Feeling used is awful no matter who it comes from. But it can be especially upsetting when your partner doesn’t get it at all.

Check out why this person spoke out about someone’s idea for practicing English.

AITA for not wanting to teach my partner English

My partner and I recently moved to Canada, but are both from the same country in Asia. We talk in our native language but I’m fluent in English, whereas my partner’s English level is upper intermediate.

The main challenge is speaking so they have started to take online conversation courses/join language exchange groups, those sorts of things.

They haven’t found a way that works for them.

In the past we have tried doing English practice together, but I’ve never felt really comfortable doing that so it never stuck.

In one of the online conversation lessons, I overheard the tutor and my partner talking about my English level and, as part of that conversation, the tutor stating that I don’t need to teach them English as I am not my partner’s language teacher.

After the session I shared with my partner that I agreed with the tutor’s sentiment, to which I could sense that they weren’t happy with what I said.

Fast forward a few days later, after another online lesson, my partner started talking about how instead of paying money to do this, they could just do this with me and basically asked why I wouldn’t want to be their English teacher.

It took me some time to form my thoughts but I said that I didn’t like it because it would feel transactional to me.

She was NOT happy about that suggestion.

Some other reasons (that I wasn’t able to tell them) is that because we’ve mostly only ever talked to each other in our native language, it just feels really weird and also, I feel like my personalities are slightly different between English and my native language. That adds to the awkwardness on my end as well.

My partner still couldn’t understand why I didn’t want to do it and became defensive so I passive-aggressively said that we can give it a try and see how it goes.

Then they got really upset, saying that I “should be supportive of their integration to Canada” and that they are “all on their own on improving their English.”

I know I shouldn’t have been passive-aggressive but I also felt unheard and dismissed when I shared my discomfort. I feel it’s valid to not want to be my partner’s language teacher. AITA?

Here is what folks are saying.

Good answer. Could be fun!

Yes. I have perfect English. That doesn’t mean I would make a good English teacher.

LOL similar to my point. It’s bizarre logic.

Not something to be afraid of!

Stop being cheap!

If you thought that was an interesting story, check this one out about a man who created a points system for his inheritance, and a family friend ends up getting almost all of it.