To this I say absolutely not,
especially if your teacher is fluent and has the cultural
knowledge of the language because he or she studied abroad, or at least spent
some time there. Most language teachers have, because it is the easiest way to get fluent, and if you are not fluent, why would you want to teach it?
Listen. I hate to tell you this, but
you are NOT going to get your teacher’s accent. It just doesn’t work that way.
We pick up our accent from those around us and then we mix that with our own
habits of pronunciation that we bring with us from other languages. This is
also true for children. If you want them to have a perfect accent in a
language, put them in situations with native speakers their age.
Non-native speakers have the added
benefit of having learned the language themselves, so they may have some tricks
that a native does not. They may also hold you to a higher standard and not let
you get away with making the typical mistakes that non-natives make. A good
teacher will know you better than you know yourself and push you in a way that
you might not expect but which allows you to achieve a high level in the
language. That is also a bonus.
The fun part of learning a language is
the culture. So you want to have a teacher who can share that with you. And please
let the teacher be fun and exciting-- a teacher who is going to make you Love
the language. Just because a teacher is a native does not mean that he or she
will be a good teacher.
I would MUCH rather have a non-native
speaker who is excellent than a native speaker who is a bore. How about you?
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