Jovana Radović

UDG, Faculty of Philology

Anyone who speaks the language can teach the language

Anyone who speaks the language definitely cannot teach the language. Foreign language
teachers need to have certain qualities; they need to be encouraging and inspiring, openminded,
because of students’ individual differences, patient, because language cannot be learnt
overnight… Apart from these qualities, there are a lot of other things that a language teacher
needs to be aware of because language is a very complex system. Some of the most important
aspects are; equally developed performance and competence, transmitting culture through
teaching language and developing teaching techniques.
Performance is the speaker’s actual use of language, the practical part. However, one cannot
teach a language unless he/she has developed competence about a particular language.
Competence refers to knowledge about a language. Performance and competence need to be on
the same level. There are many people who have brilliant performance, but they have no
competence so they are unable to teach a language. Additionally, it is one thing to talk fluently
and other to have great performance and competence because spoken language is not always
academic language.
Through teaching language, culture also needs to be transmitted. Teaching a language is more
that teaching only its grammar and vocabulary. Languages often contain words and expressions
that are unique to a particular culture and may not have direct translations in other languages.
They usually reflect the specific cultural concepts, experiences, and priorities of a community.
Languages evolve over time, often influenced by cultural shifts, interactions with other
communities, and changes in societal norms. As cultures change, so do the languages spoken
within them. New words are coined, old words may fall out of use, and grammar and syntax may
adapt to reflect societal changes. A culture is expressed through a language and a language
always carries the distinct features of a culture. Language and culture always go hand in hand- in
order to understand one, you must understand the other.
In order to teach a language, an individual needs to learn teaching techniques. In this job,
presentation is equally important to knowledge about a subject being taught. Teachers need to be
able to pass on their knowledge which can be done through learning teaching techniques and
practice. Without proper pedagogical training, individuals may struggle to create engaging and
effective lessons and catch students’ interest. Language teachers need to develop their
interpersonal skills in order to have good communication with students, create a supportive
learning environment, and address individual needs and concerns. It is not possible for everyone
who just knows the language to posses all of these qualities because it takes a lot of time to
develop or improve them.
 In conclusion, proficiency in a language alone does not guarantee effective language teaching.
Foreign language instructors must possess a diverse set of qualities to navigate the complexities
of language acquisition. Moreover, successful language educators need to balance their
competence and performance, have knowledge about the culture of the language they are
teaching and present it, and develop their teaching skills by learning about teaching techniques.