Do you really need an English Teacher now?
Do you always need an English teacher? With so many apps and websites available, and for free, why bother with a teacher? Now that AI is free and easy to use there is almost no need at all for teachers. Would you agree?
If you’re thinking about your next English teacher, or wondering if you really need one, this post will help you decide.
Sometimes you don’t need a teacher
There are a lot of apps, websites and books that will help you with vocabulary and grammar. To learn new words and phrases you need to repeat them many times. Perhaps you don’t need a teacher to help with this repetition. There’s a lot that you can do to learn words by yourself. For example you get interested in the phrase ‘would you rather…’ You can google this phrase and see what examples you find. Make a note of what words come before and after. Then make your own phrases. Finally you can check with your teacher to see if you’re correct.
I can learn English with AI
Sure, AI is amazing. But here are 3 words for you: Accuracy, bias and hallucinations. Hallucination - AI sometimes makes up stuff that is completely false. Not true at all, and a quick search will tell you it's not true. Bias - AI models have a lot of English input, and not so much from other languages, so translations might be wrong. The language which AI learns might also be biased (favouring one group or belief over others) because humans are biased, and sometimes it over compensates for this bias and provides information that is not true. All of this makes its accuracy questionable.
As ChatGPTtold me:
"Biases can be unintentionally introduced through the language patterns in the text I've been trained on, which primarily consists of internet text. It's important to critically evaluate the information I provide and consider multiple perspectives when forming opinions or making decisions."
You still have to learn it
If you take English classes for 3 hours a day for a year, you’ll be fluent, right? No! Sitting in an English class will not improve your language skills. You still have to do the work to improve yourself. You have to speak, read, write and listen. You have to do it and your English teacher can’t do this for you! You have to practice. You, not your teacher, have to try to communicate! It takes time and it certainly takes effort. It can be tiring and boring and repetitive. But no teacher can learn it for you.
English Teachers are guides
English is big. Really big. There is a lot to learn and it’s very easy to find yourself overwhelmed or going round in circles. A teacher can help you by guiding you through the essentials, to the parts that you really need, and the little flourishes that will help you express yourself. A teacher will also have inside knowledge that will save you from unnatural English that an auto-translator would spit out and give you real life English so you’ll be understood!
Your English teacher is a speaking partner
Who do you speak English with? It can be hard to find someone to speak with, when we’re all busy people. Non-teachers don’t want to spend time trying to understand what you mean and then correcting you
An English teacher will be a safe place to practice. You can try out new phrases and words and ask for correction. Speaking English is vital to actually improve your skills so choose a teacher who will encourage you to speak. Tell your teacher
Teachers are accelerators
English Teachers can pin-point your weaknesses and help you improve them. If your pronunciation is strange they can help you move your mouth to the correct place. If you want to pass an exam they can help you reach the right level. If you have trouble understanding your boss with a British accent they can help. If you’re not sure what your goal is, teachers can help you identify your needs and help you get to the right place.
Teachers are specialists
Do you need to find a teacher to help you with medical English, with artistic expression, to help you build a house? Just as much as there are children's English teachers there are specialist teachers who'll help you with specific parts of English You can check out some here.
You’ll also find that you’ll need different teachers on the journey of learning English. Sometimes you’ll need to focus on a business goal, other times coaching and mindset, or sometimes listening and pronunciation. Your journey should definitely include different teachers.
English teachers are also experts in English, so if you have a lot of 'why' and 'is this correct' questions, then a teacher will help you answer them.
English is communication
Why are you learning English? I guess one reason is because you need to communicate with someone. Reading books and using apps will help you learn English words, phrases, grammar and even pronunciation. But when it comes to actually communicating humans are unpredictable and you need human interaction to practice responding to this unpredictability. Don't forget English is just a tool for communication, and that's the whole point of learning it.
What’s your next step?
If you’re looking to accelerate your learning, if you need a guide to show you the way, or a coach to give you space for your English, you need an English teacher.
One of the best ways to find English teachers is with the Elevate Directory of English language teachers. Get in touch with the teachers directly for free and see how they can help you.
Elevate directory of English teachers
