluent in English but you are not in English speaking environment, then your teacher is more of like speaking partner or talking buddy, of course you don't have to have a teacher at this stage, but it is hard to find anyone who has same goal as you do to practice to maintain, so teacher may be a smart choice to polish what you have already known. I have found out that KEEP the level you were is only way to improve further. Like any skill in life, you don't use it, then you lose it. I know this from my own experiences. I have never had a teacher, but I have family members who are native speakers. I spare the cost on having teachers, but I do spend tremendous amount time in term of learning new things, and improve pronunciations and etc.. my family members are my talking-buddies you may say. You simply have to find a way to keep going and going.... Learning Second Language is a life-long journey and commitment, with or without teacher, we all have to get on it every single day, speak and use it to maintain what we always have had on hands.

[@eduardomonteiro6863]

This video came at the right time! thank you Mr. Steve. I wanna become an English teacher but I haven't mastered the language yet. I have been learning English for more or less 5 years, and I have also been trying to learn Japanese and French and as I see that each day I am having progress I figured I could be of some use for others as well. (and wtf am I using "I" some many times kskskksk?)

[@r_ramon]

"kkk" is weird for them 😂

[@user-lo9dp3pl8c]

Brazilian right?i know this kskskksk laugh kk

[@robertklose2140]

I largely agree. The motivated learner can make relatively rapid progress in the beginning. Later, it's critical to have access to a native speaker to address one's questions. the problem with learning a foreign language in a traditional classroom setting is that the course progresses only as fast as the slowest learner, which is frustrating for those with a more ready grasp of the language. With all the resources that Mr. Kaufmann references, it's clear that one does not have to pay college tuition to acquire a foreign language.

[@rebelcat9956]

Hello Steve, I gotta admit that right now I am a teacher, I enjoy to teach English language and since a long time I have been using your thoughts about what is the rol for a teacher. Thanks for your very useful words.

[@rottingrearcommunications7309]

I agree with Steve on some points here. Firstly, while I understand the important role of a "teacher", I don't think the word "teacher" is apt. It implies that the student just has to turn up, and the language will somehow be learnt. Part of my job title is "language teacher" (multiple languages) but I feel it falls short. In the most successful of cases (and I mean really successful) the "teacher" has merely capitalized on the student's motivation. I also strongly believe that a "teacher" is unneccesary in the early stages. I speak numerous languages, and ironically, the ones for which I had a "teacher" in the early stages were failed attempts. I (native English speaker) have learned to communicate well in numerous Latin languages, later Slavic, and now Semitic. This is just my personal experience, but in every case, without exception, I did the early groundwork on my own. Later, I used "teachers" (I prefer the term "guides" or "language partners") to take me to a higher level, a level where I could use the language independently for monolingual travels in that language. We know that foreign languages can be learnt, can they really by "taught"?. At least in the traditional sense of the word, I don't think so.

[@melissa2181]

Well it’s probably possible to become fluent without a teacher… but they sure do fast track some parts of language learning. I do learn a LOT by absorbing if I expose myself a lot, but sometimes explicit and focused grammar and conjugation practice is very useful, shortens the process. I might have learned when to use what tense in English instinctively but memorising that list of irregular verbs was very useful. I am a motivated learner, currently of Italian, but I sure could use someone explaining grammar to me and making me memorise the conjugation of various tenses and other boring things like numbers or months. I don’t feel emotionally ready to speak but I also feel myself stagnating in producing sentences in my head. I don’t need an inspiration, I need someone who’s systematic while respecting my not wanting to speak. It does take creativity to help someone practice producing the language without speaking, but that’s where a skilled teacher comes in handy

[@antonin-Pit]

100% percent agree on this topic. I'm currently learning Japanese and I think I'm gonna reach B1 soon (which is more or less close to N3, I believe, correct me if I'm wrong) so a teacher could be really useful. Maybe on iTalki (or another plateform if better ones exist but I don't think so).

[@moldovananti-zionist6276]

Wow, I am also learning japanese at the moment

[@moldovananti-zionist6276]

Anata no machi ni nihongo no sensei ga arimasu ka.

[@antonin-Pit]

@@moldovananti-zionist6276 don't write in romaji ahaha. To answer your question, I don't have a teacher in my city and that's why I'm thinking about taking one online on iTalki.

[@moldovananti-zionist6276]

@@antonin-Pit I don't have the alphabet on my keyboard

[@antonin-Pit]

@@moldovananti-zionist6276 you can set japanese keyboard in your settings. Watch a video about it if you don't know

[@AnP865]

With complex languages like Japanese, where there are whole new alphabets etc to learn, I think it can be helpful in the early phases to have a teacher who can secure some of the foundations, otherwise it's easy to drift off a little bit and miss some of the core but boring things around the edges and then be slowed down later.

[@prowrestlerfighter]

I cound't disagree more First, because Japanese isn't actually a complex language Second, there are tons of basic level content of any language out there and to be true, those basic level courses are all frauds IMO, because you can learn their expensive one year content just by reading some pages on the internet for a few hours for free Almost all of the people saying that the language they are learning is complex, have never learnt other languages in their lives and once they struggle with normal problems of language learning they will say "that language is complex" (Ive heard people saying this about English my entire life), but they are not willing to take the time to input the necessary information to be able to use it funcionally, they think they should understand and communicate after a few months of studing it twice a week for one hour at a time The simplified japanese alfabets, hiragana and katakana, you can memorize in one week each Learning kanji takes time. Someone that was born in Japan will be able to read fluently (kanji) when they are 12. And people here are frustrated when they cant read properly after 3 years Im not saying that you can learn just by googling random stuff or watching random bad youtube videos, you need a method, a good textbook of the language or complete organized video lessons But speacially in the begining, you are gonna want to learn the exact same things, first of all pronounciation (to read it right from the start), pronouns, question words, basic verbs in infinitive/present tense and vocabs... and from there you dig deeper and deeper for hours and hours and hours for a few years

[@vrmartin202]

So well said!!!!!! I’m motivated, and I have chosen some amazing teachers to get me “there” faster.

[@mshuynhkimngan]

Recap: 1. For unmotivated learners, teachers are the triggers to build students' interest in the language --> I'm a newbie teacher and I'm seeking out for ways to trigger my students. 2. For motivated students, teachers are useful for later stages when students need to improve their speaking skills --> so not explaining, not reading or listening, it's the active output (speak, write) that intermediate students can benefit from teachers. What I feel after watching this video: it's a real challenge, to be a teacher who either a trigger or an expert in speaking and writing skills. I have a lots to learn and do.

[@patrickmcevoy3257]

Hay Steve I totally agree with you a teacher is the way to go they can help you pronouncing the words in the caract way anyway when ever I watch ur channel u always say the right thing to help people out who want to learn a language .

[@philbertius]

Prescient topic! I've been wrestling with the idea of getting a teacher for a while now - my Japanese grammar is pretty good, but I think I need to work on vocab a bit before getting someone else involved.

[@FreelanceTranslatorTips]

I sort of disagree about the explanations aspect. When learning Chinese, the "whys" behind the expressions used were very helpful to me, and most fluent speakers couldn't answer my questions (They'd just reply "That's just the way we say it"). Teachers are great for answering these types of questions (i.e. why do we use this term rather than that term in this situation?) Granted, online forums could probably fulfill this role, but a good teacher does a much better job.

[@cryptobref]

Great video, the only exception in my opinion would be tonal languages, especially vietnamese. Learners should get the pronunciation right from the start

[@sharglickman8214]

6p.m Pacific time. Love hearing you talk. I too live in Vancouver, I am learning Japanese by myself and love it. I am off to Japan in The fall and thoroughly looking forward to being able to use the little I know to engage with the locals. Fingers crossed. I am also trying Danish.

[@Thelinguist]

Have fun!

[@papaoangelo3162]

Exatamente! Professor é tudo! A mais importante das profissões. Aliás, uma profissão existe porque há um professor 😊

[@StillAliveAndKicking_]

I taught myself to ice skate, then took one on one lessons whereupon I discovered that I was a poor skater. My coach spent a year correcting my faults before she could teach me properly, followed by another year or two of lessons. and now I skate well.

[@artemius_zabelin]

Thank you, dear Steve. Your view on importance of "a teacher" help me understand to minus my English educators. I was very tired from their explanations of grammar and topics but I afraid to critic their method of teaching. Now I understand that grammar explanations is similar to metalanguage for certain scientific and theoretical aims but not for practice in reading in listening in the language. You are deeply note that a motivated learners can self-understand rule of a language.

[@vitalijkiselyov]

Thank you, sir Teacher!

[@RockChampEnglish]

Steve. Some people do absolutely need a teacher. especially those who don't wanna learn that target language. It's all about motivation and endurance. Let me make a video on it later.

[@ceciliaromia]

I totally agree! Thanks so much, Steve! Have a nice day! 🌺

[@renicostareni2313]

Hi dear teacher Steve! How nice is hear from you for the first time. I've been learn English as a Second Language for age, part of this I've done by myself. But I don't think to learn no native language without help from lovely teacher. Thank you for share your smart idea about need teacher wirh me. See you next video. This my hope. 👏🇺🇸👍

[@jdb6026]

I think it depends on the language you're learning. There are langauages that don't usually have good written nor recorded material in them, so your only choice is to have a speaker of a language explain it to you. Take for example, Tok Pisin or Chavacano, or Teduray or Blaan. Langauages that rely on dialects more than the formal, book version, too, like Bahasa Gaul Jakarta or Bahasa Gaul Bali or Trondheim Norwegian or Taglish, or Bisakol. Sure, for popular languages like English, German, Spanish, Russian, Japanese, Korean - these langauages each have their own corpus and tons of media to listen from.

[@oakstrong1]

That might well work with common languages. As an example, I have 450 Spanish beginner and intermediate-level videos saved in my playlist, some of them the first video of their own playlist, but when I started learning Khmer there were hardly any resources online for speaking and none on how to even say the alphabet, let alone how to read. One of the problems I encountered was not knowing where the word would end and the next begin if I didn't already know it: knowing the word verbally already assumed before you learn how to read it. Things are much better now but the content is almost invariably aimed at native speakers or A1 learners and tourists. As a beginner learning my first language decades after leaving school, I could not have done it without structured lessons! I could also ask him to say a word many times while I stared at his mouth and tried to hear from which part of his mouth the sound came - It was helpful for hearing subtle differences in pronunciation even my teacher wasn't aware until I pointed it out. Later the beauty of being able to pay for a private teacher was the opposite: every lesson at least felt as if ad hoc: an article, news story he heard on the way to teach me, joke, a question about an expression or idioms, culture, folklore and the way of thinking of locals not found in any books for tourists or ex-pats. It helped me a lot with remembering the vocabulary and phrases as well as feeling more connected with the people.

[@JoseCarlos-BarbosaJunior]

Congratulations Steve!

[@languageswithotavio]

You're the best my friend. You're my inspiration" Keep going!

[@gaffartarraf2260]

Sir, I consider you as my teacher ❤❤❤ I found your channel after I reached fluency in English tho, but your advices put me in a whole different level

[@user-rk1uz4ur4m]

I think a teacher can guide you onto a sensible plan of language study, when i was at school there was no internet,nowadays an individual really can accomplish so much by themselves and with affordable travel full on language immersion in the language's home country is more doable than ever before. Here in London there are so many foreigners that you could literally learn nearly any language you want

[@hcm9999]

A teacher may not be necessary, but you should try to interact with as many people as possible, people who are also interested in the language, like fellow students, native speakers, and also professional teachers, and then ask them as many questions as possible.

[@capuchinosofia4771]

How to help/guide a student where he is struggling in a particular part of the language? more practice speaking? more grammar exercises? more writing? Find a subject that you can talk/write/etc that interests the student and where they can practice the part they are weak in?

[@Abdi_sulaiman]

Expensive price for profesional teacher. For learning english i have to spending 1000 or 1500 dollar per a month. I saw the review who their got a private teacher. For beginner to intermediate they need 6 months. For advanced level you need exactly 2 years. If you came from rich family it's okay. But for me unfortunately no. I focus on learning by myself with an english podcast on youtube. 30 minutes or 1 hours i did enjoyed.

[@dillonr6265]

Thanks. Relevant to something I was experiencing recently, but struggling to understand. This was very helpful to hear.

[@Hello-gk7fz]

You speak very good,you have a nice speech.

[@user-rk1uz4ur4m]

French taught at my school here in England was dreadfully boring ,i've learnt more french since leaving school than i ever did while at school

[@carloseduardonaranjosuarez5917]

Thank you very much Steve, I love you

[@prowrestlerfighter]

We dont need a teacher to learn anything. A good teacher can make you improve faster at anything, but finding a good teacher is as hard as finding true love, it's not something that happens everytime through out your life, you will find 1 or 2 in your life time

[@kiranaaisyah5281]

I haven't found true love, but I have found great teachers in English and French tough. So for me. it's not as hard as finding true love haha. I have a great English teacher from italki. I'm already fluent in English, I just have lessons with him to discuss difficult yet interesting topics. He's a philosophy graduate and we have many common interests, such as philosophy, psychology, meditation, etc. For French, I actually haven't found a great teacher on italki, I've tried a bunch of teachers but no one is as great as my English teacher. However, my French is still at B1 level, so I can't talk about complex topics yet. Fortunately, I have found a language partner who is a native French speaker. He's really great and patient with me. We talk every week for 2 hours, one hour in French, one hour in English. We've been talking consistently for 2 years. I feel like my French has improved a lot. I have other teachers, especially in English who are pretty good, but the first one is not just good, he is probably the best English teacher I've had. So it's possible to find great teachers, you just have to keep looking.

[@jeffblack7]

You don't need a teacher, you just need someone that it will be true with you, also correct if you say something wrong, the rest you can make by yourself, but teschers could be useful. i am late the video was released 2 weeks ago, but i could say, i learnt fom the old way with english, i had some barriers with the language that only my teacher could help me to break and obviously myself, i used to say, i learnt by myself, because i always was searching for things, buying books, watching videos on KZbin, trying watch movies, but when i had one difficulty, the tiny one, i used to ask him, i used to use him as supporter than a teacher, but i could say that i could never achieve sucess without their tips as you said, correcting my mistakes and making me expand my vocabulary...

[@valdirbergamobergamo5396]

Thanks for the excellent exhibit of the problem - or it could be a problem - the teacher / student relationship. I enjoyed it a lot and learned many things from you.

[@ruslanandvandamme3872]

Steve Hi tell me please all languages what you speak. You did travel a lot. When you became fluent in chinese you have been to china. In Korean in Japanese you were everywhere. What is the real secret? To be fluent at home you know exsactly it is almost impossible

[@donnawoodford6641]

I watch movies in another language (Spanish ), and am about to join a conversation Spanish group whereby everyone else is trying to learn, too. I haven't yet experienced to know how much it will help, but I will avail myself to the opportunity to listen and speak more. I have a hard time communicating via telephone, some times not understanding the message. The quality of voice and speaker's pace are things I can't control, so I request the caller to send me a text.😊

[@salamsalamo9944]

Salam Steve I m with you opinion .But only if you feel that you are "capable" to study a language alone .at a certain time i think we should start courses with a teatcher and students in class firstly, to visualize and test yourself inside a group and secondly, to boost and to vary the rhytm of our study .That is to say: Teacher can become a "need" When you feel blocked a long time and your progress already stops . Thank you Steve

[@rafaelarrieche]

Ciertamente un profesor puede darte pautas o detalles que te ayuden a mejorar tu aprendizaje de otros idiomas 😊

[@aidagholampour100]

I’m one hundred percent agree 😊👍

[@russianindetails8622]

None of the apps I saw can replace a teacher. All the apps give you some common phrases, words, luckily some grammar, but not the sense of the language, not the feeling of the language.

[@highchamp1]

Steve Kaufman Olly Richards Just a guide to point you in the right direction. Learning methods. I had no clue 6 years ago how to go about learning languages. So I slowly learned. Looking back was fairly efficient using what was available on the internet. Although it could have been even better and easier. (grammar cheat sheets) Interests It's always the same thing in my experience. Music Art Sports etc. The usual subjects people have problems with then give up and try again later.

[@user-ni3me8or8k]

Hello i'm algerian I speak arabic very well i'm native. Nd I can speak french and english, nd i'll learn deutsch, you a strong accent.

[@prestokrs1]

I think you can learn without a teacher but it's much more difficult. And they can give you nuance.

[@ellymeikle5906]

I took French classes on-line from a Community College for 6 quarters. Now I need to practice my speaking.

[@teacheranthonyyribeiro]

A teacher may be really useful when it comes to customazing your learning, when it comes to designing classes 100% according to students' needs and goals. A teacher will be halpful as long as they have the ability of being specific and straightfoward professionals whose classes are totally aligned with the learners' purposes. Learning by themselves(especially as beginners), students may fell overwelmed due to the amount of information available online... It may cause them to be stuck actually. However, once they have a teacher guiding them along the way, for sure their lives will get much easier in terms of efficiently acquiring the language. From my standpoint, students tend to have the sensation of being lost especially in early stages of the learning process (to my mind, a teacher's guidance is essential here).

[@davidbrisbane7206]

It could probably be shown via true experiments that learning with a teachers vs. Leaning on your own leads (on average) to much better results. This is no doubt why we have teachers in schools. If schools didn't produce results, the government wouldn't invest in them.

[@deathorglory7843]

In this regard in my opinion everything comes down to your budget, if you don't have money to pay someone constantly you can also learn by your own

[@user-go6il2tm4b]

Probably most people who learn foreign languages will need a teacher at specific stage. Because in my case, there were some parts that i can never understand without explanations

[@MingMing-pi2ne]

Hmmm I don’t have any teacher to help improve English skills. But I know that out-put learning system is important. So I have started to use various tools like using Bard(Google AI), writing opinion at medium, using translate, and talking with English speaker etc. Even I don’t have a teacher I believe I can be a fluent English speaker.

[@annarboriter]

An assumption of this video essay is that every language teacher is both competent and helpful

[@Vinicius-kg2ml]

Private tutors ok! Group classes waste of money and time IMO. I've tackled a great deal of English on my own but I'd be lying to say no one helped me. Those friends I've made along the process assisted me whenever I felt stuck or needed a push. I teach English now and can get a person from 0 up to a basic conversational level within a few months by having one-hour classes once a week. If the student has time to do extra practice along the week, it just happens twice as fast.

[@davidxoomer3806]

Conversation wtith native speakers is very useful ...

[@weil46]

I think it's all depends on you, either you need a teacher or you can learn on your own, so in this time I think you don't really need one as almost everything is online and easy to access and at the same time it's easy to be confused and not knowing where to go, so having someone who can lead you to the right direction is always a plus, but if you have the ability to figure out your own path, yea than you don't need anyone to teach u.

[@ruralsquirrel5158]

No matter how good the teacher is, if the student is not motivated and won't put in the necessary work, they will never improve or become proficient. I have experienced this many times, teaching ESL. Some people just think showing up to a classroom, that they will "learn" by keeping the chair warm.

[@gee8883]

I was that chair warmer 😂

[@thinkfurther912]

on you own，but it is helpful to have a teacher

[@LanguageswithErman]

Inspiring...

[@julyanaxel201]

I'm going to "study" this video for a future job interview, aiming to have a good answer 😅

[@davidgivins4203]

Yes you need a teacher to learn a language! From Mr Givins's intelligence, the greatest mind ever!😊❤ now I'll start this video!😊😅😂❤

[@ericlemelin3215]

Even though I have access to a private teacher, i can’t even talk fluently in English after years of learning. I understand almost 100% .

[@Thelinguist]

Depends on your expectations for fluency. I suspect you are actually quite fluent.

[@Henry-teach-Chinese-in-jokes]

The most effective way to learn a language is to practice it like we learn our native tongue.

[@girigiri2167]

Excellent learning 👍❤️👍 TQ for your wonderful wisdom

[@WatchingDicas]

The teacher will go to facilitate your learning in a language, indicating the path, but you can to learn without them.

[@Luis-lw8fr]

un profesor es util no para que te enseñe gramática, sino para practicar el speaking y que te busque contenidos

[@hangari2463]

I know this channel today Great video ever

[@yaminamekki3054]

Thank you for these advices I am from Algeria

[@EnglishwithSam685]

Steve as always u r stunning ✨

[@クーミャ]

I think a language teacher is NOT necessary for term of reading, writing and listening(especially writing, we already have ChatGPT). but for speaking especially pronunciation you need a native speaker teacher. especially languages with difficult pronunciation such as Chinese. maybe it's not necessary but better to have, I think.

[@Rudolphhhhhh]

"especially languages with difficult pronunciation such as Chinese" : or English. 😛

[@gee8883]

Chinese is 50 times easier to pronounce than English

[@r.d.5946]

I am always motivated in the beginning 😂 but later I loose interest and I need a teacher to stayed motivated though I can learn by myself.

[@ivanzq21]

As English, French and Spanish speaker nowadays we do not need a teacher to learn a language especially if the teacher or Language school is going to charge you insane prices.

[@mcmerry2846]

It depends...but I could say 90% of people will benefit from one teacher

[@PetroPelishenko]

The most important thing is to learn to be a teacher for yourself😊

[@davidgivins4203]

You need teachers throughout your life to be able to teach yourself in the future!

[@MattDPritch]

You’re my teacher Steve! Teacher and mentor 😂

[@thiagoxaviersoutricolor8260]

Hello Stive it's very good your video and want learning other languages too, languages connect people.

[@arpikhazarchan8103]

Thank you, its a cool video

[@SecretsOfMartialArts]

Not bad, not Bad!😊

[@ObedGuedezComunidadLlanera]

Hoy día hay demasiados profesores en KZbin

[@MrWMBS]

I assume that people who leave hateful commentaries here didn't watch the video.

[@Branchxfitness]

Yes you do need a teacher

[@user-zl8hs6jc7y]

I'm a Japanese teacher of English in Japan. Talk to you later, Steve! Ha-ha-ha...

[@DaiNghia-is3ov]

Effortless English is the best immersion and repetition!

[@raymundofantastico]

Every language learner NEEDS a teacher to guide, stimulate, and facilitate him/her so that he/she may grow in knowledge and confidence. Our PARENTS were our first teachers and first language ones who taught us most, if not everything, we needed to know as children! 🙂

[@jamescook2412]

Maybe for the first language or even the second, but not third.

[@raymundofantastico]

@jamescook2412 , you will still need a teacher. You cannot learn any of the world's languages on your own. In fact, even when you become fluent, there'll still be a lot to learn from people and our youth.

[@ahmed.abdelaleem]

not necessarily, it will help ofc but there are a lot of alternatives. it is ok if u cant learn on your own like us, no shame but dont discourage others

[@raymundofantastico]

@ahmed.abdelaleem, it is NEVER discouragement to get help from someone who will guide you and who has your best interest at heart. It takes a village to learn a language, and this is a humbling.

[@ahmed.abdelaleem]

@@raymundofantastico a whole village lol

[@chikincinema2243]

Steve I wanted to say thank you for your advice. Without you I would be nearing immediate in Russian after 9 months. Я могу начинать читать сложных книг более. Вместо просто детского книги также понимать немного разговоров.

[@mohamedmohamed6506]

I like this language a lot ...In fact i fond some problems ...please teacher you advise me how to be good in this language ...Really i love this language very much ...Anyway step by step i will Big in language ...Thank you so much teacher ✌️

[@valentineurkova8529]

Thank you very much! From Ukraine.🇺🇦🇨🇦

[@igor____]

thank you for your important opinion)

[@parisbreakfast]

Good motivation = you’re living in Paris!

[@raymondmiller5098]

It is also helpful if you have a partner, or prospective partner, who is fluent in the language - and who you wish to impress. Motivation!!

[@ronaldnotto226]

Sorry, but it is crucial, Mr. Kaufmann, to have a teacher at the very beginning of second language acquisition. Why? You have missed the point, yes, one can find programs, the internet, Duolingo, or others, and it isn't because a teacher can give you grammatical rules, what you have missed in this presentation is the fact that you need someone to tell you if you are pronouncing the words correctly, if the rhythm of your utterance is correct, if the intonation is proper, if you are using the correct syllabication, all of it, all the sounds, without someone telling you, how do you know you are speaking correctly. You need someone to hear you and tell you if you are making the correct sounds, and you need it at the beginning, if not, you will spend countless hours unlearning your mispronunciation bad habits. A ski instructor shows you how to ski, but she also watches you and then tells you what you did correctly and what you did incorrectly. So your conclusion that the teacher is not crucial at the beginning is based on what data? You might not need a teacher to become fluent in the language, but you definitely need a teacher at the very beginning stages.

[@norabalogh5910]

I disagree that you need a teacher to tell you if you’re pronouncing things correctly. A person with a good ear for language will automatically self-correct. On the other hand a person with a poor ear for language will not be able to detect or produce the new sounds properly and will always have a heavy accent, no matter how often they are corrected.

[@gilmar-ac3247]

I need a Teacher !! Hugs - Brasil