You DON'T want to be like a native speaker
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- čas přidán 10. 06. 2024
- Almost everyone learning English has one goal: to be like a native speaker, but in this video I want to explain why you don’t want to be like a native speaker.
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canguroenglish.com/academy
00:00 What is a Native Speaker?
02:08 The Native Speaker & Identity
04:49 Reality of Modern English
05:50 English belongs to everyone
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canguroenglish.com/academy
Только что я прослушал на чистом английском философию любого языка и его предназначение. Спасибо за увлекательные ролики с особо-спокойной манерой подачи.
Впервые с общением на иностранном языке столкнулся в школьные годы, когда катался на лыжах. Все эти сложноподчинённые обороты и 20+ времён ни разу не понадобились - общались на Simple English.
I don't understand why this guy is concentrated on the English language only. What about a person who wants to learn Japanese like a native speaker of Japan? Are UK and US so special? So biased.
@@user-ky5dy5hl4d Firstly, because English is the lingua franca and number one among non-native speakers. The number of people communicating in English outcomes the population of natives. And secondly, he is a teacher of English. Why should he speak about Japanese or Chemistry or anything else he is not an expert? ))
@@A-V898 You are absolutely correct.
I have a Ukrainian mother and her teenage son staying with us (in the UK). I remember when she first arrived, she was excited to improve her English so that she would 'sound English'. I told her she will never sound British, although her son might. She was upset with me, but I tried to explain that as an adult she might not be able to replicate all the British sounds - and in any case are we talking SSE like I speak - or West Country, or Brummie, or Welsh, or Scottish (etc). There is no 'one' English / British dialect or sound. What is more important is the ability to communicate, and to be understood. And in any case, an accent is charming to our ears. What's wrong with the following sentences: 'We was there the other day.' 'She done that well good'. 'I could of been an astronaut'. Someone born in the East side of London / Essex / Kent would see no problem with any of those sentences. We Brits don't always speak 'proper' English. Be proud of who you are, and your ability to converse in English. If anyone in an English-speaking country criticises your English, just remember you're able to speak at least two languages. How many languages do THEY speak? ;-)
She was very lucky to meet such a supportive person! "What is more important is the ability to communicate, and to be understood." 💪♥️
Exactly!
I agree, the most important thing is being able to comunicate no matter if you are fluent or not.
Exactly!
I’ve never claimed to speak perfect English, but those sentences made me cringe 😂
''Good English users are not born, they are made''
What an incredible sentence!
Thanks a lot CHRISTIAN
Totally agree. But, couldn't it be applied to other languages as well? "Good language users are not born, they are made" 😊
@@LauLau-ws6uk of course, yes
Thanks for the recall
Thank both of two for the recall
merry Christmas.
Love it!! I got to say that to the next person I think is good at their language, "You were not born, you were made!" xD
I don’t want to hide my origins, I just want to be understood. Thank you for these words!
Exactly!
I have been learning other languages as well (French, Dutch). When I was a beginner, I noticed that people do not understand me, because of the (wrong) way I pronounce words, so I have always striven to pronounce like a native, i.e. correctly, so I can be understood. There is nothing wrong with speaking like a native speaker, not to hide my identity (I am a black African!) but to improve the effectiveness of my communication, to facilitate bringing my ideas across to the audience (I am a teacher) rather than to distract them with the difficult task of continuously trying to fathom what I mean!
i saw you 0:53
When I was being trained as a teacher of Japanese, a senior lecturer of applied linguistics in an Australian university told us "Be a communication teacher, not a language teacher." He always emphasised that it is neither right nor realistic to try to become like "a native speaker".
Good teacher!
"English chooses communication over correctness"...I love this
As a non-native English teacher, I once again thank you for your words. Thank you for everything you do for us non-native teachers as well as for the whole community of students who deal with misconceptions and end up feeling ashamed.
I am a foreign English teacher and I have to give you my compliments. Honestly, it was the best video I've ever seen. Your worlds are wise and thoughtful. When I was younger and I moved abroad, I felt everything you said. I was frustrated, I felt that I was a dump student, embarrassed until I found out that there was nothing wrong with me. I realized that making mistakes is part of our lives. I am 40 years old now, and I am still studying English and helping people not to learn English but to enjoy the process of learning. Learning a second language is not just about speaking but also to understand other cultures. And the funny thing is when I go to London the native speakers always say I speak well, my brother in law call me the Brazilian cockney. Although in Brazil I have difficulty to get a job in some schools because of my accent. I had 2 experience that I wasn't hired because they said they were looking for teachers that speaks american English. Which is sad. Because students should learn a global English and understand all kind of accent.
Thanks so much for sharing your story!
With your classes, I am learning not only about English but also about Public Speaking
I am a native English speaker, and I find your videos so inspiring and meaningful. I feel as though you are talking to me about Spanish and German, the two languages I've been learning. At least, I hope to apply what you are saying to my learning. Thank you so much for doing what you do!
I am a native Spanish speaker and I'm just curious, does that feel of shame also happens in a classroom where people learn Spanish? Or is it another feeling?
@@HelderGriff i dont think so. In the uk years ago a Newsreader was criticized for pronouncing latin names correctly. Make your deductions. Por mi parte, pienso que el español es cierto sentido es visto como un idioma de gente inferior
@@HelderGriffcan't speak for Spanish, but I certainly feel that way with French.
@HelderGriff I started learning Spanish 36 years ago. I only remember being excited. But, I don't feel I am like most Americans I know. I went on to use it at work, speaking to immigrants who were my coworkers while living in different cities here and gained confidence. Many Americans take it as a subject in high school but then forget it all. I can hold conversations in Spanish because I LOVE Spanish and I love the feeling of speaking to a native and having that connection. Perhaps I am not typical here. I am not even sure if I addressed your question. If not, let me know. I would love to discuss more.
Me too. Native English, but striving for good communication in all my languages. Found his words inspiring
Thank you for this video! It blowed my mind. I've been studying English for more than 4 years and I don't feel confident speaking with natives. I struggle in listening them a lot, and when I try to speak ordinary stuff that I don't need to think in Portuguese that is my native language. This video made me a little bit emotional, because I wonder how much effort I spent studying and how long I try to improve my communication skills in English, and sometimes I only need to accept and feel that I don't need to speak perfect like a native. Maybe, if I relax a little bit more, I can enhance my communication seamlessly. Thank you again for this video!
Thank you Christian for not losing hope in inspiring and giving hope to learners.
“Look at that jaw line”😂 you killed it😂
Your ideas on 'native and non-native' are close to my heart. I have always believed that every language you're at home with is yours. Bless you!
I'm a non native English teacher. I spent years studying and training in the language and every aspect of it. I have an excellent level and yet, I'm not hired abroad because "we only want native speakers from the USA, UK, Australia, South Africa and NZ". And that's the way it is, even if they're smiling at a camera from a very poorly written sign.
Thanks for your video 😊
That is so true! I'm sick and tired of being systemically underpaid, scrutinized over every minor detail of my over-a-decade teaching career and, in the end, rejected for a teaching position overseas just because I don't have 'the right passport', while a college dropout who can't build an error-free sentence or teach a lesson with some semblance of methodology gets the standing ovation for doing the bare minimum.
@@mariamawt9441 Exactly. Some of them just take some crappy course that gives them a piece of paper passing for a teacher's license and they get the bucks. Others, don't even do that. While we, who are specifically trained to teach, get nothing. It's unfair to us and bad for the students, but employers just care about the money and the myths.
@Cygnus75: I don't understand what this means: ". . . even if they're smiling at a camera from a very poorly written sign. "
@@kennethwdcin fact, you can’t say “training in English” either. This is why people want native speakers - to avoid this kind of nonsense
@@Mindyourlanguagedear your obnoxious correction is probably wrong because it's likely that it was meant training for professional development as a teacher, the training was done in English but English is not what's being trained.
Thank you so much for this video, I’m Mexican and have never been to an English speaking country but learned the language by myself, I’ve had interactions with English Native Speakers and married one three years ago, and it has been hard to realize the power English has in so many levels, it’s not just a language but a social tool to discriminate, in my city we are very welcoming but more and more the people use English to escalate in society or to look “fancier or better” unfortunately the world has given too much power to accents, to being “native” and even we replicate it when we prefer to have classes with native speakers, it’s good to improve I can confirm but it also leaves us non native English speakers somewhere below, being less paid even tho we are bilingual or multilingual, so videos like yours help to spread the knowledge that English is evolving but needs to be taken with responsibility
Gosh, the last part is a gem. I remember it was a CELTA course in St.Petersburg. We had a teacher in our study group, who spoke perfect Russian (I wouldn't be able to say she was born and grew up in Azerbaijan and got her first degree there) but the moment she switched to English, it was like listening to Sheherazade in one thousand and one nights... It was so beautiful and so unique... her signature tones and the way she finished sentences... the body language and all those gestures that came to live the moment she stopped speaking perfect sterile Russian.
I don't want my students to try and pick up this sterile English thing. Speaking a foreign language is like having your own handwriting. If it's readable and people get the message, there is no need to turn it inside out in search for perfection...
And.. yep... then some of my students share how much they hate their handwriting... but 'they get the message')))
Such a beautiful story ❤
I love your message! But first you have to convince employers of that. Statistics: candidates with a British accent have better chances. Most employers admit they discriminate on accent. Language can often dictate your social mobility, and when teachers tell students "keep your accent, don't try to imitate natives", even though they have good intentions, they are helping throw their students' job applications in the trash. The academia is also very hypocritical: they repeat everything you've said here... in theory... but in practice, they choose educators with "the best accent". Working at job recruitment, I've heard numerous times from employers: "We can't hire someone with that accent". I think learners have the right to know that: the better you can imitate the language of the elite, the better your chances are - perhaps in most societies, for any language.
Teachers must educate against discrimination... but they can't deprive students of tools they can use for social mobility and to avoid being victims of discrimination.
It's like that with any language. In Danish even for some Danish regional accents I've heard other Danish people complain that fellow Danish people with those Danish accents sound "like farmers", "primitive", or just "dumb".
If you just want to learn a language for fun, go for it, speak however you can. If you want to be part of a society and not seen as an outsider, you better pretend you're one of them.
@@matt92hun It's probably the same all over the world.
@@matt92hun Yes, language is power. Sociolinguistics says that the prestige accent and the dominant language tend to be the accent and the language of the dominant people. It's a way to tell people apart and maintain privileges. If I can convince society that my way of speaking is superior, my group will have advantages over all other groups (we'll have better opportunities and be more respected). In Linguistics, the technical term used for discrimination against regional accents is "linguistic prejudice", and discrimination against foreign accents is "native speakerism" connected to "linguistic imperialism" (you can find lots of materials if you google that). That's how society works. Teachers have to work against that, against any form of discrimination. But I think most language teachers confuse that and think a way to address the problem is to tell learners not to imitate the language of the elite. This is happening even in the teaching of native speakers: schools have been telling poor students that they can keep their "farmer" language. It's totally ok to keep and be proud of that for certain situations, it's part of their identity, but poor people must also be empowered to use the elite language so they can have better chances. Making your students more vulnerable to discrimination is not the same as fighting discrimination.
@@professorsilva9388 There's a paper titled "Second language learners of Danish as the linguistic other", which highlights this pretty well. There are many similar papers for many languages, it's just that most teachers seem to prefer to ignore those.
There's a difference between accent and pronunciation. Of course both concepts are not completely divided. But for example, I know a British person who lived in France for a loooong time and he speaks with a french accent even though his pronunciation is perfect. Have you ever struggled to understand a foreigner in your mother tongue ?
Dear Christian, I'm a Latin Man I have been listening to your videos for 2 months, And believe me, they have been useful for Learning English and understanding it, your focus is simple but straightforward Thanks for your time, I appreciate it.
When I listen to you talking about English, I'm listening to myself talking about dancing... I totally love your messages... And I'm so happy to be aware that we are more and more people thinking in this way... Humanity has a future and a bright one, thanks to people like you 😍
Brilliant advice!! The best antidote for the scourge of perfectionism. I love your masterful humbleness. Thanks a million!!
You're improving, man. Keep it up and keep expressing yourself with those unique ideas and thoughts you appear one day after another.
blow my mind every time watching your videos. this thing says a core value in learning English: it's about communicating! To communicate, like we don't have to sound like professor or some cool artist, just need to have a nice attitude and be ready and open-minded. That's it. That's all we actually need at the beginning of the process. I hate the way people try to make studying English become a boring online course, or a nerve-cracking test or a hot content for marketers... it's just basically that we need to connect to each other by using English.. You just point out the thing I've always thinking about but in a more precise and exciting way!Thanks a lot!
Your videos are both entertaining and useful. Thanks for your work.
Very encouraging speech. It's does much more for non natives' confidence than any classes.
Oh Christian! You're so wise! This is such an inspiring video! I keep telling my students that they don't have to sound like native speakers and that they are allowed to make mistakes.
Wow I love this so much. I am encouraged. I’m currently learning French and this video has truly inspired me. Thank you for sharing.
I have been listening you for a while. What a great motivator you are. Keep up your great job Christian!
Thank you so much for these videos 🩷
Great wisdom as always ❤
Anyone learning English only needs the language to communicate and receive information in English. They don't need to be absolutely precise in the language, they just need understanding. In order to be absolutely grammatical in a language, you need to spend a huge amount of time studying and practicing. Even native speakers aren't absolutely correct in a language.This is the work of linguists, not ordinary people, ordinary people spend time studying their business, which feeds them.
Thank you so much, Christian! Yes, at school and many years afterwards, my feeling about my English was: Shame. And I never before heard that other people feel the same.
But I already learned that people will try to communicate, and if it's difficult they don't have the time to think about judging my English. An Irishman taught me that. His German was at least as bad as my English, and his English - well, hard to understand. So, when we spoke with each other, I always wanted to know what he is saying, and I didn't have time for any judgement and no interest in doing something like this. And after living with him together (in a group of eight) for half a year, I had lost the shame.
That feeling of shame is something that MANY language learners feel deep inside. It's great to hear that your experiences have helped you get over that feeling!
@@Canguroenglish Thank you, Christian! I think our teachers should have talked about it, like you do! In my opinion the most important thing a language learner has to learn that it's okay to be a learner. 🌻
I like how you illustrate your thought. It's not only an English lesson.
Thanks
Amazing!!! Thanks for helping us to never give-up from our learning journey.
Thanks for this beautiful and encouraging message, it's really appreciated.
This video is the one I was unwittingly waiting for. Thanks a lot!
No Chat GPT or any A.I. will ever be able to substitute a teacher like you. Thank you a million times
Christian, your videos help me a lot. I can improve my English skills and think about new ways of communication. Thank you so much! Greetings from Brazil! 🇧🇷
Great video, mate! Thanks! ❤
thanks Christian ! because I am French and I'll never look like a native speaker !! Your advice is so simple and at the same time so relevant ! We are who we are ! What is important, as you are used to saying is : communicating ! not having the willingness to look like to others !
Embrace who you are and your own language . Don't worry I as a Brit have had exactly the same feelings when learning Japanese or French.
Excellent your analysis and comments.
Brilliant video! I'm going to share this with my students. Many thanks!
Delighted to welcome you back, dear teacher! Your presence was missed, and we truly value the significance of your lessons. If possible, we kindly request you not to be away for an extended period again.
I like your message! It is a very good idea to expand!
Great message! Thank you, Christian!
Thank you for this video!
Nice approach sir, thanks!
Hi there, Christian! I've never written any comments below a video. But your video made me do it. I'm so grateful to you for all these words and thoughts in this video. I've been learning English since 2018, and it's the first time I feel to found my own English teacher. Your words touched deeply my heart. Have a good one:)
Thanks Christian, you make my mind open. I am 74 years old, and i m learning english with you.
This is encouraging and moving at the same time. Thank You.
Very good message, thank you !
All my life I felt stupid not to learn enough English for communication. Thank you for your gentle words! Greetings from a proud Portuguese language native speaker!
A good way to learn English is to read your favorite books in English. I have family in Portugal and noticed that Fnac has a good selection
I totally agree with you!!! Well said!!❤
Thank you for making us feel part of English 😊 I do not remember when I started watching your videos, perhaps like 5 years ago and I felt included since day one. I remember when I had my firts job interview in English I could not even finish it because the questions were too complicated, however, I did not stop learning and I had more and more job interviews in english, until one day I was not worry about my english anymore even if I made mistakes. And here I am, I have been working and using english on a daily basis for 3 years.
Thank you from Ukraine! You are an incredible teacher! Love you))
This is the second video from your Channel I'm watching, and I already love you! Thank you from the bottom of my heart, I feel like I'm not un the club, because I'm so Italian! You made me feel so comfortable ❤
That was beautiful. Thanks
Very insightful video. Thank you so much, sir.
In 2021 I took IELTS and got a 7.5/9 / C1 level. I moved to the UK then, and oh my gosh I struggle communicating with people outside of my "software engineering" bubble where the majority, as you said, are foreigners like myself. I often don't understand people, people often don't understand me. We're speaking the same language, but with different accents. And when this misunderstanding happens, I feel terrible, It feels like I don't know English at all. And this is why I want to become "a native speaker", more in a sense of being in this culture, understanding context, pronouncing words in a way that locals understand me right away. Build puns, build sophisticated sentences like I do very well in my native language.
You'll be there one day. Especially considering that you're in the UK. Have you considered attending some kind of a club like for example a dance club? Dumb example but can't come up with a better one rn. The point is, you will surround yourself with a lot more of natural English and by that get way more practice hours per day on average
Interesting. My wife is Japanese and has been here 13 years. She is able to converse pretty well with mums at school but by contrast she has less technical language so I wanted her to do IELTS again. Think she got 6.5 in 2011. What did you get 9 in?
@@andybliss5965 he probably means 7.5 out of 9.
Interestingly, I never had a concrete goal to learn English, born and raised in a Central Asian country where nobody speaks English and I never had an English course nor did I study it consciously, yet somehow learnt the language to the point of getting 7.5 on IELTS, and 9.0 for Reading.
I guess mindless consuming of thousands of hours of English media on social networks and the fact that I'm a software engineer played a role
Such an inspiration❤ Thank you
I have almost forgotten how I love your ideas and your videos ❤
You're videos are a real treat and your a gem ;)
Thanks for clearing that 'native speaker' thing up. Something I've carried -mostly unconsciously- around for all my English learning life. Very liberating!
I'm so grateful for this video , beautiful advice , I've only recently been learning the English language and it's incredible to understand you so well . Thanks a lot.
Really amazing message for everyone.
What a great speech! Thanks a lot!
The best English lesson I have ever seen! Thank You so much!
Thank you, but way too nice! ☺️
This is the best vídeo I've ever seen about to speak English. You are giving me confidence and taking my fears away. Thanks a lot.
You are completely right!
No language is a barrier, but a way to express yourself. I'm Spanish and I feel glad when somebody's trying to speak spanish with his non native accent.
Awesome speech!
I have always thought that things! I love this channel !
you"re my one of my favorites people that I watching here, you comfort me
Thank you for your job
You hit the nail Master, dead right. Your words are full of wisdom. 🥰
Thank you. Just what I needed to hear. Great video.
I loved this video, thank you so much!
Hi, Christian! It's really nice to watch your videos! They transmit knowledge and spirituality at the same time! Thank you very much for that! I met your videos in a "casual" ad from CZcams, and it was one of the best surprises I've ever had in my way of feeling the communication. As a Brazilian student, I consider that I made a mistake by choozing American English instead of British English. The sounds of British English are more similar to Brazilian Portuguese sounds, mainly "T" and "D" sounds. In the same way, the sonority of european english is more beautiful, in my opinion. But this is a personal preference. The principal is what you've always teaching and tell us in your videos. We need to quit feeling less important or smart than English natives. We're all able to get the best of life and communicate with the world. Really grateful! Have a nice experience on Earth!
Engraçado, pois acho o inglês americano muito mais fácil de entender 😅
@@AlanMoreiraMusic possivelmente pq vc está mais acostumado... mas se vc for analisar, para quem está iniciando os estudos no inglês, o inglês britânico tem mais semelhança com os sons usados pelo português brasileiro. O uso do "t" e do "d" é mais natural para nós, sem tanta necessidade de fazer "flap T" ou "flap D" com o som do "r" do rá-ré-ri-ró-ru! E além de parecer ser muito mais cognoscível e palatável para brasileiros, o inglês britânico é bem bonito, no meu entendimento. Apesar que cada um tem sua opinião, mas eu quando comecei a estudar não percebia isso. Hoje, com inglês mais intermediário, percebo.
Thank you very much for the video!
Thank you so much for this video and the one about advanced English. Finally someone who really sheds light on these important topics
Excellent explanation. Cheers !
It was really wonderful.thank so many for your support
Thank you Christian. Very much!
Hello, I want to tell out my story to all, I'm thirty-five years old, I have been learning English for one year, currently I think that I am level B1, but I haven't well speaking, I live in Cali, Colombia and used apps for learning English, I lovely your theories of democracy of English in the world.🎉
It’s funny because once i started regularly interacting with native speakers, it’s when i started making more grammatical mistakes and started misspelling words. It’s taken me years but i finally realised that native speakers don’t always speak Correct English ™️, either. So why should I feel so much shame for my mistakes? Besides, I’m learning another language. That is something to take pride in. + I have brain fog so sometimes, mistakes and misspellings happen, they started happening in my native language, too. So 🤷♀️
I also used to be ashamed of my accent or “having an accent”. Right now, I’m at this point where I’d like some of my accent to remain. I want to learn to imitate the Aussie accent (which is why I’m subscribed lol) because i think it’s really cool but I want some of the native Polish accent to subtly shine through. And i get compliments from native speakers. As long as people can understand me, i think that’s fine. It’s kinda cool to have a unique accent (mine is a mix of accents).
thank you very much for the motivation
Wow, thank you so much!
Great video Christian 👌
I needed this video and I didn't know it. Thank you!!
So nice narrative!! Danke!!
What a beautiful video!
Man!!! What a video. That's exactly what I teach my students about, but I could never put it in such a clear way. Thank you!!!
Thank you, Christian. Very much!
I am not a native speaker, but English is my primary language. I live in Asia and most people I talk to don't even know how to speak English. I don't express myself in other languages as powerfully as in English. Whenever I talk to English-speaking individuals from my country, I feel very comfortable expressing myself, but the moment I see a native speaker like my white English teacher, things get a bit different. Whenever I see a white person or someone who seems to be fluent in English as their primary language, I feel extra encouraged to sharpen my American accent and vocabulary.
If you feel the same, like.
👇
Wow, awesome video!
Thanks, I needed this video in my life ❤
Thanks for all your advice and encouragement, Christian.🦘
this was so empowering ♥🔥
What a great video with logical and objective explanations !
Thanks teacher for your advice
The great motivating, barrier-crashing video ✌ Thanks a lot
👏👏👏 So true!
I've come such a long way from being annoyed and frustrated that my accent still 'gives me away', though not that bad, but still discernable, pervasive. It really took some time to accept myself for who I am and my English reflecting it.
THANK YOU for raising this. It's been on my mind for a while, but it's the first time I see it spelled out like this.