Teacher with heavy accent

[heavyaccent]

NC as controversial.........

DS has been moved up to top set maths for year 8 which is great. He claims to not be learning anything however, as he's having difficulty understanding the teacher because of her thick accent. She also apparently speaks quite quickly. When other students have asked her to repeat something she has exploded at them for not listening. He says she's very strict and not an approachable character.

I'm not sure how to advise he deals with this- he thinks asking her to speak slower or repeat details will get him in trouble. So do we just accept that he will sit there for the whole of year 8 not learning anything? He is now dreading this class every day. It was his favourite subject previously.

My only related experience is when learning to drive with the AA. I was allocated a Nigerian instructor. Very nice friendly man made me feel at ease but honestly I just nodded along with everything he said as I could barely understand a word. After 3 lessons like this I decided to switch instructor- I felt bad but I just wasn't learning anything and I couldn't afford to waste money on lessons.

So what is my AIBU- I'm not really sure. I would rather he drop back to set 2 and really understand the teacher and continue to learn. Is this a bit 'racist' of me though?

I would image he should get used to the accent soon enough. However, I’d also mention it to the teacher and have a chat with her.

This happened to me in Y8, a whole year of nothing in maths. I had another teacher in Y9, caught up by Y11 and took CSE (showing my age) rather than O Level. Didn't get my GCSE maths until I was 45. And it was due to that heavily accented teacher. He was lovely, but I really didn't understand a word.

Yes, I would speak to his HOY and say he's too shy to bring it up, but Mrs Whatever needs to enunciate her words more clearly

CAn you understand the teacher? Do you think that is the problem or an excuse? If you think it a genuine problem then may well be worth talking to school. (other children may be having same issue.) Or is it the childs hearing? 9worth investigating.)

What is the accent?

It’ll be fine.

One of mine had a teacher with a southern drawl type of accent. She was American.

They got used to it.

I'd be surprised if he didn't get used to the accent tbh.

He should "tune in" to the accent in time. When I first moved to Devon I really struggled with some of the heavy local accents, but picked it up with practice. Same in my year abroad - local accent/speed of one of the lecturers was a nasty shock - but within 2 weeks all of us brits were fine - on one 2 hour lecture a week.

Have struggled with a couple of hospital consultants recently - especially as you tend to see each one so briefly!

I think it's worth raising with the teacher at parents' evening - not mentioning her accent directly, but saying that she seems to react quite strongly to children saying they haven't understood, so your DS is now worried about asking for help. This is the bit that's wrong here. When is parents' evening - there is usually one in Oct in most schools? I'd try that approach first.

I clicked on this to see if you were talking about someone I know, a Maths teacher but male. He taught all my children, either GCSE or A level maths and was very hard to understand. I would sit in parents evening nodding and smiling like a loon but with not a clue what he was saying to me. My children complained they did not understand him either but must have tuned in eventually as they did well in their exams.

I think you can only encourage your child to not be afraid to put their hand up and ask for points to be repeated if they really can't grasp what is being said.

I would speak to his head of year and mention that your ds is struggling to follow the lesson as the teacher speaks too fast. Perhaps if they slowed down the accent would be less 'thick'.

He’ll get used to the accent if he makes the effort to understand and follow rather than give up saying it’s impossible and stop listening

I really struggle with accents, I work with a Scottish lady and I just can’t understand her, even when I can see her face clearly.

Some of us just don’t get used to unfamiliar accents, so I would give it a few weeks and then revisit.

Why are people saying don’t mention the accent directly? In case it could be seen as racist?

FFS!

Say something or move school or pay for tutoring.

Just say something!

Some of us just don’t get used to unfamiliar accents, so I would give it a few weeks and then revisit

I think this is good advice

I imagine she’s touchy about it because she frequently gets told that people don’t understand her. I don’t think it’s acceptable for a teacher not to be able to communicate clearly with students for any reason. Are the others in the class having similar difficulties? If so can you get together and make a joint complaint?

Alternatively, you could see if it’s possible to move your son to a different Math class taught by a teacher he understands.

I imagine she’s touchy about it because she frequently gets told that people don’t understand her.

This
The school needs to be told

@heavyaccent

YANBU, but some people will say you are. I know there is always a fear of being thought of as racist. But to be honest, if you can't understand someone who is meant to be teaching you something, then something has to be said/done.

I feel full of dread when I am given an an appointment with a certain specialist at the hospital, because English is not his first language, he cannot understand what I am trying to tell him, and I cannot fathom what he is trying to say to me!

It's not 'racist' to be pissed off and irked that the professional person who you are dealing with can't speak or understand English properly. It should be a given for everyone who lives and works in the UK to be able to speak (and write) English properly.

All this said, the teacher that your son is with, just sounds like she isn't very good at her job. As a few posters have said, the school needs to be told about this.

I remember having this issue when I was at school. In our case the teacher was French, was heavily accented, spoke fast and was teaching German. I didn’t learn anything that year and promptly dropped German the following!

I would definitely mention to the head of year that they are struggling to follow her and they don’t feel able to ask for clarification in class because of how she reacts. Assuming your DS and classmates aren’t talking in class and ask politely/put their hand up then her ‘exploding’ is completely uncalled for and you should definitely complain as this is worse than the initial issue with the accent.

@heavyaccent can I recommend you don't state what the accent is? Right now it's an objective discussion, but that could well change if you disclose this (and it surely doesn't matter anyway as a lack of clarity is just that no matter what the reason)

Personally I'd make an appointment to see the teacher and mention politely that DS is too worried to speak up if he doesn't catch what's said. In a way that's almost worse than the original issue, and I agree with the PP who said the sharpness might be down to others often saying the same

Hopefully she'll have some suggestions to make, but if not you may need to involve the HoY to get DS moved to another group

What are you expecting to be done about this OP?

@littlehappyhippo you said "It should be a given for everyone who lives and works in the UK to be able to speak (and write) English properly."

I disagree. I think that is quite racist actually. I lived and worked in spain for two years , and I spoke English the whole time that I was there.

I worked with many English primary teachers in Spain, and none of them had a word of Spanish except one who was studying beginner level Spanish.

So why should everybody who comes to England - speak English?

English is just one language of many

Interesting. Everyone assumes the teacher is a different race. In the past I have had trouble understanding my DH Scottish relatives. A person from London could easily have difficulty understanding a thick Yorkshire or Somerset accent, for example. It's the accent and speaking quickly.

DS1 had this with science in year 7. He ended up learning a lot of basic science vocab with a heavy Spanish accent.

It took him a few weeks to tune in, and he said her English was fine, it was just the accent he struggled with.

I'd give it a bit longer tbh.

I would raise the issue to the head of year in a polite way, that students cannot understand the teacher's accent. I am sure that there is something that the school can do to help the teacher