Teach English in Longqiao Jiedao - Chongqing

Problems for learners in FranceFrance is known worldwide not just for its food and fashion, but also for its culture and history. It is not surprising, therefore, that its people are proud of their heritage, and as an extension, their language. However, due to globalization and their proximity to non-French territories, france, together with other foreign countries, is obliged to take up English as a means of communicating, especially in business. Sentence Structure All foreign learners have to learn the peculiarities of English syntax. This takes time and can be solved by discussing the parts of speech one at a time. The French, on the other hand, are notorious for committing a particular error involving sentence structure. The sentences below exhibit this issue. I like very much this topic. I don't know very well my boss. Now, the mistakes above can be discussed during adverb week, but you can do your students a favor by introducing this grammar point earlier on: in English, it is better to keep the verb and its object together. Keep your cool whenever you encounter your students giving sentences similar to the ones above. Remember that this is a direct translation of a sentence in their mother tongue. Word Choice The French have a lot of problems with word choice because of faux ami (literally, false friend). Because of this, they would use a word that closely resembles an English word but has a completely different signification in their language. Make vs Do The French are very comfortable using make before nouns such as activities. Thus, a teacher can scramble to explain that various verbs can be used before nouns. Explaining that do has a more general use and involves accomplishing or performing a task or activity can help you initially, but you must remember to expose the students to different verbs that are more appropriate as they progress. The statements below are some of the common mistakes that you may encounter: I made a lot of work yesterday. I will make some gardening. Also, stress that you have to look at the agent of the action as well as its object in order to discern whether make is the appropriate verb. If the noun following the verb only existed after the action and the one who performed the action created the noun, then there is no question that make is the fitting verb. Pronunciation Issues It is to be expected for foreign learners to encounter typical pronunciation issues when studying English. The usual ones involve regular verbs in their past form because of their -ed ending. They also need to familiarize themselves with AUGH and OUGH sounds. Lastly, they need training with the differing sounds given to words with TH. The French, however, have a couple of more specific problems due to how they speak in their native language. This, of course, can be a cause of confusion and miscommunication if left unaddressed. The H sound Once you start interacting with a French person, you will quickly notice that they have the tendency to drop the H at the beginning of words that have it. You can get used to this, but it should be pointed out as early as possible because it affects article use. Hence, it is not uncommon to hear them say ?An hotel...? Another peculiar problem they have related to this is adding the H sound before words that start with a vowel. For instance, they would say ?ha-wuhr? for the word ?our?. It is important that they be made aware that this is not the correct way of saying things because problems of communication may stem from this. The R Sound Most everyone knows that the French pronounce their R differently. However, this is an area of pronunciation that may take a lifetime to resolve. Thus, it is not your goal to correct this, but just to make sure that it doesn't become a hindrance to expressing their ideas. When they mispronounce a word because of their difficulty with the R, simply ask them to repeat after you until the word can be sufficiently understood. Drilling them until they pronounce the R the American way won't happen immediately and will just bring frustration to the parties involved. The S sound The French only pronounce the S at the end of their words when the next word starts with a vowel sound. This is how they naturally link their words. This is the culprit for constant grammar slips with French learners. They are aware that the S is present at the end of singular verbs and plural nouns, however, when they speak it just doesn't come out. It is up to you as the teacher to remind them of this. Though it can get annoying for both the instructor and the student, keep in mind that this is a problem that is fairly easy to treat. They have to speak with you following proper grammar rules otherwise they would get used to speaking English the ?French