Teaching English in Spain
Sep 17th 2012 | 11:51 pm
#46
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 12,053
From: In the middle of 10million Olive Trees
Re: Teaching English in Spain
Sep 22nd 2012 | 8:38 pm
#47
Forum Regular
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 121
From: Valencia
Re: Teaching English in Spain
I don't have a teaching degree or any other "Teaching English Second language" training and I got a job at an English Academy teaching no problem. I have a diploma in business admin. the fact that you are a native speaker is a big advantage or anyone who just studied english
Sep 23rd 2012 | 7:49 am
#48
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Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 469
From: A Magical City
Re: Teaching English in Spain
I don't have a teaching degree or any other "Teaching English Second language" training and I got a job at an English Academy teaching no problem. I have a diploma in business admin. the fact that you are a native speaker is a big advantage or anyone who just studied english
Your post was only just about understandable to me.
Sep 23rd 2012 | 11:01 am
#49
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 1,646
From: Near Alora....but not too near. :)
I do hope punctuation doesn't form part of this teacher's curriculum, or the students will learn very bad habits!
Sep 23rd 2012 | 8:06 pm
#51
Moderator
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 15,149
From: Costa Valencia
Re: Teaching English in Spain
It is surprising the differences in standards required in the various places. My friend is completing a course for child education for tiny tots and her last English teacher went spare at her when she used a sentence that was Americanised. Yet all she will need is to teach them colours, numbers etc just the very, very basic language of that age.
On the other hand there seems to be a case of taking unqualified staff to teach older children.
Rosemary
On the other hand there seems to be a case of taking unqualified staff to teach older children.
Rosemary
Sep 23rd 2012 | 8:33 pm
#52
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 12,053
From: In the middle of 10million Olive Trees
Re: Teaching English in Spain
Or are we all going to go round making shitty comments about people's spelling and/or use of grammar ??
Perhaps we will be able to tell the local accent from the way they post and take the micky out of that as well
Sep 23rd 2012 | 10:42 pm
#53
Forum Regular
Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 101
Re: Teaching English in Spain
I thought there was a relaxation for informal forums like BE, as with SMS texting
Or are we all going to go round making shitty comments about people's spelling and/or use of grammar ??
Perhaps we will be able to tell the local accent from the way they post and take the micky out of that as well
Or are we all going to go round making shitty comments about people's spelling and/or use of grammar ??
Perhaps we will be able to tell the local accent from the way they post and take the micky out of that as well
Sep 23rd 2012 | 11:03 pm
#54
Concierge
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 29,822
From: ex ex-pat, in Taunton
Re: Teaching English in Spain
probably the same for those over 45 as well.
it used to be drummed into us at school, it became a matter of personal pride to be able to spell, to write cogently and speak "proper", albeit in some instances with regional accents. no computers, no spellcheck, no calculators, no spreadsheets, except for the one we are all born with.
but we have let our kids and kids kids down in allowing the fluffy bunnies to take over the asylum. They have imposed relaxations we would never even think of, in grammar, writing and plain speaking. They have allowed the kids levels of freedom that lead to many becoming a failure but without the wherewithal in education to dig themselves out of it.
those who have taken exams (not all actually take exams) are given an easy time because those marking are instructed not to take account of poor spelling, grammar etc, even in English.
I will not apologise to those who are, were, or profess to be teachers.
This is how I have seen the massive drop in standards of language, diction (good diction is a clue to the mystery of spelling) and general behavious. This is as a work colleague, manager and owner of my own business.
..
it used to be drummed into us at school, it became a matter of personal pride to be able to spell, to write cogently and speak "proper", albeit in some instances with regional accents. no computers, no spellcheck, no calculators, no spreadsheets, except for the one we are all born with.
but we have let our kids and kids kids down in allowing the fluffy bunnies to take over the asylum. They have imposed relaxations we would never even think of, in grammar, writing and plain speaking. They have allowed the kids levels of freedom that lead to many becoming a failure but without the wherewithal in education to dig themselves out of it.
those who have taken exams (not all actually take exams) are given an easy time because those marking are instructed not to take account of poor spelling, grammar etc, even in English.
I will not apologise to those who are, were, or profess to be teachers.
This is how I have seen the massive drop in standards of language, diction (good diction is a clue to the mystery of spelling) and general behavious. This is as a work colleague, manager and owner of my own business.
..
Sep 23rd 2012 | 11:20 pm
#55
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 12,053
From: In the middle of 10million Olive Trees
Re: Teaching English in Spain
When I was being taught at a grammar school in the late 50's early 60's then English Grammar was a specific part of your curriculum, and the O Levels we took had English divided into two separate exams, Language and Literature, so knowing grammar was essential, and we even did Latin and French, so we had to know more than just the basics, which is why, I suspect, that many of the older members on BE can get a bit pedantic about such things. We were also taught spelling, and in Primary school had a spelling test EVERY morning, usually 20 words.
spelling was easy, Literature was also easy, Grammar got harder and I started to lose the plot a little on that.
the hardest thing about crossing from English to Spanish - and vice versa - is that the sentence structures can be different. Because we are gnarled old Englishmen (and women) soaked in The Language we find it harder to re-structure our sentences, usually giving the English structure not the Spanish.
A dead giveaway that you are a guiri.
Sep 23rd 2012 | 11:34 pm
#56
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 5,426
From: Velez-Malaga
Re: Teaching English in Spain
When I was being taught at a grammar school in the late 50's early 60's then English Grammar was a specific part of your curriculum, and the O Levels we took had English divided into two separate exams, Language and Literature, so knowing grammar was essential, and we even did Latin and French, so we had to know more than just the basics, which is why, I suspect, that many of the older members on BE can get a bit pedantic about such things. We were also taught spelling, and in Primary school had a spelling test EVERY morning, usually 20 words.
We certainly did still have spelling tests in primary school, though.I just feel that if someone is trying to make a point that it is perfectly reasonable for an unqualified teacher to be employed to teach English to students, then if the content of their post(s) demonstrates that their command of the language, it's grammar and punctuation is not good, it is equally reasonable to comment on that. That is my view, and I shan't be bullied into keeping quiet about it by anyone, however argumentative they may be.
Sep 24th 2012 | 12:10 am
#57
Moderator
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 15,149
From: Costa Valencia
Re: Teaching English in Spain
I was educated at a grammar school in the '70s so I don't even have the excuse of old age for being pedantic - or having standards, as I like to call it! We certainly did still have spelling tests in primary school, though.
I just feel that if someone is trying to make a point that it is perfectly reasonable for an unqualified teacher to be employed to teach English to students, then if the content of their post(s) demonstrates that their command of the language, it's grammar and punctuation is not good, it is equally reasonable to comment on that. That is my view, and I shan't be bullied into keeping quiet about it by anyone, however argumentative they may be.
We certainly did still have spelling tests in primary school, though.I just feel that if someone is trying to make a point that it is perfectly reasonable for an unqualified teacher to be employed to teach English to students, then if the content of their post(s) demonstrates that their command of the language, it's grammar and punctuation is not good, it is equally reasonable to comment on that. That is my view, and I shan't be bullied into keeping quiet about it by anyone, however argumentative they may be.
Rosemary
Sep 24th 2012 | 3:13 am
#58
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 12,053
From: In the middle of 10million Olive Trees
Re: Teaching English in Spain
I was educated at a grammar school in the '70s so I don't even have the excuse of old age for being pedantic - or having standards, as I like to call it! We certainly did still have spelling tests in primary school, though.
I just feel that if someone is trying to make a point that it is perfectly reasonable for an unqualified teacher to be employed to teach English to students, then if the content of their post(s) demonstrates that their command of the language, it's grammar and punctuation is not good, it is equally reasonable to comment on that. That is my view, and I shan't be bullied into keeping quiet about it by anyone, however argumentative they may be.
We certainly did still have spelling tests in primary school, though.I just feel that if someone is trying to make a point that it is perfectly reasonable for an unqualified teacher to be employed to teach English to students, then if the content of their post(s) demonstrates that their command of the language, it's grammar and punctuation is not good, it is equally reasonable to comment on that. That is my view, and I shan't be bullied into keeping quiet about it by anyone, however argumentative they may be.
the other part to the problem is that teachers are employed for life and cannot be made redundant if what I have heard is correct.
So employing casual foreigners is a money saving exercise.
The pupils should be taught to the letter of the syllabus, not scraped over for quickness or out of ignorance. Like so many of the British Education Initiatives - it will come back to bite you on the bum in years to come.
Last edited by Domino; Sep 24th 2012 at 3:16 am.
Sep 24th 2012 | 3:17 am
#60
Concierge
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 29,822
From: ex ex-pat, in Taunton
Re: Teaching English in Spain
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/News_Chronicle
