To think this Spanish teacher probably can't speak Spanish?

[Burnt0utMum]

DD has recently started an online Spanish class. First week was fine, all very basic stuff and she enjoyed it so signed her up for the rest of the term (which was only 2 lessons). Her 2nd lesson was last week. She was doing the lesson on her tablet and I could overhear. My Spanish is pretty basic but I do know a reasonable amount of vocab and grammar. The teacher taught the children some individual words, then started forming sentences. Now here's what I think was wrong. English: The child is shouting. Teacher said in Spanish: El niño es gritando. English: The children are shouting. Teacher said in Spanish: Los niños son gritando. Can any Spanish speakers confirm if this can ever be correct? Or should it have been está and están? Aibu to discontinue the lessons after this term as it seem the teacher is teaching incorrect grammar? I don't want to have to be teaching DD differently after the lesson. I enrolled her in a class precisely because my Spanish isn't good enough to teach her but it seems the teacher's isn't either.

Yes you're right
I did Spanish to degree level
This is the kind of thing that really pisses me off, shouldn't be teaching it if she doesn't know it that well

ouch, yanbu

YANBU. Cancel the classes and tell her why. Shocking!

You’re right - it should ‘está’ and ‘están’ as it’s the present continuous.

Where did you get the teacher from?
I'm an English language teacher (postgraduate Masters qualified) and my degree is in Spanish and French. During lockdown when we were online teaching, I joined a couple of online teaching groups and there are some shockers. Native speakers who think that their native speaker status means they can teach. They are asking the most basic questions on the group, not just about details of the language itself, but about teaching methods.
I'd already be wary of any language teacher who seems to be doing "point and describe" sentences. Your daughter should be talking about herself, and beginning (if she's a beginner or false beginner) with simple conversational stuff like her age, her hobbies, her family. Not learning useless sentences with (an incorrect form of) the present continuous.

Wow! That's dreadful. And suggests not even a basic grasp of Spanish. Can you cancel straight away?

Out of noseyness, what was she teaching? (Google translate hasn’t helped.)

I don't speak Spanish, but teach another language privately, so just a little background info.

Private tutoring is not at all regulated, anyone can decide to teach a particular skill, do you are completely within your rights to ask about their skills and/or qualifications. For language teaching, it's a good idea to speak with the tutor if you can or have a speaker present.

If you suspect that the teacher doesn't speak Spanish, I would stop the lessons immediately. It's very difficult to 'unlearn' bad grammar. So cut your losses, hopefully you can get a refund. I would be polite and factual, hopefully she should give you a refund.

Also, many tutors (me included) offer block discounts, but it's a good idea to ask to a few weeks on a trial basis (if you ask nicely, you might even get the discounted price for a couple of weeks). A good tutor should have no problem with this request, a funny reaction is generally an indicator of a bad tutor.

Bilingual here. You're right, she's wrong. I'd be dumping the classes too, because that's really, really basic high school grammar.

It was from a franchise. Seemed reputable so was really surprising to see her get it so wrong. The lesson was mostly about animals and probably stuff she could have easily got from Google.

@Geamhradh, interesting. I'm in a similar group of German teachers. It's shocking what kind of questions get asked, sometimes with dire grammar, by people who are teaching others.

I'm not saying a degree is the only way (I don't have one for starters), but you'd think people have a better idea of their strength and weaknesses. Just goes to show, that you need to check out people's claims.

@Burnt0utMum l would strongly advise against language agencies. The way these businesses work means they are encouraged to sign anybody, and quite often the people who run them have no way of checking the credentials of their applicants because they don't speak the language.
and they like to keep about 1/3 of the hefty fees they charge you.

Also, which franchise was it?

Yeh that's bad. Just translating it like it were english!

That’s bad, and I would cancel and ask for a refund. I would also complain to the agency.

Also, isn't the Present Continuous a bit advanced for complete beginners? It's hard enough getting to grips with conjugating verbs in the Present tense without throwing in the Present Continuous too. I wonder if the tutor was using a literal translation of the English version without understanding the difference in construction (and using ser instead of estar)?

You are correct. My Spanish husband has confirmed it. We've had this issue before. Twice. I don't like to be a dick but people shouldn't be taking money if they can't do it!

That to me suggests that the teacher really doesn’t speak Spanish at all, rather than just speaks it badly. Even a beginner would realise the difference between ‘ser’ and ‘estar’ and realise it was totally wrong to use one in the place of another.

Even a beginner would realise the difference between ‘ser’ and ‘estar’

The difference between see and estar isn’t easy - it’s not like we have this issue in English. The present continuous isn’t something taught till GCSE kicks in in most schools. If it’s a franchise, you would expect her to be using ready made materials - that’s perhaps the most concerning issue.

Yes I remember when I was learning the teacher always used to remind us of the difference between ser and estar so it's not something that's obvious at the start but obviously a teacher should know it!

Even Google translate knows they are wrong!

Seriously, that is a pretty low bar, and they haven’t passed it.

She claims to have qualifications and extensive experience although I have no way of knowing whether that's true or not. I tried to consider if it was just a slip up but just feel like it's such an integral part of the language that even if she just got mixed up that shows she doesn't intrinsically know the language well enough to be teaching it, especially to children. I agree that it's hard to unlearn things that have been taught wrong so I'd really rather we get it right in the first place. Probably best I start looking for another teacher as I'll always be worrying these lessons are teaching the wrong thing now. There's only 1 lesson left of the term so not too bothered about getting a refund for that.

Something's a bit off. I'm surprised she knows vocab such as 'shouting' but doesn't know to use están instead of son. It suggests maybe she's just typing into Google translate?
I agree ser and estar can be confusing in some scenarios, but not in this one!

El niño está gritando ✔

El niño es gritando would be some sort of existential state perhaps in Purgatory where a child continually shouts forever and ever in an endless cycle.

If it's one of these online language places, an awful lot of the teachers literally read a script from materials prepared for them by the organisation.
I've been teaching English language for 27 years and thought I'd earn a bit of pin money by joining the online gig, I was turned down because they wanted me to dress like a Wiggle and leap about wearing a hat and waggling a puppet. (I usually teach up to A level lit and academic writing qualifications , though not dressed as a Tweenie)