English speakers: How do you react to learners in real life

[nooj]

I noticed this when I meet Persian speakers who are over the moon that I can speak a little bit of Persian (I've left it for a couple of years, getting back into it) and want to help me with the language. I've never seen this reaction on the part of English speakers. Correct me if I'm mistaken, but we seem to take it as a given that people speak English and if they are learning, we don't go out of our way to help them.

Maybe it's extreme, but it's certainly a helpful attitude. It made me think of how I treat tourists and foreign students.

How do you react to English learners and what do you do to help them?

[Whodathunkitz]

I've only met a few English learners. I bought one of them an idiom book and they were really happy. This was when I lived near London and English hadn't been taught much in Warsaw Pact countries, English language exposure had been rare. So, a long time ago, very different from now.

In the UK, very many people are non natives but I wouldn't normally call them learners. They are learning, but generally improving through exposure.

Of the very many ESL (English as a second language) people I know I'm not aware of any of them studying English in England except for the required language certificate or 'Life in the UK test'.

Most have had university education outside the UK taught in English.

A few know I like languages, cultures and so ask me the odd question. But not that much. Mostly at work, as long as something is understood, there is no correction, at most restating what was said in a different way. Having so many English language dialects, there's always a wide variety even amongst Brits.

We don't on the whole correct anyone except our own kids.

[IronMike]

I always help English learners. I'm a nice person. I'm not a monster.

[peter]

I'm not sure this is the context you wanted but, working at a university, I'm immersed in English learners. I've adapted and learnt some things which I hope are helpful to them. Some have come about from my own experiences abroad or trying to learn a language. If I understand the conversion right, our IELTS requirement should put them around C1 level at least.

The first issue is making sure they understand me. So I always try to look at the student when I speak: if I read something off the computer screen I will turn to them first and then speak. Partly this means I can check their reaction, but also they can hear me clearly and watch my lips (which is something I often do when there's background noise). I try to be direct, avoid idioms, and articulate each word (when I was a student, my non-English friends would complain that I "eat my words"!). And of course I teach, so repeat, rephrase, repeat!

I spend a lot of time trying to help students with their writing: usually my message is to simplify. Simpler grammar. Simpler words. Shorter sentences. Just trying to get them to write clearly. My impression is they try hard to write "proper" English with long sentences, and logic suffers.

Sometimes their pronunciation comes under scrutiny. I have a student now who has an unusual way of naming single letters, which will be a barrier when he discusses his formulae...

It's a prejudice, but some things I find adorable and don't always have the heart to correct: Indian students with questions ... "I have some doubts".

Actually, much of this applies equally to English students, especially about writing. And even some colleagues ...

[Speakeasy]

One of the few pleasures of growing old is having the opportunity of recounting an inconsequential experience whilst the audience, invariably much younger, struggles at stifling their yawns while covering their mouths with their hand and, wishing to appear engaged in the monologue, searches the for the nearest exit. So then, while you may already searching for the exit, I thought that I might recount an anecdote of how I helped a language learner. Although this story is about helping a learner of French, it took place in English.

About five years ago, whilst rummaging around in the foreign language book section of a large Montréal retailer, a young Japanese woman who was attending McGill University on an exchange programme, approached me and asked (in English) for my assistance in selecting an introductory home-study French course known to contain a good deal of practice materials. She did not enjoy the French classes that was enrolled in and did not view the course manuals as being particularly helpful. I gave a quick look at the habitual offerings and informed her that she would not find such a course in that particular store. Her facial expression seemed to express both puzzlement and disappointment (okay, I freely admit that I am not up-to-date on Japanese body language). So, with a view to helping her, I invited her to join me in a visit to Montréal’s only bookstore devoted solely to the sale of language-learning materials, an offer which she accepted; with a view to reassuring her, I passed her my Driver’s Permit and advised her to turn on her cell-phone and to be prepared to hit the panic button for Emergency Services should she feel threatened.

Upon arrival at the bookstore, I presented her to the owner. She explained what she was looking for and I suggested to him that a combined package of Assimil French and FSI French (Barron’s Mastering French) would likely meet her needs. He agreed. I then took her on a tour of the store, explaining the types of materials that were available: home-study, or classroom oriented. She was most definitely not interested in purchasing additional course materials designed for classroom instruction.

With a view to explaining the Assimil method, I chose a copy of Assimil le Japonais, explained to her how the course was designed and noted that it was a succession of disjointed dialogues that, in the broad sense, mimic the way in which real-life conversations happen (each is unique and probably has no relationship to what you were just talking about) and that the strength of the method relied on the assimilation of the “sheer mass” of the dialogues. I suggested that she flip through the pages of the copy of Assimil le Japonais that I had selected for her so as to get a notion of what I was talking about, which she did, and she seemed to be quite impressed by the Assimil approach.

I then picked out a copy of Barron’s Mastering French and explained to her, as best I could, the concept of sentence pattern drills. In doing so, I asked her what sport she played regularly (Volleyball) and I mimicked some of the Volleyball drills that I learned in my youth, all the while explaining that, while the drills were not a Volleyball Match in themselves, the breaking-down of and the repetition of the basic movements and the combination of these movements into numerous patterns definitely helped players prepare themselves for a match against an opposing team. She recognized that the audio-lingual method for language-learning was analogous to Volleyball practice and asked which of the two courses, Assimil or Barron’s, she should purchase.

I told her that I enjoyed a privileged relationship with the owner (although this was a lie, I should have enjoyed such a relationship, as I believe that I was personally responsible for the current good health of his privately-managed retirement fund) and I said that I would take care of it. I purchased both courses and offered them to her as a welcoming gift to a young stranger to my country from an older man who had had the pleasure of being well-received by others in his youth. Of course, she demurred, but I insisted. Relying on her sense of propriety, I explained that if I were to return them to the shop owner, he would be offended and I would lose face. The girl’s eyes widened like two pie-plates! She accepted, of course (how could she do otherwise?).

Before taking her back McGill University, I asked the store owner if we could use his computer for a second and he kindly accepted. I gave her the coordinates of the FSI-Languages-Courses website, helped her locate the FSI Basic French course and explained its relationship to the Barron’s Mastering French course.

At the university entrance, I wished her good luck with her studies and reminded her to work hard, to which she nodded her head emphatically and said: yes, yes! I then said that I, too, had worked hard all my life but that I regretted not having taken the time to play. She looked momentarily puzzled and then smiled. Although I never saw her again, I am pleased to have been of some small assistance to a stranger, someone who was struggling with the local language. And, yes, I did recover my Driver's Permit.

Time for my nap!

EDITED: Typos, of course!

[Atinkoriko]

Essentially I do what Speakeasy does, with the small difference being that I’m young and boring other young people around me with language talk. With regards to ESL students here in the UK, I am generally patient and as helpful as I can (all the while kicking myself for not being able to speak their language in order to be of greater assistance).

[nooj]

80% of the reason I am here on this forum is to listen to stories, so I LOVE IT. Can't bore me!

[aokoye]

Define "go out of your way to help them." If someone asks me for help and I have time I'll help them (assuming I actually like the person). If someone wants a speaking partner and I have the time I'll do so, again assuming I want to spend time with them. I'm not, however, going to assume that an L2 speaker wants my help because that is pretty patronising and I know that not all L2 speakers actually want or need my help.

If I see someone on the street or on campus who looks confused, then I'll likely ask if they need help if I have the time, but that's not an issue of language.
For reference, I am in close contact with at least multiple L2 English speakers a day, four days a week in my classes/rehearsals.

[garyb]

There are English learners and English learners... I know lots of non-native speakers but the vast majority only learn it out of necessity and want to know the minimum to get by in their work or studies and personal life. Usually they get to a point of speaking quite fluently but quite incorrectly and with a strong accent, and after that aren't interested in further improvement because that level is quite sufficient for their needs. Sometimes I feel like correcting them or offering help, especially if their native language is one that I'm studying, but I agree with aokoye that assuming somebody wants help is not right. We just have to recognise that those of us who're passionate about languages are a minority and for most they're simply a necessity and once they reach a level where they can get by they'd rather put their energy into other things.

When I do meet one of the rare ones who has a genuine interest and enthusiasm for the language, I think that's great! I'd never find it weird or tell them that they're wasting their time or refuse to speak English with them, even if that's how many native speakers of the languages I study react to me. I guess like IronMike I'm a nice person, it's one of my faults.

[reineke]

One possible reaction:

How to stop people talking to you in English

http://www.iwillteachyoualanguage.com/s ... g-english/