The original was published on https://learning.aljazeera.net/en/Blogs/%D8%B3%D8%A4%D8%A7%D9%84-%D9%88%D8%AC%D9%88%D8%A7%D8%A8-%D8%AD%D9%88%D9%84-%D8%AA%D8%B9%D9%84%D9%85-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%84%D8%BA%D8%A9 .
Following is a loose translation.Both have their own role and specialty.
Surely an Arab professional is competent in their language. It would be wonderful, if one had the experience of teaching the language. An Arab professional teacher would be able to assist you to understand the reading materials correctly and support you during conversation. You will also experience listening to good and contemporary language usage.
On the other hand, a non-native teacher who learnt Arabic will be able to empathize with your learning and know what you are thinking and the challenges you are facing during your study.
Hence, he can help you overcome your learning difficulties by explaining to you the language forms in a way that is close to your language. He can assist you in a way a native teacher may not be able to do. In a way, both teachers complement each other and not conflicting.
To sum up this note, a student may want to check the following conditions about the teacher:
- Is the teacher a native speaker? If not, does he/ she speak the language well?
- Is the teacher specialized in the language? Did he/ she study the language as an academic study in an educational institution?
- Does the teacher have knowledge of teaching Arabic as a foreign language?
If the teacher fulfills these conditions, then he is competent to teach.
