[pepBarihepe]

Paul_au, I am not sure what your point is with this post: are you saying that students should learn broken English because that will prepare them better for conversations with people around the world? Or are you saying that when it comes to hiring English teachers, laypeople with "charisma" should be preferred over people with a degree who are actually qualified to be teachers?

If the latter is the case, I disagree with you. While it certainly makes learning easier if a teacher has the ability to motivate students (if that's what you mean by "charisma"), this ability alone is not sufficient enough for serious English education. I have had my share of such teachers over the last few years: they were connecting with the classroom, they made than one hour fun, sure! However, the class time we spent with these folks was not productive. We didn't learn anything. Whether it was because they didn't know how to convey their knowledge effectively, or because their knowledge was meager to begin with, I am not sure. Either way, I feel that most such people use their "charismatic" skills just to hide their inabilities in other aspects of teaching. If I want to see actors, I go to the theater. If I want to be amused by clowns, I go to the circus. However, when I want to learn something as complex as a language, I prefer qualified teachers with a degree - not because of the piece of paper, but because it is an indication of their commitment, and because they might actually know what they are doing.

Don't get me wrong, it is great if teachers are able to reach the class beyond the dry lectures of a textbook. But it is only the icing on the cake. Charismatic people with proper education is the ideal combination.