A person's primary language is his or her native language; the first language a person learns. For many, English is the second, or even third, fourth, or fifth language learned. Thus, English is a secondary language for these individuals.
I do not restrict my private tutoring and language assistance to non-native speakers. Many graduates from schools across North America were not taught grammar and superior communication skills in their native language. I refuse no-one who comes with an interest in further developing their English language skills.  Simplicity is the art of focus and concentration. The mind must be freed of complication so that it may focus on what is important. Both student and teacher must learn what is important and what is not. Having done this, the teacher teaches what the student must learn, and the student is freed to focus on the teacher's lessons.  Stress is the mortal enemy of complex learning. While simple things may be learned by memorization and repetition alone, those learning English as a secondary language do not find English to be simple! English lacks the more rigid rules and structures of other languages. English can be manipulated in different ways to create vastly different styles, be these styles for good or for ill. English is therefore a deceptively complex language. English must be learned with a clear mind. Distractions must be rejected. The student must learn the flow of the English language; for English is a language like water. English can be bent in many ways, and its shape may vary greatly, but it must never be broken altogether. This can only be learned through experience and comfort; stress threatens to ruin the experience by destroying comfort.  Speed and velocity are not identical. Speed is rate of movement in an absolute sense; velocity is rate of movement in a particular direction. The student must move towards his or her goal with great velocity. The teacher exists to guide the student in the proper direction. The student must learn in a relaxed way, but this does not require learning to be slow. In fact, simplicity and relaxation accelerate the learning process. Students do not need to repeat lessons as often because the teacher has focused on teaching; the student is able to learn the lesson more quickly. The teacher spends as much time on one lesson as the student requires. Once this is accomplished, both student and teacher move off in a new direction. Each movement is done firmly and confidently. When a student has learned something, he has learned in less time than complicated, stress-filled classrooms could ever achieve. This is the principle of festina lente; calmly, but in haste.  Knowledge is built like a building. Like a building, knowledge requires a foundation, walls and a roof to define what is within the subject, and structure, which in English, is provided by grammar. All aspects of English must be reinforced. When a student understands something for the first time, he or she may quickly forget. Reinforcement means strengthening memory. By showing the student knowledge from different angles, the student gains a three-dimensional image of the knowledge; it becomes firm in his or her mind. The brain literally forms new memories to store the knowledge. This is good teaching reinforces knowledge in a simple, relaxed, but surprisingly quick way.  If we use a friendly tone as we speak to others, but do not pay attention to what they say to us, we have accomplished nothing. If we pretend to hear, but do not listen, we have still accomplished nothing. Language and communication is all about openness: making ourselves receptive to the concerns of others. Only the teacher who genuinely listens to his students can learn from them. Only the teacher who is capable of and willing to learn from his students, is fit to teach. My name is Jeremiah Bourque.  These are the principles I use to teach English as a Secondary Language. Regardless of who you are, I am dedicated to learning about your needs as an individual so that I may better serve you. This website contains details of my quest to bring better English education to a variety of non-native English speakers:
I do my best to be humble, and to learn every day from students and from the many sources of information the modern Internet brings before my eyes. Nonetheless, I take great pride in my success in learning good, sound English. My goal is to apply these principles of teaching and bring much-needed help to a wide variety of individuals. |