Insincerity Stinks
I can sense it a mile off and I believe most people can too.
We’re just increasingly expected to accept it.
This blog is about sincerity in language education, what it is, what it isn’t – and why it matters.
Your English is memorable when your teacher/coach cares.
Why We Need Sincerity
From the hotel manager who asks ‘how was your meal’ without making eye contact (and whilst reaching for your payment card), to the deluge of emails trying to get your attention by scaring you, we live in an increasingly insincere world.
Language education is transactional, but much more complex than providing a satisfying meal.
Love it or hate it, language learning is inherently challenging.
Using a second language is elating, liberating and joyous, but the path will make you feel vulnerable/scared/frustrated at least some of the time.
A good coach is in tune with how you are feeling and continuously recalibrates your course accordingly: riding the highs and helping you out of any lows, something that AI would love to be able to replicate, but can’t.
Not even every human can.
Coaching is an art.
Plain Speaking
You Need Trust in Language Learning
Leaning into language learning takes total trust, and all too often schools with systems pretend to care, when they don’t.
What they are selling is a system, and that’s ok.
But can we be more clear about that.
Fakenes is endemic throughout language school systems.
In many cases, commercial language schools give a great service: an exchange of availability and a tried and tested recipe for language progress.
The problem occurs when it is sold or presented as friendly and personalised when it isn’t.
That relies too heavily on the good nature of the individual teachers who are getting paid a small wage to deliver a system: not being a private coach (a skilled job worth a much higher wage).
This is exploitation.
Students do pick up on it (of course they do, we spend hours with them). It casts a wide shadow over their enjoyment of learning as they don’t want to be complicit in it.
Corporate Language Schools:
They do want you to complete their system, make tangible progress – and they have had a lot of practice at it.
That’s the process. They want the stats.
It’s ok to choose an impersonal process.
But let’s just call it what it is and stop faking caring: the Christmas cards that push an offer, the annual reminder that New Year is a great time for language learning (it isn’t).
If your staff are your biggest asset, reward them fairly.
Duolingo
I’m all for Duolino and anonymous systems as part of the learning path.
But I don’t need chatty/pushy ‘howdy!’ emails from an app.
I’m baffled anyone does, but it undeniably suits a lot of people. (If that’s you – go for it!)
Caring
Sincerity in Language Education
One further problem with all the fake caring is it homogenises and drowns out the skilled independent voices, making it harder for you to find your ideal language course, teacher or coach.
Leave the language of caring for the many fabulous independent language teachers who actually care.
Not about results, but about your progress.
We can help you find them
5 Tip to Identify What is Real
Language School Websites
When everyone uses the same language of caring, it is hard to make a genuinely attentive and personalised service stand out online.
Stock Photos
Our images may be less than perfect, but so is language learning. They are real, to help you decide if our language experiences match your expectations.
With a few exceptions, stock photos = stock service.
Ask yourself what they are hiding.
If a language school uses stock photos, don’t expect to feel special, (but again, perhaps that learning process is right for you).
Read the Testimonials
Volume doesn’t matter as much as what they say. Do past clients sound elated, inspired and special?
Meet your Lead Coach
We are BIG believers in having a chat with your lead coach before booking.
Find out if you ‘click’.
Test your comfort speaking with this person by asking questions about the language teaching method.
What's Their Aftercare?
Are you going to be bombarded with sales emails – or something different?
Compare and Contrast
See our blog: Help Choosing a Language Learning Homestay.
See for Yourself, When You Learn English in Perthshire!
Join us for a Holiday, and Discover a School that Cares
Once you get here, you can slow down and savour the moments and flavours, with us by your side.
How we care is how we help.
Newsletters – Differently
Last January I got so many bot-written emails wishing me a ‘Happy New Year,’ I swore to walk a different path of newsletter communication.
What had seemed ok (impersonal emails to your ‘audience’ suddenly wasn’t anymore). (Here’s that conversation).
Talk of the Wee Town is a new way to do an ELT newsletter.
It’s full of stuff YOU want to read!
Sign up for Talk of the Wee Town!
Top Image
My own image: the very talented pronunciation coach Jennie Reed delivering a workshop for Blue Noun Language Hub.
The Research: How A Caring Teacher Improves Language Outcomes
1. Teacher-Student Relationship & Motivation
- Studies show that when students perceive their teacher as caring, they are more motivated to engage in learning. Motivation is a key predictor of success in language acquisition (Dörnyei, 2001).
- Affective factors like anxiety and self-confidence play a huge role in language learning, and a caring teacher can create a safe environment that reduces anxiety and increases confidence (Krashen, 1982).
2. Impact on Engagement & Persistence
- Research indicates that students who feel supported by their teacher are more likely to persist through difficulties in learning (Deci & Ryan, 1985). This is especially important in language learning, where learners frequently experience frustration and plateaus.
- A caring teacher can boost a student’s resilience by reinforcing their belief that progress is possible.
3. Psychological Safety & Language Output
- Language learning requires risk-taking—students need to speak even when they are not sure they are correct.
- A caring teacher fosters a low-anxiety environment where students feel safe making mistakes, which is crucial for developing fluency (Krashen’s Affective Filter Hypothesis, 1982).
4. Teacher Expectations & the Pygmalion Effect
- The “Pygmalion Effect” (Rosenthal & Jacobson, 1968) suggests that teacher expectations influence student performance. If a teacher believes in a student’s potential and expresses care, the student is more likely to meet those expectations.
- In language learning, if a teacher expects a student to succeed and communicates encouragement, the student is more likely to engage and improve.
5. Real-World Applications
- Coaching models in language learning, which emphasize personalized feedback and emotional support, often yield better results than traditional instruction.
- Many immersion programs (like Blue Noun language holidays) thrive on the idea that feeling cared for and encouraged in real conversations leads to deeper learning.
(Here’s a diagram of how real-world English holidays work).
