 |
| Photo by rawpixel.com from Pexels |
This
is one of the most beloved myths for language learners: I just need to have
regular contact with a native speaker, and then I will become perfect,
automatically.
There
is, of course, nothing wrong with interacting with native speakers. Although,
if you are learning English for professional reasons, the vast majority of
worldwide interactions in English are not with native speakers, but with
non-native speakers. This is a phenomenon the language teaching industry still
needs to become fully aware of. If you are playing to do business with Central
Asian countries in English you better train for their way of pronouncing, using
and understanding English, than to be highly colloquial for certain regions of
Great Britain.
Of
course, the more opportunity to train with competent speakers the better. The
problem with many students that hold the native-speaker fallacy is that
·
They believe that success ensues
automatically and almost effortlessly, just by being “exposed” to native speakers
·
They reduce their efforts in all other
possible areas of language training.
Most
human beings long for shortcuts. It is a sign of intelligence to look for ways
to reduce our efforts while maintaining or even increasing results. I am no
proponent of a “work hard” study ethic in foreign languages, but of a “study
smart” one. The “exposure theory” of language acquisition can be contradicted quite
easily by looking around your home town or country. What percentage of native
speakers there you would find linguistically competent enough to be employed as
anchors or moderators on national radio or TV, journalists for major newspapers
or magazines, high-level negotiators in business or international relations,
copywriters or public speakers in general?
My
conservative guess is that much less than 50%?
What
percentage have a firm grasp on grammar and spelling? Again, my guess is that
you will answer much less than 50%.
Now,
why are the numbers not higher, if the exposure theory would hold true?! All of
them have been exposed to their native language from early childhood on: in the
family, education system or via national TV.
Then
why should the theory work for non-native speakers who are in a much more
disadvantageous position, since native speakers have been exposed to the
respective language in their formative years, where their brains are expected
(!) to be more malleable than later on?!
Adherents
to the exposure theory, when meeting native speakers, often do not use the
situation to its full potential. Instead of treating it like a high-level
lesson and taking notes, analyzing their partner’s and their own speech, asking
targeted questions, they let themselves be “showered” upon by the native
speaker. What do I mean by that?
Especially
if the native speaker is of the opposite sex, the goal of getting linguistic
value out of the situation is soon forgotten, and it becomes a semi-flirt. We
stand there, mesmerized by that glorious native speaker, smile and smile.
Naturally, reinforced by our smiling, he or she is encouraged to speak longer
and longer. In the end, many such interactions turn out little more than a live
stream on Facebook or Youtube, with the non-native speaker occasionally
throwing in some questions or one-word-sentences like “Nice”, “Great” or “Yes!”.
Apart
from, by accident, meeting native speakers that do not speak the desired
standard variety of the language you intend to learn, or picking up informal or
even vulgar speech, without noticing and storing it as such!, some native
speakers may give you very bad advice.
The
typical anti-coaching I witness falls into the “is not important” category.
Non-native speaker A asks native speaker B something related to grammar. Either
B does not know the answer (which due to the public school system and the
decline of literacy is highly probable) or does know it. In both cases, B may
say something like this: “This does not really matter. We …s (fill in the
nationality) really don’t pay attention to grammar.”
Most
often, this “advice” is given by young native-speakers that are at the very
beginning of their professional careers.
I have seldom met native speakers above 50 that have made a considerable
career for themselves give that advice. On the contrary, most will tell you
that at a certain level, there is a “glass ceiling” for those individuals that
are not ripe for prime time language-wise. While there are certainly known
exceptions to that, most companies will insist to have CEO representing them to
have a “respectable”, impeccable speech, too.
Since
most you language learners are young or youngish, and will have more contact
with younger counterparts, and you will be more likely to be exposed to this
anti-grammar attitude. And, psychologically, we tend to believe more what
attractive individuals say than non-attractive ones. Consequently, if we need
to choose whether to believe that grumpy 60-year old grandpa or that highly
attractive international volunteer we know, it is predictable whose advice we
will follow.
And, even if people say something does not matter, it may still
matter to them. Or they already have the necessary level to function well in
most situations, whereas the non-native speaker does not.
Use encounters with native speakers as learning
and training opportunities. However, the decisive factor for success will be
your personal training routines at home. This is the explanation why you have
answered above below 50%: because most native speakers do not systematically
work on their own language.
If you like
the attitude of these articles, please check out my online courses : at the
moment, German for Russian- and Romanian-speakers, as well as on goal-setting.
If you are
interested in improving your English in the area of business presentations, I
know of no better address than Tom Antion. Please check him out following this link.
Stay tuned!
Gerhard
About the GO Method
The GO Method applies research in
psychology as well as principles of quality management to the language teaching
process. It conforms to key elements of the ISO 9001 standard, while being more
specific on teaching-related issues. Customers get access to easily adaptable
document templates.
Check us out at The GO Method.
About me
Psychologist and polyglot from Hamburg
/Germany (*1979). Married with children. MA in psychology from the University
of Hamburg. More than 15 years of experience as a university lecturer in
psychology as well as a consultant for UNICEF, Terre des Hommes, IOM, the EU
and private companies. Coordinator of the GO Method network, with
representatives in more than 90 countries worldwide.
No comments:
Post a Comment