Why do Some Native Speakers Hate your English?

[@EM-qx3hx]

I am a non-native English teacher, and my accent reveals it as soon as I open my mouth. Before I became a teacher, I worked in the corporate world for many years, and found myself constantly proof-reading, correcting and improving the grammar, expressions and vocabulary choices of my English speaking colleagues, so much so that it became one of my main duties within the company. I live in an English speaking country with a dozen different local accents, where a couple of them are very hard to understand to other nationals of their same country. When I was studying to become an English teacher, the instructors always displayed blatant preference and special praise toward the native English students, based only on their native speakers condition, regardless of whether their teaching skills or test scores were better or not. Thank you for this video. It redeems us from the stigma, the fear and the frustration that those wrong appreciations put on us.

[@user-ov4wr5yu4r]

I found a couple errors in your comments. However, native speakers make mistakes all the time. I still won't learn Chinese from a non-native speaker, or any other language.

[@allesindwillkommen]

There's no stigma as long as you're honest about your language skills. Just tell your students that you're there for them to give them a solid foundation in a way that is easier for them to understand and that you make mistakes too as a teacher and your students can correct you any time if they can prove they're right. That's a better way than being arrogant and pretend to know everything.

[@oakstrong1]

I make mistakes all the time when I have to write something down. Sometimes I make them on purpose to see if anyone notices or are they just mindlessly copying things down. I'm glad when students correct or challenge me and I thank them for paying attention and being active in the class. I believe that by challenging me, they will actually remember the stuff better as well as gain confidence in their own abilities rather than comparing it to unrealistic perfection... Last week I had my 7 yo student come and correct my spelling: the class mostly see the word "practice" in worksheet titles, but this time I wrote: "Practise your 3 times table". I told that practice is a noun but practice is a verb. She looked doubtful so I encouraged her to look it up. In other words, she ended taking ownership of her study and spending more time learning English. And she is now brave enough to correct me without having to whisper it to my ear. 😊

[@shamicentertainment1262]

I have had a similar thought. If you removed our native accent, often times it would sound like poor english haha. I live in a rural town in australia, it's not super bogan but our english is definitely not often the "right" to speak it.

[@poohoff]

​@user-ov4wr5yu4r says someone who omits "of" in "couple of errors"; you're pathetic

[@just_marrie9015]

Gideon, you are so great. Your moral principles and your grace are definitely unique

[@torrawel]

unique? I hope not. I'd call them copmmon sense & normal politeness :)

[@eeriejones]

Hi Gideon. Even though a native speaker, I often watch your videos. The information, insights, humor, and grace are appreciated. Carry on!

[@LetThemTalkTV]

You're very welcome

[@oswaldocaminos8431]

​@@LetThemTalkTVHopefully you would write me, I am a writer, chessplayer and a teacher. Greetings from the underground!

[@krystianwasylka278]

I'd say native teachers are better for advanced learners who focus on ordinary, casual, day-to-day vocabulary and pronunciation to sound more natural. For other students it either does not matter or it is even better they have teachers who speak their native tongue. Such teachers are usually more trained in grammar and can explain it more easily in the students' languages.

[@marikothecheetah9342]

My thoughts exactly.

[@Uihgtjhfghbhjbg]

You’re right.

[@barbaragemin5117]

I agree.

[@alexcesarpj]

As long as they ARE teachers and not just native speakers backpacking throughout the country.

[@adriangreiner2816]

Exactly my thought! You are absolutely right, and I think language schools should distribute lessons this way.

[@ndrmkhn6559]

As a father I tried to teach my daughter but soon realised that a pressure I put on her during our English lessons is inevitably impacts our relations. So I searched for a private teacher and visited her first trial lesson. Her pronunciation was a bit awkward to me but her friendliness to a child (and very good recommendation from other parents also) defined my choice. She did in what I would have definitely failed - she fostered my daughter's interest in studying English. Many years gone since then and my daughter still is having an interest and studying English as a hobby. Now she admits that she could understand my concern I told her about back then as she clearly sees her shortcomings in a received pronunciation. But she also understands how good the teacher was who managed to involved her in studying the language.

[@adammoore7447]

As a native ESL teacher, I agree with you. I've met great non-native teachers, and they work well with the beginner to upper-intermediate levels. Ironically, as a language learner (currently Spanish), I've gotten a lot of insight from a non-native Spanish teacher on KZbin. Come to find out, non-native teachers of your target language (who are native speakers of your language) can often help you overcome your difficulties a little better.

[@LetThemTalkTV]

Interesting points, thanks

[@marikothecheetah9342]

True. If you teach Spanish people you have no idea how vastly different their way of thinking is because of their language. If you know Spanish to a high degree - then yes, you know, but not many English native teachers know another language to a native level. I find contrastive approach very helpful, especially in the beginning, which allows students to see the differences and even be aware of them and having that mental approach in their heads. For example: in Polish we use only three tenses. We are less accurate about defining time than British and Americans are, since they have a lot of specific tenses for specific situations. We treat sky as a plain - on the sky, Br and Am treat it 3D - in the sky. Noticing these differences and ascribing them to your native and target language often helps in systematisation of the target language. Also, discovering intricacies is fun, thus easier to remember.

[@GeorgiaEvangelatou]

Non-native here working as an EAP teacher for a Russell Group uni. We are definitely not limited by level. It just has to do with putting the hours in to learn your craft. Let's not forget all foreign students who come to study in the English speaking countries and come with an IELTS 8 in some cases, were taught in their home countries by non natives.

[@DetPrep]

I completely agree, my native language is Spanish. I tried to teach Spanish a couple of times and it was a shame, then I checked some channels of Americans teaching Spanish and they were wayyyy better than me at teaching Spanish. Funny thing, I actually consider myself good at teaching basic English

[@favOriTe-v6e]

totally!! If I were learning a new language, I'd prefer to have classes with a non-native teacher from A1 to B1, and then I'd probably look for a native teacher in the more advanced levels

[@Vikas_Shukla1803]

Respected Gideon, you are not only a good teacher of English but also a good human being. Certainly, in my lifetime, I would like to meet you. Regards from India.

[@maryjackson1194]

I'm often amused by how many Americans don't realize the number of countries where English is an official language. Native speakers of English come with lots of different accents. Some Americans also overlook how many accents and dialects there are within the US. I married a Kentucky boy while going to college on Lake Superior. My husband couldn't understand a word the bagger at the grocery said, and they couldn't understand his drawl. I worked for a small company with an international staff. I remember sitting in meetings translating English to English, among the Canadian, Mississippian, Indian, Mandarin, Cantonese, and Spanish speakers. How many ways can one say "project"? "Module"?

[@aga8645]

Many thanks for sharing that. You helped me believe my English skills.

[@lucasl.6443]

@@aga8645 Man I worked in an international company in my country and I can assure you that they do not care about the way you speak. As long as you can understand and be understood you'll do just fine!

[@monidefi2680]

There's a KZbin channel (Americans) where they keep correcting non-native English teachers. A lot of the stuff they correct, is actually correct in other English speaking countries. On a different note, my Spanish accent used to be quite strong when I first moved to England and once I had to go to a chiropractor, who happened to be from France. I remember my then British husband having to translate between French accented English and Spanish accented English...too funny. Years later (after the split) I moved to the US and I went for dinner with him and another British friend of his while they were visiting. This time I was the one doing the translation from British to American English because the waiter couldn't understand them.

[@user-ov4wr5yu4r]

For example? 🧐 Writing the list of English speaking countries during recess was the punishment I gave naughty students. Perversely, they rather liked it since they spent recess with the native English teacher. 😊

[@oakstrong1]

Same goes to UK accents, and I would guess other countries, too, where English is spoken. There are certainly many American expressions I have never heard and I understand even fewer Australian ones, or their accents.

[@englishwithmaria]

Gideon, what a great topic to bring up in your channel. I'm a language teacher. I teach both Spanish (my native tongue) and English. A few years ago I was hired by a company in Spain to give a course in English pronunciation. I was surprised by the offer, and suggested to them that they hire a native speaker instead. Their reply was a life-changer for me. They said: But we want you. You see, you know both English and Spanish pronunciation, and can compare them in detail. Most native speakers can't do that. Then they finished off with: Besides, with you there's hope. My impostor syndrome vanished into thin air, and a year later I set up an English teaching business.

[@janetennyson131]

How wonderful. I used to reach English and Spanish , both as foreign languages, and focussed on pronunciation a lot , or should I say, intonation, because there's the rub, isn't it?

[@flaviasantos3077]

God bless, Dios le bendiga. Best Regards.

[@englishwithmaria]

It's puzzling to me how most English teachers don't pay much attention to pronunciation or, indeed, to intonation. I always say to my students: "The better your pronunciation is, the better you'll understand native speakers". And, I should add, with the wrong intonation you'll often convey the wrong message 😱

[@flaviasantos3077]

@@englishwithmaria, Hi, do you have a teaching program for people who want to learn how to teach? Are you a Coach? I am interested in learning how to teach. Thanks

[@englishwithmaria]

I do! I am!

[@priori7706]

I'm a non-native teacher, and I suppose it' s the best choise for beginners to start learning English with someone who can speak their mother tongue.. first of all to be motivated and supported in proper way❤ thank you Gideon for honest and balanced talk, and you're so inspiring teacher

[@jocelyneavila6870]

Definitely!! I started learning German with a lady who was a German and Spanish native speaker. (Her mother was Peruvian and her father German) She was pretty awesome because she would compare and try to teach the similarities between both languages so we can use it in our favour.

[@s.h.741]

Thank you for the encouragement. I'm a native German teaching German and English at a language school in the Middle East. It's easier for me to teach German because I simply "hear" what's wrong and what's right. However, I have loved and spoken English since childhood, read tons of books and studied the language at University, and thanks to many painful years of studying Latin, my grasp of grammar is passable. So let's hope I'm doing an okay job.

[@uffa00001]

Being Italian, when I study a foreign language I always buy a grammar book which is written for Italian students rather than for an abstract non-native speaker. It's so much easier to learn a foreign language, be it English or any other language, by following the traces of somebody who faced the same difficulties that I am facing now. It's all the set phrases, the use of verbs, which can be so different and misleading between Italian and English, the "false friends" etc.. A native English speaker typically doesn't understand or know Italian and doesn't understand how to properly translate certain Italian nuances in English, or how to translate a set phrase. The fact is, pronunciation apart, a good teacher who is a native speaker of your same language is a superior teacher of a foreign language. The only "advantage" the native teacher has is, in theory, the pronunciation. In practice, though, in English there is not any more a "cultivated" way to speak English (there is, but everybody pretends there is not) and the result is that if you get English lessons from a baker you will end up speaking English just like an English baker, and I don't say this to sound "classist", but a "native" pronunciation is not necessarily better than a cultivated foreign-tainted pronunciation, actually in a professional environment it is typically worse.

[@gustavoa.belfiore4701]

Thanks for this video Gideon. I'm a non-native ESL teacher and I tried for years to get a job at a language academy here in Spain (I'm from Latin America, which for some people makes things worse for some reason). Eventually I just started working as a freelance private tutor/teacher out of sheer frustration, and hope that word of mouth would do the rest. Forward 6 years and I'm turning students down, so I must be doing something right! Also, when I took the CELTA both my trainers said something very similar to what you're saying here, they were actually very encouraging. Both of them were native British English speakers.

[@LetThemTalkTV]

It's discouraging to read that nothing has changed in Spain since I was there but I'm glad you found your own path to success. Best wishes

[@GeorgiaEvangelatou]

Good job about getting your CELTA. Keep an eye on the British Council website and apply when you find an opening. In Spain they are discriminating on the basis of your passport. You don't want to go there anyway.

[@מקסמלכיאל]

The thing is, English no longer belongs just to the native speakers. It's the Lingua Franca of the world. I live in Berlin and communicate in English with my coworkers, friends and even parts of my family. I hardly know someone native. It is OUR international language and with all due respect we aren't worried too much what native speakers think of it

[@pedroarthurbarbosa]

English is to be used when traveling and in business, and not as a second language of a nation that already has a native language, which is German! This is why most European countries they don't like certain types of immigrants! You should know a little more about what you do and write!

[@מקסמלכיאל]

@@pedroarthurbarbosa ja genau! Kassen bon dazu?

[@HolgerJakobs]

Therefore the _"official"_ language of science is bad English. 😂

[@pedroarthurbarbosa]

@@מקסמלכיאל Oh, you know a phrase in German, is that some kind of alibi?

[@מקסמלכיאל]

@@pedroarthurbarbosa No. I make money here on KZbin. I comment it drives traffic to my channel. Trolls like you are of great help for these ends

[@AnnaAnna-uc2ff]

When I was taking Japanese language lessons at the community centre, I preferred the teachers who were not native Japanese speakers. The native speakers had not the slightest idea what it is like to try to learn Japanese as an adult. The non-native speakers could remember what that was like.

[@nikipapdi6000]

Hi Gideon, I loved the story about your first job as an English teacher. And I'm so glad that we didn't lose you, but instead you trained yourself to become a truly knowledgeable teacher. I have been following you for a while and frankly, I am amazed by your insight into the English language and how passionate you are about it. You have even inspired my to share my own story in a nutshell: I used to work as a non-native English teacher in Hungary and in Spain, and luckily I never felt being discriminated against due to not being a native speaker. Interestingly, what I saw and what struck me when I was studying for my BA in English language and linguistics at a uni in London was that non-native students (Polish, French, Spanish and Hungarian (myself)) highly outperformed the majority of the native students in all subjects, even in phonology. In general, based on my experience, I would say that advanced learners can benefit more from learning with qualified native teachers than non-native ones, however beginners can save a lot of time and accelerate their progress with a teacher who speaks their language quite well. In my opinion, my biggest shortcoming as a non-native teacher was my accent (I started learning English when I was 25, as a result my native accent has had a huge influence on my English), but luckily now I have the opportunity to make it sound more neutral, needless to say, with a native teacher. Oh and I live in Spain now and I absolutely love learning Spanish as an autodidact obviously with a mixed Hungarian and English accent. To conclude I would say that whether one should consider a native or non-native teacher, depends on their language learning goals, their current level and of course their personal preference. What is crucial though irrespective of where the teachers are from is that they must be qualified and knowledgeable.

[@ronald3836]

I'll be adding "piss and vinegar" to my list of binomials.

[@treshcoon1824]

😂

[@samstromberg5593]

Binomials? That's not a word I'm familiar with

[@ronald3836]

@@samstromberg5593The channel has a video (and maybe more than one video) on "binomiale" such as "dead or alive", "fair and square", "checks and balances". Outside this channel, I only know binomial coefficients from Pascal's Triangle (but I studied math, don't worry if you don't know Pascal's Triangle 😅).

[@ronald3836]

@@samstromberg5593 The channel has a video on binomiale (maybe now than one). Examples are "checks and balances" and "fair and square". (And now I hope that this comment is not banned by KZbin for using a forbidden word like my previous comment.)

[@samstromberg5593]

@@ronald3836 I love Pascal's Triangle, learned about it in my 12th grade Math Class that I TA'd for I'll check out his video thanks

[@Daniula02]

As a non native English speaker trying to be a teacher I agree with you 😁 In my opinion, native speaker "teachers" are great in conversation classes, but for beginners a non native teacher could be more helpful. What I do want is that a teacher of language is in fact a teacher and knows how to teach 😊 BTW, your students (even the first ones) have been very lucky to had you as their teacher because you're adorable 🤗

[@LetThemTalkTV]

Thanks for your comment my fellow teacher

[@Niky1990]

Thank you so much for this video. I'm going through a rough time because I've been facing some career challenges connected to the 'issue' you addressed, and your insights have been incredibly helpful. I'm feeling better already, and hearing perspectives from 'the other side' has definitely given me food for thought.

[@LetThemTalkTV]

In the comments you'll read many non-native teachers sharing their stories of overcoming tough challenges to have a successful career.

[@psicologiajoseh]

It takes a lot of courage, confidence and humility to share a story like that. Pretty funny and enlightening!

[@javifontalva7752]

I am really glad that you have touched on this topic. Thanks mate!

[@Sauvageonne]

That's a great and very kind video. You've asked a question and I'll try to provide an honest and nuanced answer that depends on the objective. - Objective: pick up the native accent. I've chosen to send my 2-year old to a foreign language preschool with native speakers until he turns 4 so that he can absorb the accent. Accents are better learnt at a very early age. Grammar can be acquired later. - Objective: speak and write properly. Regarding the English language, I don't mind whether the teacher comes from Jupiter or Oxford. Further, as you pointed out, non-native speakers learn (English) grammar as part of learning the foreign language. I don't remember ever learning English grammar before finding your channel. I know so many non-native speakers that speak my native languages better than me (my parents for example).

[@TerryMcKennaFineArt]

This is a fabulous piece of decency and honest.

[@HolgerJakobs]

Teachers with the same native language as the students may have a better understanding of the interference mistakes the students make since they know the way their native language works. Still, language teachers need a very good command of the language being taught. Everybody makes mistakes, but they should be pointed out and corrected with no hard feelings.

[@Romalvx]

Dear Gideon, languages are the quintessence of communication, and communication is not speaking alone from a pedestal but speaking and answering with humans no matter the level. The human ability to master foreign languages for survival equals the enjoyment to do so. What makes an excellent speaker and teacher, is PASSION, and ABILITY to transmit the language to those who learn from that person.

[@samanthaabreu782]

I've studied French for foreigners when I was in Switzerland, and I can say that learn from zero a language without any support of your own language is not only the harder way to learn but also the more time consuming. For a beginner, I think a non-native speaker (and a speaker of your language) is more important, not only because they speak your language, but also because they understand where you are struggling, as certain languages have patterns that are harder to overcome when trying to replace to other pattern in a new language. If you are an advanced learner, a native speaker is better, because you are at a point to refine what you've learned.

[@abrahamcano6195]

Greetings, Gideon. Back in 1999 - 2000, when I was still a bachelor student, I attended advanced English courses. I was told the teacher was non-native speaker. I didn't like that much. Later on, when I attended the first class, and the whole first week, I changed my mind. That was an excellent teacher! So, many times we have certain mental biases, but we must keep our minds open to change the paradigm. By the way, congratulations for your great channel! I'm still improving my English language skills, "day after day", as the Beatles' song says. Fry & Laurie also have helped me a lot. On the other hand, I'd rather gave up Japanese and German (should I make a greater effort, perhaps?). Cheers from Zacatecas city, Mexico, at the High Plains!

[@russellforrest1730]

So glad someone has put this out there! My ESL teaching journey has been so similar to yours, **** teacher to director of studies. Speakerism is a new term for me, but the concept is all too familiar. Sending support, admiration, and much love to all the rockstar non-native speaker teachers out there. It must be a bitter pill to swallow when they see a fresh graduate, with no experience, sweep in and proclaim that their knowledge of the language is superior and get a higher salary as well. I wonder where you stand on using first-language instruction in the classroom when teaching a second language. Generally speaking, I think using first language instruction for grammar, for example, can avoid a lot of unnecessary confusion and really save a lot of time, especially at the elementary and intermediate stages of learning. Keep on keeping on, Gideon. I think you're marvelous!

[@kwokshsee01]

### *A video of righteousness & nobility* 👍👏

[@Breakfast_of_Champions]

Non-native english teacher here. It often appeared to me like many language schools' main interest isn't even successful teaching and seeing their students become competent, but rather convincingly selling many more or less effective lessons that follow conservative standardized patterns. Try talking about Prof.Krashen with them to gauge the waters. The general learning insights and competence that a non-native teacher has acquired with regard to language acquisition doesn't factor into this equation.

[@LetThemTalkTV]

interesting point

[@arturkhaziev193]

Not only am I an English teacher who has worked in Vietnam since July, 2022, but I'm also a learner who wants to pass CPE. Some years ago I came to a conclusion that if you want to make a leap, to move to the next level, to work on idioms, phrasal verbs and so on, a native speaker is really needed. This is what happened to me when I came to Bristol to study and then passed CAE. I wouldn't go that far and say that it's impossible to do without natives but for me it was extremely helpful. That was a moment when I started to speak immediately, without thinking. But if you look for some good level without being sort of flamboyant, a non-native is perfectly ok. For instance, one of my students successfully passed FCE 3-ish years ago. Another student got 8.0 for IELTS and so on. Being a language learner, I have both native and non-native English teachers and they are all awesome.

[@mmartinsrj]

If I could use an analogy, a native English speaker teacher would be the icing of the cake, the culmination of an in-depth and consistent learning process. As long as the students master the language at such a level that taking classes from a native speaker would really be a turning point (to the better) to their English. Back in the day (early 1980's till early 1990`s) I was fortunate enough to have excellent teachers of English that helped me shape my English the best way possible, and only in the last states of the course I was taking was it an actual benefit being taught by native UK teachers. Perhaps the focus now is on having a "branded", showcase sort of learning process (eye-catching materials and tech, native US or UK teachers, Instagrammable facilities, etc.) with a focus on a turnkey solution rather than asking the students to work hard to improve their English. Fireworks don't make a good astronaut.

[@MrBrunoMi]

Great video! I'm a non-native speaker of English with a passion for learning languages simply for the joy it brings me to use them. I must unfortunately confess that I tend to be 'native speakerist', although in practise I now essentially learn languages on my own. Capturing the music of the language-and being able to play it-is one of my greatest pleasures. Very few non-native speakers can convey the music of a language completely right. Having said that, I 100% agree with the fact that there is no correlation between being a good teacher and being a native speaker of the language taught. I do not understand the attitude of a company demanding native speakers to teach English to their employees, all the more as teaching how to properly pronounce a language very rarely comes as a priority, especially in a professional context, in which immediate ROI is going to be what is expected.

[@laurajamil8943]

Very interesting, thank you for sharing! To be honest: I am a sucker for British drama and mystery and I'd be delighted to have a native speaker as a teacher( no offence to the other brilliant professors out there in the world). Watching movies gave me the opportunity to listen to various accents across UK ( Irish, Scouts, Geordie, Scottish, the cockney dialect etc )and I am chuffed to bits whenever the cast is a mix of actors borned and especially raised in different regions. Love your videos, cheers!❤

[@LetThemTalkTV]

Thanks for your comment.

[@eriuharps]

Thank you, Gideon, for this message of support. I've seen a couple of videos targeting a non-native English teacher, and it just posed a question about the youtuber's values that allowed him to publicly bully another person in this manner. It was quite repulsive actually. And as a certified and very experienced teacher of two languages, my mother tongue and English, both of which I've been teaching in Ireland of all places, I can testify that I understand and can explain English grammar waaay better than the grammar of my first language. You don't need to understand how your own language grammar works to speak it correctly, but to speak a foreign language right, you need to make quite a lot effort to understand its' logic. And then, as a teacher, you have to be able to explain this logic very clearly to your students.

[@jonnamog6519]

This is very interesting…and you are so right. I am a non native english teacher, but I lived in England as a child and have very little or no accent.. If someone has been through the process of leaning a language thororoughly, they are the best teachers…

[@janjordal9451]

You are a wise and good man

[@LetThemTalkTV]

you are wiser and better

[@janjordal9451]

@@LetThemTalkTV 😉

[@ТарасСтецько-н5щ]

Thank you for rising this serious and important issue. You are giving your audience a good understanding of how this business works. Teaching a foreign language is not just a matter of knowledge of the language itself, but also of the correct teaching methods.

[@miguelsegura6569]

If I shall put an example of learning a different foreign language than English, I’d say that my best German teacher was originally from Poland. She made up for me an intensive Grammar course and conversation lessons with a situative approach, and I improved incredibly in a few months. Thank you, Gideon, I’m also filling loads of gaps with your videos, you’re a fantastic orator. All best from Austria!

[@AndreaAvila78]

As a student I find native speaker teachers to be more interesting but solely for the purpose of culture and conversation at an advanced level. As a beginner student in any given language I need a teacher of that language with knowledge of the grammar rules and knowledge of language teaching, regardless whether they are native or not. A while ago, I attempted to learn French. So I took private lessons with a couple of teachers. One was non native but she knew the language to perfection. She could explain everything to me. She also had near native pronunciation. The other was a native speaker of the language with no clue of any grammar rules. I thought that they both complimented each other. Both teachers were great and interesting. The native speaker knew more about the culture and the slang and had lots of personal stories to tell about his country. That was the main difference. As a teacher, I was once hired to teach Spanish (my mother tongue) in an English speaking country. I freaked out because I didn't know the rules of my own language. I had to study hard before giving a lesson and anticipate the questions that my students might have. If I didn't know how to reply to a query I would simply apologise and promise to find an explanation for the following lesson. It was a quite challenging but rewarding experience.

[@iuliia8051]

I am fluent in English and somehow my accent is pretty much impossible to recognize. Now, I still lack the first-hand cultural background except for the 7 years I spent living, studying and working in the US. Americans I talked to just always assumed I am out-of-state. In all of the states I visited. After I came to Japan, I met some native English speakers. And the moment I told them I am not American, they would start mishearing and misunderstanding me. Some native speaking colleagues would say that students only choose to take my classes because of my amiable personality but not because of my teaching skills. It is extremely interesting because my students develop way better speaking, listening and writing skills than those of my former toxic colleagues who were native speakers but inadequate teachers. If you think about it, that just shows their insecurity. Being a native speaker is their only 'advantage'. That said I've met some amazing teachers who were native speakers, usually from New Zealand and usually female. Most Americans just tend to really fail at teaching anything somehow. I wonder why. They make really nice presentations though.

[@Maggies87]

I think the teaching abilities of “native” teachers of English in the U.S. varies greatly. I personally know many (high school level), but they live and work in large cities on the coasts. Small communities may have more difficulty with attracting the strongest teachers. Fortunately, there are good online resources available to augment classroom instruction.

[@biran44r]

as a turkish non-native english speaker, I just love listening to your comments... you're speaking a learnable and lovable english... thanks a lot..

[@MrSvinkoyaschMrSvinkoyasch]

The fact that you like JP speaks volumes! Thanks so much for this revelation sir, it makes me evaluate your work even more.

[@manuela7182]

As a non-native teacher of English I can't but thank you for your warm words. I know exactly what you mean and I really appreciated this video of yours.

[@andybliss5965]

As a learner of French, I like both. I like the accent of francophones but I like to see how someone like me can learn to speak the language.

[@NothingMaster]

You have an excellent point. 🎉👍🏻

[@zzzofi9298]

I live in Czechia. My children used to attend English courses led by both native and non-native speakers and I remember my little son saying: " Mom, the greatest job in the world is to be a native speaker." I found that really funny and explained he was also a native speaker, but not of English of course. Being a non-native English teacher myself, I really appreciate what you said. I think that having gone through all those problems all people learning a foreigh language go through gives us a different attitude. But I love listening to native speakers. You are one of the really good ones.

[@fridayhunt7075]

I’m a native speaker and personally think that a non-native speaker brings the valuable experience of having actually been formally taught Most native speakers absorb English. It’s been my experience that very few actually have been taught even fundamental grammar, at least in the United States. So they can’t call on the experience that they can model their own teaching after.

[@mirzatz126]

Thank you Gideon, your thoughts are unique, just as your lessons are appealing, two -in -one treats!👏🏻 As a non- native , I’m still inspiring my students for the love of learning English.

[@LetThemTalkTV]

Thanks, dear colleague. Best wishes

[@tropicalmountainlife]

I think the real issue here is if the teacher is teaching correct English or not. Obviously a native speaker would be more likely to get it right. If I put myself in the position of a person learning a new language, I would certainly hope that the information I am being given is correct, and, if there is someone teaching the language that consistently makes mistakes, I would appreciate that being pointed out. I don't really think the people doing so should be shamed.

[@boomerangerful]

THIIIISSS... This is what i've been looking for.

[@Iza-zaz]

Gideon, thank you for your supportive speech. I am a non-native teacher of English. I love the lg and I love teaching it to others. I try to be my best. ❤❤❤

[@LetThemTalkTV]

Thanks dear colleague

[@MarianoMontero-z7w]

You are not only a great English teacher, you're a good person that inspire us to go ahead. Thanks for sharing your knowledge.

[@AndyAndy-ej9le]

I'm a native English teacher and have been for more years than I care to say LOL. The other day my wife, who is Russian, sent me a video of her "English Through Stories" course. The teacher was a non native and made a few mistakes which grated on me, as they were repeated a number of times. BUT, the class was So engaging, so well thought out and so expertly delivered, I was dying to join in myself, but of course couldn't. I felt like hanging up my teaching clogs to be honest. She taught me a few things, I can tell you!! Cool Channel Gideon, I always recommend you to all my students. I also spotted you in one of the episodes of Gordon Ramsey's "Kitchen Nightmares" :)

[@mnnn2373]

Thank you very much for this video. I've been trying to start teaching English to Spanish speakers students and I always think of every single possible mistake in little things, trying to speak perfectly. But in my experience many students do make progress in their English levels learning with me, and that's something so motivating. And of course, I keep learning and trying to improve as much as I can, because every single day there's something new to learn.

[@robertfiala1540]

Hi Gideon, a great video as usual. when I was learning English, I didn't insist on having a native speaker of English. A native English speaker doesn't necessarily mean that they are also a good teacher. On my way to fluency, I met great as well as bad teachers both native as well as non-native speakers of English. thanks a lot for this video, keep up the great work you have been doing !

[@jacksarukhan5867]

Hi. You provided big inspiration for me as not native English teacher. Thank you very much.

[@petkofenersky1644]

I am a non-native teacher of Mathematics, sometimes in English. I just try to do my best. A good practice from Russia, the Faculty of History, Moscow, MGU, before 2000, 2nd year students, French language - 6 h per week. I was a student of Maths but attended the course of French at the Faculty of History as a "listener" without a certificate. I just asked to participate and they said yes: 2 h - Grammar, a non-native teacher 1. 2 h - Historical texts reading and discussing, a non-native teacher 2. 2 h - spoken French, with a native teacher 3, may not speak Russian well or at all. I would advise combining non-natives and natives. And thank you for your support! ( I have no channel)

[@Gilmore72]

Gideon, this is very honorable of you to point your own experiences out. I love your humbleness. That's what makes this channel very attractive.

[@buonleo]

Chapeau! I follow both native and non-native teachers, each has its own strengths. I have learned a lot from all of you.

[@nickieshadowfaxbrooklyn5192]

As a former ESL teacher I always replied to those accusations by simply saying: just because you have both hands, it doesn’t automatically mean you can play piano; similarly having learned English right from the cradle doesn’t entitle you to become a great teacher. Pedagogical prowess takes years of training and experience, along with a certain mindset and aptitude, and by no stretch of imagination is bestowed upon any person let alone a native speaker. In other words, apples can be red, green and yellow and if a fruit is red, it doesn’t mean it is an apple as well as the opposite is equally true.

[@JasMcKenzie]

As an advanced student of Spanish, I don't think I'd be too interested in learning from a non-native speaker. At the beginning levels, I think a non-native speaker might even be better than a native speaker. At higher levels, no way. What's really annoying though, is that when we native speakers of English travel and want to speak other languages, we are not allowed to. Don't answer me back in English. It's condescending and rude.

[@paulacordeiro4317]

For a native English teacher It's hard to explain how to use present perfect tense and verbs like "combinar" or "passar" in my language. Thank you very much for your words, Dr. Gideon ☺️💞 you are such a wise gentleman. I'm goin to share this video with my colleagues.

[@zolandia5262]

I'm a native English speaker who has been in the process of learning a couple of languages. I think the best teacher is one who has gone through the process of learning the language that they are trying to teach. Invaluable insight into the inner workings of a language is gained this way. They also need to be an inspirational teacher. They also need to be able to understand the language of their students so they can communicate with them and highlight the bits that the student is going to have most difficultly with. Native English speakers for example don't generally have much familiarity with the formal descriptions of English grammar that you find in textbooks, such as the names of the different tenses and moods of verbs. They just go by instinct about what sounds right, honed by years of experience. For advanced pronunciation practice, these days there is so much content on the internet that 'correct' pronunciation examples by native speakers are easy to find.

[@myouatt5987]

Thought provoking, and as a native English speaker and (usually) working in education, though not language teaching - it seems to be a big question of substance and style ... sure, there are very good teachers who might not speak with an English accent and bad teachers who may convey the accent but not the rest - perhaps it's a mixture of both in a language school (I don't know!). However, it strikes me that criticism is the lowest form of defence and the ability to make oneself easily understood in a language is perhaps the best that one can strive for anyway ... trust me, I've struggled for some 50 years with German/Dutch/Flemish (...not to mention the past tense of verbs in French, Italian and Spanish) ... and I'm still not perfect but it hasn't hindered understanding! So just go for it and do the best you can ... whichever way, you'll be respected by the native speaker😀

[@sreeranjdeneshan9529]

Thank you. I'm a non-native speaker. I thought any native speaker is always better than non-native speakers coz the natives had more exposure to the language and so must naturally have better knowledge in the matter. I'm glad u changed my mind. ❤

[@wingedhussar1117]

I am a native language teacher too, but for German, and sometimes I mock non-native speakers, too, but only the bad ones. There are many super non-native speakers teaching German on KZbin, but some inviduals simply produce crappy videos - and I don't mean a light accent, I mean severe grammar mistakes.

[@LetThemTalkTV]

but why don't you just ignore them?

[@Зеленыйслоник-е8ъ]

@@LetThemTalkTVI am also teaching German as a native speaker but only offline. If a specific channel on YT spreads disinformation about the German language I see it as my duty to highlight that in a respectfull way of course.

[@wingedhussar1117]

@@LetThemTalkTV Because the videos are harmful, they do not help people to learn the language, they - as my colleague already said - spread disinformation.

[@milanhrvat]

Learn german fast - Deutsch mit Natalia?

[@nurnu349]

I have started to learn Portuguese, I am Spanish, and follow three teachers: two are natives and one is not, her native language is English ( incredibly elegant diction btw). I love the three of them: they all speak clearly, are fun, love what they do, and are knowledgeable, experienced teachers who know their grammar and are spot on when it comes to addressing the difficult parts for learners. I love your style a lot too. Thanks!❤

[@YRoshani]

Non-native teacher who is a native speaker here. This would be confusing for many, but there are many others who use English as their first language in a country where the dominant language is not English, mostly in countries where multiple languages are spoken. I'm well aware of the issue with the native-speaker battle as most of the non-native speaker teachers get half the salary of a native speaker in some language centres, even when workload and qualifications are equal or more. But there are always great benefits of learning with a native speaker, such as learning correct intonation, stress, and weak forms of words and sentences. Most non-native speakers pronounce words individually as they learn elocution, which is a form of diction coaching to correct pronunciation and tones, although that form of speech is not the common way of speaking.

[@kyokugo6460]

I luv this channel, Even your rants be so polite 🤩

[@MaxusMV]

I can guess which KZbin channel Gideon means and to be honest I’m a subscriber and a frequent viewer. Despite detesting their overly personalistic approach to non native English teachers I find their videos quite informative. Especially for a Russian native speaker. Since most of their victims are Russian native speakers they pinpoint typical errors which I also make from time to time. On the other hand they sometimes just split hairs finding fault with minute bloopers.

[@boomerangerful]

Same here

[@JBG1968]

I have several Japanese friends ( in Japan ) that often ask for help learning English . I always tell them as long as who you are talking to understands basically what you are trying to say you are doing good . Pronunciation is more important than grammar . If I can understand the words I can usually understand what you’re trying to say

To me it's all about learning, what students, apprentices, pupils... What people want to learn. And the same applies to the communication and daily conversation's environment, because no matter how genuine the code is dominated, if subjects aren't colliding you gotta keep it shallow or talk about something else, simple as that... So in practice, a teacher has to sustain charisma, and that is only happening through emotions, comprehension, interdisciplinary works... In the foreign landscape case, also using the mother language rather than English itself... It seems that way! Decorate, paint the details so the picture gets better, but do it with passion and sincerity every time you enter the classroom!

[@MrAllright2]

Thank you for your video and your point of view. You've got it right: the very simple explanation to all you've developed is a feeling of... jealously! You've pointed it out right! As for me, I'm a French teacher of English and have always taught in my own country. We can tackle the problem from another point of view: the french-speaking one. I'm going a bit off the mark but if you have an English-teaching school in France, you may have noticed a lot of mistakes that so many French people make with their own language too. Like "ce que j'ai besoin" instead of "ce dont j'ai besoin". "Ce que je parlais" instead of "ce que je disais" or "ce dont je parlais". As if the extinct past simple and the nearly extinct subjunctive weren't enough, we're witnessing the disappearance of the relative pronouns. The same for Spanish: lots of mistakes and a lower and lower number of words at disposal. Contagious disease, seems to me. Anyway, we'll try to do our best and keep going, believing in what we're doing. As for Jordan Peterson, he is a great psychologist, a great person by and large; he writes as well as he speaks and languages have some room for tolerance as far grammar or vocabulary are concerned. A "who" in the place of a "whom" doesn't bring down the content in one block, does it? Best regards from Strasbourg!

[@LetThemTalkTV]

My students are always complaining about French mistakes made by the French. I couldn't possibly comment. Thanks for your thoughts. Very interesting.

[@margaritapovarkova9197]

Thank you for your support, Gideon! What can you say about non native speakers using idioms and colloquial phrases in their speech? I think a non native speaker can’t use them accurately.

[@Mirandalavie]

Thank you, Sir, for this video! Loads of love and good wishes from a humble fan of your from the Balkans (who has experienced many a times this kind of injustice you've explained so well)

[@santvi]

As a student, I prefer a native English teacher. Why? Simply because what I find most challenging is understanding people who speak quickly or have a thick accent. Non-native English teachers typically have a lovely and clear diction that does not strain my listening skills. Additionally, I honestly think non-native English teachers tend to use simpler vocabulary and expressions/idioms.

[@favOriTe-v6e]

I studied spanish with a native teacher for 1 year and a half. I made waaay more progress when I started having classes with a non native teacher for 6 months, she knew how to help me because she knew the process

[@Marcel_Audubon]

it's not prejudice, or a moral question to want a native speaker as a language teacher

[@jeanmarieboucherit7376]

Very interesting and perceptive. Thank you! Merci!!!

[@juanfcosanchez2632]

I agree with you, my perception of English teaching is that it is bureaucratized, and embedded in totally artificial standards. We forget that it is a tool that enables communication. I do not have any recognized A1-C2 grade, nor do I plan to have one, it is simply ridiculous

[@leopang26]

Depends on the level of proficiency of the student learning the language (English). You don’t expect they would understand a native speaker if they have no prior experience / just a beginner of the language so non native teacher is important to bridge the gap. Unless that native teacher speaks the mother language of the student

[@HealthyMindProject]

Great video .I work as an ESL teacher in Vietnam, where the discrimination regarding non-native English teachers is strong. I've worked with some really great teachers, who were turned away from certain teaching jobs due to their being from a SE Asian nation, instead of the UK, US etc. I like the varied content on your channel, and it's one of the top 5 ESL KZbin channels that I recommend to my students. Hope to catch up with you for a coffee in Paris one day!

[@mariacebrecos303]

For 3 years I have been attending the Official School of Languages, which depends on the Ministry of Education. Throughout this time, my teachers have been Spanish with a deep knowledge of the English language, in addition to having the corresponding academic accreditations.

[@ursulastaempfli759]

Well, I must confess, I expected a different topic. I thought it was about native speakers who dislike non native speakers of English because of their accents. But okay, it's about the teachers. I would recommend the non natives for the beginners' courses because they are closer to the mindset of the learners. At the beginning the teachers have to explain a lot in the students' native language. As soon as students can be called advanced learners they should face the harsh reality 😂of a native English speaker because this will prepare them for contact with the enemy 😂 on the ground. I came across non native teachers of English during the last three years at grammar school who were trainees. We hated them! They weren't even sufficiently fluent and their pronounciation was a laugh! I later learnt that English nationals with a teacher's degree in English were struggling to find a job. They should have been sent to schools in Germany! I dedicate this comment to two Brits who were teaching at the schools I went to, though I wasn't so lucky to be in their classes: Miss MacLaverty and Mr Collier. And of course I would have loved to have a teacher like Gideon. That doesn't mean that the non-native teachers didn't do a proper job when I started at the age of 11, but as soon as you're ready to read literature and non-fictional text and write essays, I'd prefer a teacher with a life time of growing up in the country where the language has its origin. Speaking a language and communicating in a foreign language are two different things.

[@LetThemTalkTV]

Interesting points. Thanks

[@mariakaser-aunkofer9136]

I totally agree, espacially your last words an thank you for your videos, I learn a lot! Language is dynamic and full of culture, history and life. Sometimes there is no right or wrong and it depends from which perspective we look at it. As you said these entiteld native speaker teachers spread a shady light on themselves. I teach German to my Chinese friends and every time I am intrigued how beautiful and meaningful languages can be. I am not good at grammar and I think I am not a good teacher for people who want's to go to an exam, despite I am a German native speaker. But I am good in bringing the language alive and my friends appreciate that. I think the definition of a good or bad teacher is difficult to make. It also depends on the student's goal. At the moment I prefer British English native speaker as teachers because I like the sound and pronunciation of different British accents. My current teacher is from Wales. It's so lovely to talk to him! So, I am not a native speaker and there are probably a lot of mistakes in my comment, but the heart is what matters, isn't it?

[@LetThemTalkTV]

very interesting comment. Thanks

[@javifontalva7752]

You know. the more I teach the more I realized that a teacher doesn't have to know every grammar rule and whatnot. It is more about understanding your student's needs and who they can strengthen their weak points, be that pronunciation or any grammar point. But most importantly you must be really patient.

[@LetThemTalkTV]

I agree with that

[@Salvador0991]

Usted vale oro.

[@quinquiry]

native speaker is needed for pronunciation skills, they are harder to master when you learn a language as an adult . Thanks Gideon for your insight and your interesting videos ! And , by the way what is the best accent ? English , Scottish, Australian, USA ? I would say Standard British English (recieved pronunciation) and standard north American English..which makes us able to be understood by the largest possible number of people all over the world .

[@AndreTadeudeCarvalho]

To give my two cents: I had great non-native English and other foreign languages in Brazil. They showed their competences by organizing their course (of course with the language school structure) to work in all areas of communication. These instructors used the activities to identify and correct the weak spots on the language, as well as teaching new topics.

[@joseantoniodavila2752]

This channel is above my level. My better teachers on English pronunciation are two Spanish friends who have quite good English but with a slight accent and a Canadian third who speaks Spanish like an Argentinian. They tell me in my own language how easy it is to understand how to move the mouth. A niece and a nephew of mine are perfect bilinguals and are the best to tell me about grammar, sayings, and the English way of thinking to make up the language. A "pure" native cannot do it better.

[@mr.salisbury2435]

I am a native British English speaker and I totally agree with this sentiment. Its strange to discrimnate against teachers etc who have had to learn a non native language, gain the teaching ability and then use it to teach others in a similar position.,When I was taught English at school there was basically no teaching of grammar as it was considered elitist. Then they put me and others in a French language class and we had to actually learn grammar principles and concepts whilst trying to master a foreign language. Long after that when I was working overseas a colleague (not an English native speaker) who was taking English classes asked me to help her with some homework. The multi choice question was along the lines of which of these phrases is correct. I knew intuitively which one was, but I could not explain to her why. I think basically its an easy way for lazy people to generate views without making any effort.

[@pipmitchell7059]

As an anglophone student of French back in the sixties, I had an experience very analogous to your experience in Madrid. One requirement of the programme was to spend our third year in France working as English assistant/e/s in French schools. My poor students probably didn’t learn much from me, but I learnt in one agonizing hour that being a native speaker of a language doesn’t qualify you to teach it.

[@alexteachesfrench]

As a non-native speaker of French who teaches the French language, this resonates with me!

[@ba8898]

I admit I was in two minds about this (the youtube "exposés"), but you've made some pretty compelling arguments and made me see the issue in a totally different way. I really respect you for making this video.

[@victorizquierdo7556]

You're great. As a teacher and as a human being. I have been in class with Irish, Southern British, Mancunian and several graduated Spanish teachers, and the main issue has been, I think, the time it has taken me to get used to the accent, or to pinpointing the particular obsession. The worst one I can remember was a biologist who came to Madrid because of his fiancé and needed money to live on. He didn't know nothing about grammar or syntax, nevertheless he taught us a lot about the passion for the birds, pub culture, the differences between accents and people from North to South. Every human is an ignorant in different fields, while master others. I pick the latters gracefully, and try to learn if I am interested on them. Saludos desde Madrid.

[@laura3619]

😊😊💕💕...Thanks so much.Agreed 100 %!!

[@amevoss]

Thank you. I had a similar idea. You are right.

[@MaskedBishop]

For the last 20% of perfection a native speaker is necessary imo, as they know the nuances of a language that only matter in everyday life, and ideally they also realize tiny flaws in one's pronunciation non-native speakers wouldn't. However, for the first few years of learning a language I'd always pick the teacher with experience who can make me memorize vocabularies and grammar rules more easily.

[@paullenton8351]

Hi!!! I have spent over 40 years teaching English to Spanish speakers in Argentina, and have met many non-natives who were excelent teachers. However, were I to decide which teacher to appoint to a student, I would go for a native teacher, only in the case of a conversation practice, or for an intermediate level student, as a way to increase the demand for listening comprehension. Other than that, non-natives are just as good as anyone else. Great job, thanks for bringing these topics up!!!

[@eyeofthasky]

i agree with you on many levels, but there is still one aspect: to truely understand a language as a learner, the culture of that language is essential too -- culture and language mutually influence their development, so for a foreign language that is really _foreign_ to a learner, just getting to know how to utter word correctly does not lead anywhere cuz nuanced and social norms cant be followed -- how even if they might not have learnt it. and yes even a non native can try to learn and teach all about that, but they can never have absorbed all that is to a culture and society if they were not submerged in it during the crucial years of their socialisation. for english is this mayhap less relevant than e.g. japanese, but it is still something to not forget