# Native teachers in the Spanish school system.



## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

I'm not really sure where to post this, (in La Tasca, Teaching English in Spain thread, the education thread opened by mrypg9...) but it's an article about native English speakers in Spanish state schools and could be of interest to anyone who teaches, has an interest in language or has kids in school. I'll leave it up to the mods to put it where they think fit.


Article about native English speakers in the Spanish school system

Are native teachers necessarily the best? | In English | EL PAÍS

So this is becoming a more and more controversial subject over time, for various reasons.
One area of discussion is, is it actually advantageous to have a native teacher, or can a Spanish teacher teach English just as well?
My own opinion is that both teachers bring different expertise to the table which is invaluable to the student. The English speaker obviously brings his/ her knowledge of the language and pronunciation and the Spanish speaker brings his/ her knowledge of the Spanish language and insight into the difficulties that the learner is likely to encounter. 
However, this can only be true if both teachers are _*trained*_ teachers.


Which brings us to the next area of disagreement.
The Spanish education system calls for all teachers to have a degree and after the degree they have to sit a public exam in order to be allocated a job, and the teacher is sent where the LEA has a post to fill. So this is very different from the UK system where you get a degree and then apply for the job you want and the school takes the candidate that best fits the job.

In some areas in Spain they have contracted native English speakers. They may be working as a teaching assisstant to a Spanish English teacher, or in the state bilingual schools some have been contracted to teach PE and Sciences as these subjects are taught in these schools in English. However, these teachers have not passed the government exam. They are also not required to speak Spanish which means their involvement in the school is limited (meetings with teachers, parents, writing reports etc). And to top it all, there are many Spanish teachers who officially have a high enough level of English to teach (C1 which is CAE) and who are currently unemployed. There have been a couple of incidents of schools objecting to the employment of these native teachers and making life difficult for them. In one school in Madrid the native teacher left at Christmas citing harrasment and has been replaced with a temporary Spanish teacher who doesn't speak English.

Unfortunately the article seems to think that English native is synomous with untrained English speaker, and of course if you compare trained with untrained you get an unfair result.
Another thing that I think the author needs to keep in mind is that many qualified teachers in Spain don't actually have any training in how to teach, so they know a lot about their subject, but nothing about how to teach it, so are they any better than a unqualified native speaker even though they have the stamp of approval from the Spanish education system?


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

Pesky Wesky said:


> I'm not really sure where to post this, (in La Tasca, Teaching English in Spain thread, the education thread opened by mrypg9...) but it's an article about native English speakers in Spanish state schools and could be of interest to anyone who teaches, has an interest in language or has kids in school. I'll leave it up to the mods to put it where they think fit.
> 
> 
> Article about native English speakers in the Spanish school system
> ...


There is also the problem with people who work on the basis of "I am English/ American/Canadaian etc. I speak 'English' therefore I can teach it". Add to that some of them have teaching skills/qualifications but unless they are philologists as well, at best they may be able to conduct conversation classes. Those who are not also fluent in Spanish, frequently do their students a disservice because they aren't able to explain things fully in the language that the student understands. Some Spanish teachers of English may be good at philology and able to explain the finer points of grammar perfctly but have a terrible Spanish accent which they pass on into their English, in fact we had one at the Academy who was difficult to understand even when she was speaking her native Spanish!


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## farah asim (Jul 9, 2014)

Being qualified for a particular subject and being a trained teacher are two different phenomenas but are required simultaneously to ensure fruitful learning for the students. Occasional usage of mother tongue can help facilitate students' learning but I think it should not be used too frequently as maximum exposure to the target language is always of great help to build up pupils' vocabulary and strengthen their sentence structure. 

If someone is qualified and has ample knowledge of the language, grammar and sentence stucture but does not know how to impart that knowledge to his students, then I think his knowledge is of no use to his students.

Teaching a particular language is an art. Being native speaker of a certain language does not mean that you are a good teacher. I had worked as a language teacher for almost eight years without any training. But after going through a teacher training certificate, I felt a hell of difference in my teaching skills and had realized that training really makes the difference and it really matters. A clear objective, good lesson plan, well integrated activities, good class discipline, maximum involvement of the students are the things which help a teacher to ensure successful learning in the classroom. If someone is a good native speaker but is unaware of all these teaching techniques, then I think he must not be preferred over a qualified and trained teacher.


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## 213979 (Apr 11, 2013)

This type of article gives me heartburn, even before opening it. I'm off to work but I will answer this evening.


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

Our local state primary school went bilingual five years ago and has employed a native English speaker between October and May each year. None of them were trained as teachers AFAIK, all were women in the early 20s. 

The first one was French-Canadian - a lovely girl who got on well with the kids but had a very strong accent. Then there was an academic from Washington DC who had no empathy with children at all, just wanted it on her CV, and a couple of Hispanics from New York who were more interested in partying on the coast. 

I don't know how these people get selected, but my friend who teaches English at the secondary school says that the standard of English in the cohorts coming through hasn't really improved much. It's really sad, a wasted opportunity.


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## Chopera (Apr 22, 2013)

To begin with - language teaching in the Spanish education system was absolutely dire until they started to do something about it. The fact that you had to be Spanish and then pass oposiciones to become a teacher filtered out nearly all teachers with native skills, and this was compounded by the tendency for rote learning in Spain. Typically a class would be shown a text and then their task would be to memorise it and write it out the next day. Or maybe some verb conjugations, etc. But pupils never learnt how to actually speak the language.

This was why the rules were bent to let native speakers into the classroom - so pupils could actually practice speaking English (because the teachers, having been through the same education system themselves, quite often couldn't). However, as XabiaChica points out, the native speakers were teaching assistants, not teachers. And this is where I think the article is a bit misleading, because it implies there is an issue as to who makes better teachers, when really it's still the case that most teachers are Spanish, and the native assistants are there to allow pupils to put what they have learnt into practice. Very few of them actually take classes because, amongst other things, you need to be trained in things like first aid before being left alone with children.

Apart from that, the article does make a point that teaching English as a second language is different to teaching English to native speakers, and a Spanish person who has learnt English can provide more specific help to other Spaniards learning the language. However I thought the aim was to expose Spanish kids to English from such an early age that they learnt English in more of a natural/native way, rather than having to learn it as a second language.


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

Around here there is a high demand for private academy language classes and English is taught from the age of 1½ - 2 years. The kids (and adults) are keen to learn and qualify. SWMBO has four who have just taken their B1 and want to take their B2 before September when they feel a difficult year will start at school. Needless to say they are all girls.


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## 90199 (Mar 21, 2010)

We were approached by the local schools to become teaching assistants, one of the conditions was that we were not to speak Spanish. Having worked for 50 years, in occupations other than teaching, I declined, so did the other English on the island.


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## kalohi (May 6, 2012)

Alcalaina said:


> Our local state primary school went bilingual five years ago and has employed a native English speaker between October and May each year. None of them were trained as teachers AFAIK, all were women in the early 20s.
> 
> The first one was French-Canadian - a lovely girl who got on well with the kids but had a very strong accent. Then there was an academic from Washington DC who had no empathy with children at all, just wanted it on her CV, and a couple of Hispanics from New York who were more interested in partying on the coast.
> 
> I don't know how these people get selected, but my friend who teaches English at the secondary school says that the standard of English in the cohorts coming through hasn't really improved much. It's really sad, a wasted opportunity.


The daughter of a friend of mine was taken on to be one of these teaching assistants. She had no ESL qualifications whatsoever - she had studied biology at university - and she admitted outright that the reason she came to Spain was to party for 6 months. She was sent to a secondary school and was supposed to provide English conversation practice, but she said the kids' level of English wasn't good enough to hold any type of conversation. She had a great time here, but I don't think those kids got anything out of it. Like you said, a wasted opportunity all round.


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## kalohi (May 6, 2012)

Chopera said:


> To begin with - language teaching in the Spanish education system was absolutely dire until they started to do something about it. The fact that you had to be Spanish and then pass oposiciones to become a teacher filtered out nearly all teachers with native skills, and this was compounded by the tendency for rote learning in Spain. Typically a class would be shown a text and then their task would be to memorise it and write it out the next day. Or maybe some verb conjugations, etc. But pupils never learnt how to actually speak the language.


You say all of this in the past tense. But it is still happening. My Spanish niece, who has just finished primary year 4, spent the year translating (from Spanish to English) such inspiring sentences as: I am eating. Is she eating? She isn't eating. We eat. They don't eat....  Not one word of spoken English. Needless to say she HATED English class and got absolutely nothing out of it.


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## Chopera (Apr 22, 2013)

kalohi said:


> You say all of this in the past tense. But it is still happening. My Spanish niece, who has just finished primary year 4, spent the year translating (from Spanish to English) such inspiring sentences as: I am eating. Is she eating? She isn't eating. We eat. They don't eat....  Not one word of spoken English. Needless to say she HATED English class and got absolutely nothing out of it.


Yes it still goes on, but the idea behind introducing teaching assistants was to move away from it, and some schools have.


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## 213979 (Apr 11, 2013)

Alcalaina said:


> Our local state primary school went bilingual five years ago and has employed a native English speaker between October and May each year. None of them were trained as teachers AFAIK, all were women in the early 20s.
> 
> The first one was French-Canadian - a lovely girl who got on well with the kids but had a very strong accent. Then there was an academic from Washington DC who had no empathy with children at all, just wanted it on her CV, and a couple of Hispanics from New York who were more interested in partying on the coast.
> 
> *I don't know how these people get selected*, but my friend who teaches English at the secondary school says that the standard of English in the cohorts coming through hasn't really improved much. It's really sad, a wasted opportunity.


The program is called _Auxiliares de Conversación_. Native English speakers apply and are chosen based on their application number as long as they meet the basic requirements (junior or senior year of university, *native* English speaker, be in good physical and mental health, and have a clean police record).

Auxiliares work 12 hours a week and are paid 700€/month. 

During the 2011-2012 school year, the Ministry of Education sponsored a Visiting Teachers program where trained professionals were brought to Spain to basically work as full-time Auxiliares de Conversación. There were only around 60 (I don't remember the correct figure) scattered throughout the country. They worked the same amount (or more) as regular teachers and were paid about the equivalent to what a secondary school teacher earns.


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## 213979 (Apr 11, 2013)

kalohi said:


> You say all of this in the past tense. But it is still happening. My Spanish niece, who has just finished primary year 4, spent the year translating (from Spanish to English) such inspiring sentences as: I am eating. Is she eating? She isn't eating. We eat. They don't eat....  Not one word of spoken English. Needless to say she HATED English class and got absolutely nothing out of it.


When I studied Spanish and French we had a language lab once a week where we worked on our listening and speaking in smaller groups.

With 25 to 30 students in each class, it's quite tough to find a meaningful way to advance with speaking. Additionally, the PAU and PISA tests have started to include written English work. Auxiliares and desdobles (splitting the class in two) are great ways to work on speaking.


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## Chopera (Apr 22, 2013)

Alcalaina said:


> Our local state primary school went bilingual five years ago and has employed a native English speaker between October and May each year. None of them were trained as teachers AFAIK, all were women in the early 20s.
> 
> The first one was French-Canadian - a lovely girl who got on well with the kids but had a very strong accent. Then there was an academic from Washington DC who had no empathy with children at all, just wanted it on her CV, and a couple of Hispanics from New York who were more interested in partying on the coast.
> 
> I don't know how these people get selected, but my friend who teaches English at the secondary school says that the standard of English in the cohorts coming through hasn't really improved much. It's really sad, a wasted opportunity.


I've met a few teaching assistants in Madrid and while some were out to party, others said that their presence in the classroom was at the discretion of the teacher, and some teachers just didn't want them in the classroom. it killed off a lot of their motivation. Also other teachers left the assistants in charge of the class on their own, which is illegal.

All the same, I think the push for bilingual schools is a step in the right direction. The benefits will take time to appear: maybe the first wave of pupils through the system won't show much improvement, but gradually there'll be more and more people who at least feel comfortable using English, and they'll pass on their skills as well so collectively the level should improve.


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## 213979 (Apr 11, 2013)

Chopera said:


> To begin with - language teaching in the Spanish education system was absolutely dire until they started to do something about it. *The fact that you had to be Spanish* and then pass oposiciones to become a teacher filtered out nearly all teachers with native skills, and this was compounded by the tendency for rote learning in Spain. Typically a class would be shown a text and then their task would be to memorise it and write it out the next day. Or maybe some verb conjugations, etc. But pupils never learnt how to actually speak the language.


This is not true. EU citizens and their spouses can sit for _oposiciones_. You have to legalize your degree, of course, but that's less painful than the actual _opo._




> This was why the rules were bent to let native speakers into the classroom - so pupils could actually practice speaking English (because the teachers, having been through the same education system themselves, quite often couldn't). However, as XabiaChica points out, the native speakers were teaching assistants, not teachers. *And this is where I think the article is a bit misleading, because it implies there is an issue as to who makes better teachers, when really it's still the case that most teachers are Spanish, and the native assistants are there to allow pupils to put what they have learnt into practice.* Very few of them actually take classes because, amongst other things, you need to be trained in things like first aid before being left alone with children.


Spain's hiring of native teachers varies between regions. You're thinking about the _auxiliares de conversación_ program which, as you say, hires natives to work 12 hrs/wk in classes. However, Madrid directly hires native-English speaking teachers to work as true faculty members. The British Council also sends a number of "proper teachers" to work in Spanish schools (there's one in Cantabria.) None of these *true* teachers did an _opo_. 

Regarding taking classes, auxiliares are not legally allowed to teach a full on class. This is for legal reasons. It's not first aid - I've never heard that first aid is required for teachers.


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## 213979 (Apr 11, 2013)

Chopera said:


> I've met a few teaching assistants in Madrid and while some were out to party, others said that their presence in the classroom was at the discretion of the teacher, and some teachers just didn't want them in the classroom. it killed off a lot of their motivation. Also other teachers left the assistants in charge of the class on their own, which is illegal.
> 
> All the same, I think the push for bilingual schools is a step in the right direction. The benefits will take time to appear: maybe the first wave of pupils through the system won't show much improvement, but gradually there'll be more and more people who at least feel comfortable using English, and they'll pass on their skills as well so collectively the level should improve.


I'm going to out myself, but a little bit. I've held various positions mentioned in this thread. I'm slightly burned by the fact that _auxiliares_ have a reputation as party animals. My goal has always been to be the best teacher/TA I could be. 

It is very true that there are teachers who simply do not want you there. I remember sitting in on a CCOO union meeting in the staff room and hearing the union rep from the capital city start to rip into the language assistants program. I don't think I've ever felt so uncomfortable in my life. I was there with around fifty colleagues and everybody just looked at me. I wanted to say something, but I just walked out. 

I think the bilingual school system is dangerous. What about the kids who come from a non-bilingual school and are thrust into a bilingual school in fifth or sixth grade? It'd be awesome to support them and get them up to speed ASAP but, in my experience, they simply have to repeat because they fail English, Math, and whatever other subjects they take in English. It's simply not fair to them. (Schools, as you may know, are usually assigned by address.) What about those who aren't great with languages? What about the wonderful teachers out there without a B2/C1 in English? 

My husband is from the Basque Country and wants *nothing* to do with Euskera because of it being imposed upon him. I fear English is becoming similar in that it's an absolute must right now but there's so little support for students who aren't naturally good. Of course, if the families have the cash they can send the kids to private classes. However, private classes shouldn't need to exist. And, well, they're a *HUGE* market in Spain.


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## kalohi (May 6, 2012)

elenetxu said:


> I think the bilingual school system is dangerous. What about the kids who come from a non-bilingual school and are thrust into a bilingual school in fifth or sixth grade? It'd be awesome to support them and get them up to speed ASAP but, in my experience, they simply have to repeat because they fail English, Math, and whatever other subjects they take in English. It's simply not fair to them. (Schools, as you may know, are usually assigned by address.) What about those who aren't great with languages? What about the wonderful teachers out there without a B2/C1 in English?


I totally agree. What you're describing is the situation that my Spanish nephew is in (brother of my Spanish niece who I mentioned earlier). His primary school wasn't bilingual but his secondary school is. Now suddenly he's supposed to function in English in 3 of his subjects. Well guess what 3 subjects he's failed? He says he can't follow the lessons since they're in English.


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## 213979 (Apr 11, 2013)

kalohi said:


> I totally agree. What you're describing is the situation that my Spanish nephew is in (brother of my Spanish niece who I mentioned earlier). His primary school wasn't bilingual but his secondary school is. Now suddenly he's supposed to function in English in 3 of his subjects. Well guess what 3 subjects he's failed? He says he can't follow the lessons since they're in English.


Was his participation in the bilingual system elective or obligatory? 
If it's obligatory, that's outrageous.


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## 213979 (Apr 11, 2013)

I think this is the most important part of the article: 

_Pilar Medrano provides two possible reasons for this type of recruitment. On one hand, she feels that "bilingual programs have grown so much that we need experts not just to teach English, but also specialists [in other fields] to teach courses in English. And that is where there is a shortage in Spain." Another reason is that public administrations "want to please the parents, who generally ask for this type of educator."

"Having a native speaker is important as long as he or she is also a teacher. An English person with no training in education is useless," notes Luis Carbonel, president of Concapa, the main confederation of parent associations at private schools that receive public subsidies. Beyond that, Carbonel demands "a good training in languages" from all Spanish teachers, no matter what subject they teach. Families with children attending public schools want any native teacher "to follow the same hiring procedures as the others, and of course for a good command of Spanish to be a requirement," says José Luis Pazos, of the confederation of associations of parents with children in public schools (CEAPA)._


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

elenetxu said:


> Was his participation in the bilingual system elective or obligatory?
> If it's obligatory, that's outrageous.


mine wanted to participate in the bilingual system..... they weren't allowed to


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## Chopera (Apr 22, 2013)

elenetxu said:


> This is not true. EU citizens and their spouses can sit for _oposiciones_. You have to legalize your degree, of course, but that's less painful than the actual _opo._


But I don't think it used to be the case - it's a recent change. I was explaining how the system used to be.



elenetxu said:


> Spain's hiring of native teachers varies between regions. You're thinking about the _auxiliares de conversación_ program which, as you say, hires natives to work 12 hrs/wk in classes. However, Madrid directly hires native-English speaking teachers to work as true faculty members. The British Council also sends a number of "proper teachers" to work in Spanish schools (there's one in Cantabria.) None of these *true* teachers did an _opo_.
> 
> Regarding taking classes, auxiliares are not legally allowed to teach a full on class. This is for legal reasons. It's not first aid - I've never heard that first aid is required for teachers.


Which is why I said most (not all) teachers are Spanish. I'm not aware of that many non-Spaniards who have become teachers which is why I think the article is a bit misleading. It talks about who makes a better teacher, when really the vast majority of teachers are Spanish anyway, and the aim is that the kids learn English and Spanish simultaneously, rather than learning English with a Spanish context. So it's a bit of a non-issue, for the moment at least. Of course there may be a change going on that I'm not aware of.

Maybe there isn't a legal requirement for 1st aid - I was told there was by a teacher at an international school - the person in charge of the class either has to have passed a course or at least there be aware of someone else on site who has. Ideally they should be able to deal with things like children choking on bits of food, etc.


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## 213979 (Apr 11, 2013)

xabiachica said:


> mine wanted to participate in the bilingual system..... they weren't allowed to


EH!?!?!?! What legislation barred them from participating? That's _caca de toro_.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

elenetxu said:


> EH!?!?!?! What legislation barred them from participating? That's _caca de toro_.


no legislation as such

they were told that the classes given in English were to help non-English speakers to improve their English - & they clearly didn't need to...

didn't make sense to me - I'd have thought the school would have been grateful for some kids who would get good grades easily


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## Chopera (Apr 22, 2013)

elenetxu said:


> I'm going to out myself, but a little bit. I've held various positions mentioned in this thread. I'm slightly burned by the fact that _auxiliares_ have a reputation as party animals. My goal has always been to be the best teacher/TA I could be.
> 
> It is very true that there are teachers who simply do not want you there. I remember sitting in on a CCOO union meeting in the staff room and hearing the union rep from the capital city start to rip into the language assistants program. I don't think I've ever felt so uncomfortable in my life. I was there with around fifty colleagues and everybody just looked at me. I wanted to say something, but I just walked out.
> 
> ...


In Madrid there are bilingual secondary schools, and there are also secondary schools with secciones lingisticas (some are in French and German). It's odd because the requirements for entering a school with a sección linguistica en inglés is quite high - they won't let kids in who haven't got a reasonably high level of English for the reasons you mention. However the schools that do French or German don't have any entrance requirements for those languages at all. So the level of teaching in certain subjects in those schools can't be of very high level. And given the teachers aren't required to have that high a level in order to teach in a foreign language, it only makes matters worse.

However those schools do also provide an alternative route, with the teaching in Spanish. Which is how it should be - I think you should try to expose primary school children to as much English as possible. But if for some reason they don't pick it up then of course they should not be forced to study other subjects in English at secondary school. In fact the term bilingual is quite misleading as well - it means the school teaches in two languages - but many Spanish parents assume it to mean the school produces bilingual children, and they don't realise that their kids might not have that high a level of English after attending those schools. Furthermore they aren't able to help their kids at home since all the material is in English.

Edit to add - I'm not aware of any bilingual schools that teach maths in English. Usually it's the arts and humanities.


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## kalohi (May 6, 2012)

elenetxu said:


> Was his participation in the bilingual system elective or obligatory?
> If it's obligatory, that's outrageous.


It's obligatory in the sense that his assigned state school is bilingual. He is free to request placement in a different, non-bilingual school, but that would mean going to a different town and he would need to take a bus to get there. His family can't afford bus fare (parents unemployed), so he has to stay where he is.


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

Deleted - just read earlier post


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

Chopera said:


> Edit to add - I'm not aware of any bilingual schools that teach maths in English. Usually it's the arts and humanities.


Our IES is going bilingual next term and they will be providing 9 hours a week in maths.


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## Chopera (Apr 22, 2013)

Alcalaina said:


> Our IES is going bilingual next term and they will be providing 9 hours a week in maths.


So secondary school students will have to study maths in English, even if they have a poor level of English?


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## 213979 (Apr 11, 2013)

kalohi said:


> It's obligatory in the sense that his assigned state school is bilingual. He is free to request placement in a different, non-bilingual school, but that would mean going to a different town and he would need to take a bus to get there. His family can't afford bus fare (parents unemployed), so he has to stay where he is.


That's depressing. I've seen this for primary schools but not secondary schools. As you can imagine, I don't support the idea. 

Up here, at a "bilingual" school you have bilingual-track and non-bilingual track studies. Students can choose to enter either track and each school is allowed to decide how to admit students to the bilingual track group.


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## 213979 (Apr 11, 2013)

Chopera said:


> In Madrid there are bilingual secondary schools, and there are also secondary schools with secciones lingisticas (some are in French and German). It's odd because the requirements for entering a school with a sección linguistica en inglés is quite high - they won't let kids in who haven't got a reasonably high level of English for the reasons you mention. However the schools that do French or German don't have any entrance requirements for those languages at all. So the level of teaching in certain subjects in those schools can't be of very high level. And given the teachers aren't required to have that high a level in order to teach in a foreign language, it only makes matters worse.
> 
> However those schools do also provide an alternative route, with the teaching in Spanish. Which is how it should be - I think you should try to expose primary school children to as much English as possible. But if for some reason they don't pick it up then of course they should not be forced to study other subjects in English at secondary school. In fact the term bilingual is quite misleading as well - it means the school teaches in two languages - but many Spanish parents assume it to mean the school produces bilingual children, and they don't realise that their kids might not have that high a level of English after attending those schools. Furthermore they aren't able to help their kids at home since all the material is in English.
> 
> Edit to add - I'm not aware of any bilingual schools that teach maths in English. Usually it's the arts and humanities.


I kind of feel like Madrid did too much too quickly, without really thinking through the plan. 

I have always believed that *bi*lingual schools and programs should be just that- *bi*lingual. I was supposed to speak exclusively in English in the classroom. However, is it important that a student learns the same concepts in their native language? I think so. This is not like the Canadian system of French (or English) immersion education. 

Math is a DNL (Disciplina no-linguistica)/CLIL (Content and language integrated learning) subject in many regions. Bilingual schools must offer x-amount of hours in English each week. The choice of subjects often depends on the teachers available who have a B2 in English. For example, if the only teachers with a certified B2 in English are the Math and Technology teachers, the choice is clear. However, each school can decide which subjects they will offer in English. I think Math and Technology are wasted opportunities. Art, Social Studies, and even Science offer so many opportunities to write and talk.


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## farah asim (Jul 9, 2014)

They prefer the native speakers over trained and qualified teachers but again I would emphasize that being a native speaker does not make you a good teacher. A language teacher needs to be prolific, ie, has standard pronunciation called RP ( received pronunciation) and trained as well.


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## 213979 (Apr 11, 2013)

farah asim said:


> They prefer the native speakers over trained and qualified teachers but again I would emphasize that being a native speaker does not make you a good teacher. A language teacher needs to be prolific, ie, has *standard pronunciation called RP ( received pronunciation)* and trained as well.


Oh man. Yet again, my American accent makes me worthless.


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## 90199 (Mar 21, 2010)

elenetxu said:


> Oh man. Yet again, my American accent makes me worthless.


Accent, I have a blooming dialect to contend with

Eer all see all say nowt, Eyt all sup all pay nowt, an if ever that does owt fer nowt.alis doit fo thisen.

Welcome to the Broad acres of Gods own county Yorkshire, preferably the West Riding.


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## 213979 (Apr 11, 2013)

Hepa said:


> Accent, I have a blooming dialect to contend with
> 
> Eer all see all say nowt, Eyt all sup all pay nowt, an if ever that does owt fer nowt.alis doit fo thisen.
> 
> Welcome to the Broad acres of Gods own county Yorkshire, preferably the West Riding.


_No te entiendoooo.._

Did I tell you guys one of my students got 0.3 taken off an exam question for using "have" instead of "have got"? :hurt:


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## Chopera (Apr 22, 2013)

elenetxu said:


> Oh man. Yet again, my American accent makes me worthless.


I always recommend to Spaniards that they practice English with Americans if they can. You know what accent you're getting (with a few exceptions), and everyone understands them.


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

Chopera said:


> I always recommend to Spaniards that they practice English with Americans if they can. You know what accent you're getting (with a few exceptions), and everyone understands them.


You may be able to define the accent but the words will fail them!


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## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

baldilocks said:


> You may be able to define the accent but the words will fail them!


.... and as for sentence construction .... well ....!


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## 213979 (Apr 11, 2013)

Chopera said:


> I always recommend to Spaniards that they practice English with Americans if they can. You know what accent you're getting (with a few exceptions), and everyone understands them.


As you have probably already noticed, you're in a minority.


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## anles (Feb 11, 2009)

Alcalaina said:


> Our IES is going bilingual next term and they will be providing 9 hours a week in maths.


Is this 9 hours over all the courses? I don't think any one course gets nine hours a week maths!


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

Chopera said:


> So secondary school students will have to study maths in English, even if they have a poor level of English?


Scary isn't it. The maths teacher isn't too happy about it either, but she's one of the few members of staff who actually speak English. She can get round the requirements by saying the simple things like "go to page 25" in English, and the complicated stuff will just get repeated in both languages. I'm sure she won't let the kids be disadvantaged by the arrangement, even though it means more work for her. She doesn't get any extra money for the responsibility.


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

anles said:


> Is this 9 hours over all the courses? I don't think any one course gets nine hours a week maths!


Yes, over all year groups.


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