Whether it’s French, Spanish or Chinese, learning from the best is important when it comes to languages. Native speakers make excellent teachers for a number of reasons. Most of our host teachers and families speak the language they teach homestay guests as a first language. Read on to discover more about why learning from a native speaker is always better.
Use your new language authentically
There’s something different about learning from a native speaker and learning from an individual who has been taught the language by another teacher. A research article entitled ‘Native and Non-Native English Language Teachers: Student Perceptions in Vietnam and Japan’ found that while native English speaking teachers (NESTs) excelled in teaching pronunciation and correct language use, most could not explain grammar.
Practicing with a native speaker exposes you to idioms, dialects and slang. Although grammar remains a sore point for many NESTs, knowledge of idioms, dialects and slang is more advantageous when conversing in your new language with other native speakers. The confidence gained from learning from a native speaker who has “been there and done that” also gives those learning more motivation to put their new language skills to the test outside of the learning environment of a homestay or the confines of the classroom.
Understand culture and language
Language is a verbal expression of culture. Getting to know the two is the key to achieving both accuracy and fluency when learning a new language. As well as a language being a vital part of a culture, it’s also the key to delving deeper into the values and customs that shape the country and its people. Language Magazine explored the relationship between culture and language in more detail:
“According to the linguistic relativity principle, the way in which we think about the world is directly influenced by the language we use to talk about it. “The real world is, to a large extent, unconsciously built up on the language habits of the group. No two languages are ever so similar that they represent the same social reality. The worlds in which different societies live are distinct, not merely the same with a different label attached” (Edward Sapir, 1929). Therefore, to speak is to assume a culture, and to know a culture is like knowing a language. Language and culture are homologous mental realities. Cultural products are representations and interpretations of the world that must be communicated in order to be lived.”
Language immersion with the help of a native speaking teacher or host family makes the learning of a new language and a new culture simpler, more successful and a lot more enjoyable.
Are you a native speaker looking to share your skills and culture with a keen learner? Join the Lingoo network today to connect with passionate language learners around the world. Don’t forget to read our top tips for attracting more homestay guests before setting up your profile with us.
