120 Hr TEFL Course Module 1-Language Barriers

Module 1: Teaching and learning

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1.3 The importance of a first language  

More important than understanding your students’ cultural background is understanding how their first language will affect the speed and ease with which they learn English as a new language. While a student’s cultural background can affect the way they learn, a student’s native language can affect the way they view language to begin with. What are some of the obstacles students face when trying to learn English as a second language?

1.3.1 Language barriers

Every language has its own rules, and while many languages share similarities that make new language acquisition simpler, some students will be trying to transition to a new set of rules and language structure. Here are some examples of how language is structured differently:

• Some languages have been created based on symbols or pictures that represent ideas rather than words made of letters. The transition to English from languages that follow such a structure can be very difficult.
• Some languages are read from right to left rather than left to right, which is how English is read. This does not necessarily affect a student’s ability to gain proficiency in speaking the language, but it certainly presents a hurdle for students trying to learn to read English.
• Many languages require a different sentence structure than English does. One of the most common examples is when languages place adjectives differently in a sentence than they are in English. In English someone might say “go get the blue car.” That same sentence in some languages would translate back to English as “go get the car blue.” This can make fluency difficult.
• Many students will be confused by the way verbs are conjugated in English. Many languages have set rules that apply to the conjugation of most verbs, while English can seem like a free-for-all at times.