Non native-speakers are better for initial language learning

I say this as someone whose current livelihood depends on the industry NOT doing what I think is best. At a certain point I think that even if you are being paid for something you have to do some self-evaluation and realize that despite what the employers believe, that you are not the correct person for this job.

When I see that we have Kindergarteners who have never spoken or heard English outside of a cartoon or a phrase now and then all of a sudden having someone in front of them speaking a language that they do not understand I really can't help but feel like this is a tremendous exercise in futility.

I don't teach the youngest kids and yes, I realize that little kids can sometimes have the brain of a sponge but at the same time I really feel as though this job would be better handled by someone who actually speaks the same language as the kids to at the initial stages. I saw this meme and immediately agreed with it.

I don't know what the duck has to do with anything but the message is true: There are certain nuances of learning a language that the native speaker couldn't possibly be familiar with because it is going to be different for each person depending on their own native language. This is why people who know one "romantic" language are able to transition to another one much more easily that say, someone who is Chinese could learn French.

I have taught grades 4-6 in my years here teaching ESL in Thailand and I frequently encounter students who despite 4-6 years of having a couple of hours a day of tutelage from a foreigner, they have managed to have very little if any grasp on the language. At this point it is extra pointless for them to continue to be taught by a foreigner because they have no idea what is even being taught. I, as a teacher, have very little in the way of methods, of actually getting through to them as well. The only thing I could really do would be to act a fool and pantomime entire sentences when if they simply had a Thai teacher to tell them the ins and outs of the language they would be much better off and get a lot more out of it.

I really believe that the entire ESL system in Asia that is done the way of always having a native speaker be the exclusive teacher of the language to this kids is actually counterproductive to their education in an overall sense. Even at the expense of my own salary, I believe it would be much more beneficial to these students to have someone who already speaks the same language as them to teach it to them.

Once they have reached a certain level of proficiency... then and only then, do I believe that a native speaker is going to help them in any way. People like me could come along and refine their pronunciation or grammar structure but as far as teaching them the basics is concerned I think the entire system is going in the wrong direction.

I do not understand why the schools continue to pursue the route of native speakers being the teachers when after decades the overall language capabilities of the students does not improve. It must be ignorance or just stubbornness that perpetuates this useless cycle.