LANGUAGE LEARNING

Are native teachers necessarily the best?

Spanish schools are seeking increasing numbers of foreign language educators

But experts stress the importance of classroom expertise over nationality

Spain's public education system began getting serious about teaching in English almost two decades ago. The first 43 public bilingual centers opened in 1996 as a joint project of the Education Ministry and the British Council, a model that was later adopted and adapted by various regional governments. Students are no longer embarrassed to speak in English, and growing numbers of universities are now offering bilingual degrees.

Classes in one of Spain's bilingual schools. / ÓSCAR CORRAL (EL PAÍS)

source: http://elpais.com/elpais/2012/10/29/inenglish/1351524669_594031.html