English teacher with poor pronunciation sparks online storm

[fredwiggy]

Just now, Bob A Kneale said:

"All English speaking "accents" are good, and a Thai can learn from all of them..."

Have you ever heard a proper Liverpudlian, Mancunian or Yorkshire accent, a real N.E. (Geordie) accent, a strong London accent?  I doubt it because if you had you wouldn't say that!

 

"...but to learn the correct pronunciation, they have to use American native speakers".

What?  Since when?   Why do they have to use American native [sic] speakers?  Some Americans have the worst possible "English" accents for teaching the English language! 

What's an American native speaker, by the way?   Maybe you mean native American speaker?!

Yes, to learn correct English pronunciation, it's best to learn from a native American "teacher", not just any American, but one that teaches correct pronunciation. but you can learn to speak English from anyone who speaks it. Easy enough for you now?

[n00dle]

18 minutes ago, fredwiggy said:

I didn't mean that my accent (yes,I do have an American one) was correct, but that my English pronunciation is correct, and that is why I'm wanted at this school. The others there have strong accents and it confuses the students .They ask me which is the correct pronunciation of words because I sound different than the others. I tell them I speak native English and the school owner agrees.

Do you not understand that a "naitive" speaker is simply someone who speaks a language as their primary language and has done so since birth or through earliest childhood?

 

 There is no such thing as a native english accent, it is merely suggestive of fluency.

 

 

[rebo]

2 hours ago, IvorBiggun2 said:

Was she auditioned before being put on the TV?

Auditioned?
In the Thai educational system?
Get real, Ivor ...!

Edited May 19, 2020 by rebo

[Relocated]

All of you are wrong for every aspects. 

 

First of all the English is mandatory as a second language starting at certain age, and it is impossible to have native English speaking teachers at every school. Some one has to teach English for class at all schools country-wide and the only way is having local teachers whose major is English as specialty in education. 

 

And to communicate efficiently with anyone whose native language is not English, someone who speaks local language will have advantage to teach any subjects including English. 

 

The language is acquires as soon as we are born, and it is not learned through class. Native language is learned by facial expression, posture, motion, sounds, etc. by mother and families surrounding babies. Once any human being is isolated after birth and pass a certain age, it is impossible to learn any language because the brain function loses the ability to acquire the language. The native tongue is not learned by studying the grammar. 

 

But the second language is completely different from learning the native language. 

It is similar to metaphysical process of thinking. We learn the second language by logical process of brain. So one must learn the alphabet first and then the grammar. The speech is the last. It is completely opposite to learning native language. 

So the not-so-perfect accent teacher is not a significant problem. 

 

And the action and movement of our mussel of our body is formed immediately after birth which will determine certain way of making our sound as involuntary brain function. So the accent or making a certain sound by different ethnic people are unique and it will stay in certain way for life time. There is no way you can acquire the perfect accent in second language even your spouse is a native speaker of your second language and have lived together for 99 years. 

 

Last, different ethnic people has different physical structure which results in distinct characteristics by ethnicities. You can tell whether someone is African or not no matter what language they speak by the distinct way making sound. Even an Asian who is born and raised America and speak only English, anyone can tell he or she is an Asian by sound. The lung capacity is different and the resonance of the nasal sound of Asian body is not same as Caucasian or African. 

 

So the perfection of speech by the second language teachers shouldn't be a priority for qualification. 

English is my second language and I still get laugh by others for my wrong grammar and funny accent.

But I manage to live without that much difficulty and don't even try to imitate perfect English. 

As long as I am able to communicate, that is all matter I am concerned about. Not so perfect, so what.     

 

 

[Bob A Kneale]

45 minutes ago, fredwiggy said:

No ignorance at all. I stated Americans do have accents, as I do,but I speak perfect English and that's why I was asked to teach. I never said my English was better than anyone's , just that it's correct English. Ethnocentricity means my culture is better than another's. I never said that either. Do not correct one's grammar or paragraphing if you don't understand this isn't an English lesson. You separating three sentences shows incorrect grammar. My typing in one somewhat long paragraph doesn't.

"You separating three sentences shows incorrect grammar. My typing in one somewhat long paragraph doesn't".

Your dreadful grammar errors do, though, fredwiggy!

Edited May 19, 2020 by Bob A Kneale

[Justgrazing]

1 hour ago, colinneil said:

Johhny went to the shop for a dozen of eggs, that was  on 1 of the papers.

Hahahaha .. I'd have marked it down for not saying Johnny Ferrang .. 

 

[fredwiggy]

Just now, n00dle said:

Do you not understand that a "naitive" speaker is simply someone who speaks a language as their primary language and has done so since birth or through earliest childhood?

 

 There is no such thing as a native english accent, it is merely suggestive of fluency.

 

 

Yes, I do understand that I am a native English speaker, which is why I'm at the school.

[baansgr]

Need some runch, I'm hungry

[Bob A Kneale]

17 minutes ago, Traubert said:

After spending six weeks going round my 12 year olds class UN=teaching the kids the terrible 'Sup'

Could you re-post that in English?

[Justgrazing]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

The debut of online learning yesterday (May 18) revealed a number of problems, including an English teacher who delivered incorrect pronunciation during a Pathom 6 class via Distance Learning TV (DLTV).

Poor woman plobably just needs electrocution lessons .. 

[fredwiggy]

Just now, Bob A Kneale said:

"You separating three sentences shows incorrect grammar. My typing in one somewhat long paragraph doesn't".

Your dreadful grammar errors do, though!

Why are you trying to point out dreadful grammar errors when there aren't any? This post was about a teacher teaching English when she isn't qualified. I teach English, and the owner has told everyone that he's happy to have someone who uses correct pronunciation,  spells correctly and teaches correct grammar.

[Bob A Kneale]

14 minutes ago, fredwiggy said:

Yes, to learn correct English pronunciation, it's best to learn from a native American "teacher", not just any American, but one that teaches correct pronunciation. but you can learn to speak English from anyone who speaks it. Easy enough for you now?

Why do you claim that it is "best to learn from an American"? 

 

Yes, thanks, English is easy enough for me.

[EricTh]

12 minutes ago, Retarded said:

 

As long as I am able to communicate, that is all matter I am concerned about. Not so perfect, so what.     

 

 

Your written English is much better than some natives. Yes, the most important thing is to be able to communicate and not have perfect American or British accent.

 

As I have said many times, Thai language is very different from European languages so to require most of them to speak perfect English is near impossible ( a few talented ones might).

 

I have seen a few native English teachers teaching English to Thai students and yet, the students still can't pronounce well.

 

If Thai teachers can speak English as well as this Thai guy below, it's good enough. He went to America for his university education and he still can't pronounce English properly. 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited May 19, 2020 by EricTh

[Pravda]

Surprised no one posted this classic ????

 

 

[teatime101]

1 hour ago, fredwiggy said:

All English speaking "accents" are good, and a Thai can learn from all of them, but to learn the correct pronunciation, they have to use American native speakers.

Oh, this gave me a good laugh.

[DavisH]

2 hours ago, johng said:

 

Wartch the one where she has to pronounce quay ????

[fredwiggy]

Just now, Bob A Kneale said:

Why do you claim that it is "best to learn from an American"? 

 

Yes, thanks, English is easy enough for me.

Because American teachers teach correct pronunciation of the English language. If English isn't your native language, you will have an accent which can detract from the right pronunciation, just as others have stated here.

[bluesofa]

8 minutes ago, Justgrazing said:

Poor woman plobably just needs electrocution lessons .. 

Yeah, but it's not her volt she she's not up to speed on current teaching methods.

[Bob A Kneale]

7 minutes ago, fredwiggy said:

Because American teachers teach correct pronunciation of the English language. If English isn't your native language, you will have an accent which can detract from the right pronunciation, just as others have stated here.

So you're trying to claim that Americans teach better English than the English can?  Why?  What's so great about Americans' English language skills?  Do you really think that Americans are the only native-English speakers on the planet?

Edited May 19, 2020 by Bob A Kneale

[zyphodb]

1 hour ago, n00dle said:

Why would you think american native speakers dont have an accent? That is just ridiculous.

 

They all clearly do have an american accent, likely affected by region.

 

Accents can be more neutral or more pronounced, but every english teacher regardless has an accent by definition.

Maybe not if they have a home counties/oxford English "accent" surely that is, by definition an English accent...

[IvorBiggun2]

3 hours ago, EricTh said:

Do you have the video? We would like to judge ourselves.

What's the point, you'll come to the same conclusion. This isn't fake news to belittle Thais.

[Kwasaki]

3 hours ago, EricTh said:

I've known many foreigners who still can't speak perfect Thai after many years of studying Thai.

Does that surprise you I can't sing either.

[fredwiggy]

Just now, Bob A Kneale said:

So you're trying to claim that Americans teach better English than the English can?  Why?  What's so great about Americans' English language skills?  Do you really think that Americans are the only native-English speakers on the planet?

No And like I said before, anyone can teach English if they speak the language. You can be born anywhere and learn English as your first language. I'm speaking of correct pronunciation of the language. Being a native English speaker doesn't mean you speak proper English.  To learn "correct" pronunciation, it's best to learn from a person that is fluent in English. Having a regional accent can detract from  learning the correct pronunciation.

[IvorBiggun2]

2 minutes ago, fredwiggy said:

anyone can teach English if they speak the language.

I'd say they'd have to be qualified to teach. This woman couldn't have possibly been qualified.

[Misterwhisper]

My former maid once asked me to bring back some "Fai Lai" from the next shopping trip.

 

Scratching my head, I had absolutely no clue what she meant. What was "Fai Lai"?

 

I tried the Thai-language approach, assuming that "Fai" could possibly mean "fire" and "Lai" might mean "dripping" (as in "dripping water"). But "dripping fire" didn't make any sense.

 

After a few more futile attempts at interpreting that mysterious term, I requested her to show me the empty package of "Fai Lai" that she had just put in the garbage bin.

 

She stirred around in the bin a bit, finally pulling out an empty bag of "Fineline", a brand of fabric softener!

 

 

[bluesofa]

3 minutes ago, zyphodb said:

Maybe not if they have a home counties/oxford English "accent" surely that is, by definition an English accent...

Ah, you mean barth, not bath, parth not path.

Like you say, it depends on if you're from the home counties or not: Long 'a' or short 'a'.

 

Years ago there was a phrase 'pathmaster transplant' (it was referring to a software program which needed upgrading).

I remember someone from the home counties saying 'parthmarster trarnsplarnt'.

 

[bluesofa]

7 minutes ago, Kwasaki said:

Does that surprise you I can't sing either.

My ability to sing is directly proportional to the amount of alcohol consumed.

 

[Yinn]

3 hours ago, Eindhoven said:

 

But they aren't teaching others Thai language.

Maybe the she have UK teacher teach her English.

 

Nobody can understand them.

 

 

[Yinn]

2 hours ago, Bkk Brian said:

 Americans don't have an accent?? Totally speechless at the ignorance on this statement

American easy to understand.

UK and Aussie mumble.

 

Everyone can understand US English.

 

 

 

[Justgrazing]

34 minutes ago, bluesofa said:

Yeah, but it's not her volt she she's not up to speed on current teaching methods.

Damned auto correct put electrocution instead of elocution and I've only just noticed ..