When English Sounds Impressive but Isn’t: Why Teacher Training Matters More Than Ever

This is frequently mistaken for fluency.

In reality, it is a red flag.

What we are witnessing is not natural language development, but trained performance — and it has serious implications for how these learners will use English in the future.

A Moment That Reveals the Problem Clearly

At a school presentation function I once attended, a young child confidently stepped forward and recited:

“I am rrrround and brrrown.
You aaaall eeeat meee for brrreakfast.”

The child did not hesitate.
The pronunciation was careful.
The rhythm was polished.
And yet, it was deeply unnatural.

Every sound was dragged. Every word was overworked. The speech had clearly been memorised and practised extensively. This was not spontaneous language. It was a performance designed to impress an audience.

Moments like these are often applauded. But for educators and school leaders, they should prompt a more important question:

What exactly are we training children to do when we teach English this way?

When Performance is Preferred Over Actual Capability

As humans, we learn to speak by listening, responding, questioning, and negotiating meaning — not by perfecting sound patterns in isolation. We acquire fluency through intentional interaction.

When a child’s speech becomes exaggerated or mechanical, it is almost always the result of instructional practices, such as:

• Phonics taught without sufficient connection to meaning
• Teachers modelling overly slow or exaggerated pronunciation
• Excessive choral reading and group repetition
• A school culture that rewards “sounding fluent” over understanding

These practices shift the child’s focus away from communication and towards audible accuracy and performance.

The child learns how English sounds, but not how English works.

Why Sing-Song Speech Is Harmful

Some educators assume that this exaggerated way of delivery is a temporary stage — something children will “grow out of.” Unfortunately, this is rarely true.

The consequences of this performance-focused teaching are significant:

• Comprehension suffers, because attention is on pronunciation rather than meaning.
• Natural speaking requires effort instead of becoming automatic.
• Confidence drops in extempore communication.
• Learners struggle in real conversations where memorisation is impossible.
• Children may perform well on stage or during observations, but falter when asked to explain an idea, answer an unexpected question, or participate in genuine dialogue.

That is not fluency. That is mimicry.

The Uncomfortable Truth: This Is Not a Student Problem

Parents of first-generation learners often cannot address this issue at home. And school leaders blame exposure levels or student background.

But the truth is simpler — and more uncomfortable.

• This is not a student problem.
• This is not a parent problem.

It is a teacher training problem.

Teachers do what they have been trained to do, what they have seen modelled, and what they believe leads to visible results and recognition.

In many schools, teachers are expected to prioritise:

• Accuracy over communication
• Pronunciation over comprehension
• Performance over process

Without a strong grounding in how language is actually acquired, even well-meaning teachers unintentionally reinforce ineffective practices.

Why Programmes and Textbooks Are Not the Answer

When faced with weak language outcomes, schools often respond by:

• Changing textbooks
• Adopting new phonics programmes
• Introducing scripted curricula

While materials matter, they do not teach children. Teachers do.

The same programme can produce vastly different outcomes depending on how deeply teachers understand:

• Language acquisition principles
• Developmentally appropriate ESL pedagogy
• The balance between phonics, listening, speaking, and meaning
• What natural spoken English sounds like in real contexts

What a Quality Language Instruction Looks Like

In classrooms where teachers are well trained, English sounds very different.

You will hear:

• Natural pace and intonation
• Meaningful pauses, not stretched sounds
• Children responding, questioning, and interacting
• Mistakes that indicate growth, not memorisation

Fluency in these classrooms is organic. It emerges gradually, through use — not rehearsal.

What Schools That Get It Right Do Differently

Teacher expertise is the single most important factor in language outcomes.

Effective schools invest in professional development that helps teachers:

• Distinguish between performative and authentic fluency
• Use phonics as a support tool, not a driving force
• Model natural, age-appropriate spoken English
• Design activities that prioritise meaning and interaction
• Recognise when “good pronunciation” masks poor comprehension

A Question for School Leaders and Parents

If your primary grade learners:

• Speak beautifully only when reciting
• Sound fluent on stage but hesitant in conversation
• Rely heavily on memorised chunks of language

Then it is time to ask a difficult but necessary question:

Are we investing enough in how our teachers are trained to teach English?

Our Recommendation: Invest Where It Matters Most

If children sound unnatural in English, the solution is not:

• More drilling
• Louder repetition
• Longer rehearsals

The solution is high-quality, evidence-informed teacher training.

We work with schools to help teachers:

• Understand how language develops in young learners
• Move away from performative teaching methods
• Balance phonics with comprehension and communication
• Model authentic spoken English confidently
• Build classrooms where fluency develops naturally over time

Strong English outcomes do not come from impressive performances. They come from well-trained teachers.

Because programmes don’t teach children. Teachers do.