English teachers (EFL/ESL) are often too keen to teach a certain grammar point or phrase without really thinking about how useful it is (I have also been guilty of this in the past). Here are some quick questions to ask your teacher if you are unsure about how or when to use something:
1) Is this natural?
2) Can you give me three situations when you would use this?
3) How often do you use this? (Or When was the last time you used this?)
4) Can you use this the same way in both writing and speech?
5) What are some other ways to say this?
I am not suggesting that your English teacher is trying to trick you! I am suggesting that you should not feel bad about asking questions. I encourage my students to ask as many questions as they like - it helps them to understand and it helps me to become a better teacher.
Comments