For Students, who meet polyglot teachers
Would you distrust a teacher's proficiency on knowing that he/she speaks 3 or more additional languages in addition to English? Thinking that they may be not focused on English whole-heartedly.
5 answers from our tutors
Best answer
I answer this from a perspective of a person who speaks three languages and a fourth one relatively well. I feel like polyglots have a rather distinctive advantage. They already know what it is like to learn a new language and they know that the process is more like a marathon than a sprint. I speak this also through the experience of one that is currently learning computer programming. The grammar and syntax of a language like Python is quite different from the syntax of Java, even when writing a simple program that outputs "Hello World." The polyglot teachers will have distinctive advantages in helping students learn languages because they have been there before from the student's perspective. Many of the things I teach in my classes are methods which I have applied to the other languages which I am learning, with great success.
- Robert PickacardRobert Pickacard Certified English Teacher / Professional Magician
I’m very sorry but I am a polyglot but my native tongue is RP English which of course is the language I teach and not French or German even though I am reasonably proficient in those languages. Also, learning another language gives you a better understanding of your own language especially when it comes to grammar and idioms.
Other languages are only really that relevant if it is the students native language. It can either be a help or a hindrance.
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- LouiseDFun and patient guide for your journey to fluency!
I wouldn't distrust the teacher if English is his or her native language. No amount of language learning can mess up your language of origin; I find that observing the differences between English and my other languages only enhances and deepens my understanding of and appreciation for English.
Yes, totally. As a person who speaks two languages and has tried to learn others, I know it's impossible to focus on more than one language in order to be proficient at it. I mean, I guess it all depends on the level you are trying to achieve. But in general, I believe if a person speaks too many languages, it will be particularly hard for them to be proficient in one of them.
