[Harry Smith]

Originally Posted by Manuela Rocha

I quite agree with you, Harry Smith. I think it's unfair to say that no student in Portugal likes to learn English. The problem is that, in my opinion, you either like it and are "language talented" or you're not. Then, if you meet a teacher who thinks you don't do better because you don't study or aren't eager to learn, you just get frustrated. Well, I´m just a teacher who tries to understand those students who are not good at English, no matter how hard they try. I'm sure many of them do their best, but they simply don't "have a bent towards English". I must say I've had many bad students at English, who tried their best but didn't succeed. Was it their fault or mine? I don't know. But some of them still visit me today, and we are good friends. Do you believe too, that you need to "have a bent towards languages"? I think so!

Yes, sure. For many of my students it's very easy to learn English. They even don't work hard but they succeed in it. They have " a bent towards languages" as you said. But I believe that we can develop language learning abilities in most students. First of all you should make them realise the importance of English nowadays, how urgent it is. After this it becomes much easier to teach them.