Perceptions of Native Speakers in the EFL Classroom (original) (raw)
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This article explores the attitudes of English language teacher trainers (ELTTs) toward how Non-Native English Speaking Teachers (NNESTs) should be prepared to succeed in teaching English as a Foreign Language (EFL). A number of ELTTs were surveyed to share their opinions on the strengths and weaknesses of NNEST Trainees in respect of language, culture, and the use of modern teaching methodology. Then, the trainers compared and contrasted some aspects between native and non-native English-speaking teacher trainees. Finally, the results indicate certain aspects that NNESTs need to be more aware of and that native English speakers must also be trained before entering the EFL world.
OPINIONS ABOUT HAVING A NATIVE ENGLISH SPEAKING TEACHER IN STARTER LEVELS OF EFL CLASSROOMS
Mervenur Coban, 2018
As English has spread worldwide, it has produced a large number of non-native speakers (NNSs) of English and even some assumptions concerning native speakers (NSs) of English. This NS/NNS dichotomy has made a number of issues in foreign language education. To address the complex relationships between learners and their NS/ NNS teachers, I administered questionnaires with 51 students within 3 different language schools. The research objective was to gather opinions about having native English speaking teachers in starter levels of EFL classrooms. The results show that students favor having native English speaking teachers alongside the non-native English speaking teacher as they think that both of them have different qualities that complement each other.
The employability of non-native-speaker teachers of EFL: A UK survey
System, 2007
The native speaker still has a privileged position in English language teaching, representing both the model speaker and the ideal teacher. Non-native speaker teachers of English are often perceived as having a lower status than their native-speaking counterparts, and have been shown to face discriminatory attitudes when applying for teaching jobs. To date, research into the employment of non-native speaker teachers has been carried out only in the United States; this study extends that research by providing data on the United Kingdom. Questionnaires were distributed to those responsible for recruitment at English language teaching institutions in the UK in order to investigate the extent to which employers regard being a native English speaker as an important criterion when making hiring decisions. 72.3% of the 90 respondents judged the 'native English speaker criterion' to be either moderately or very important. The conclusion that employers regard this criterion as important was shown to apply to the whole sample as well as to the separate groups of private language schools only and universities only. As a pre-interview criterion, the 'native English speaker criterion' thus excludes competent English language teachers from consideration in the recruitment process.
2006
This paper discusses English language teaching (ELT) around the world, and argues that as a profession, it should emphasise pedagogical competence rather than native-speaker requirement in the recruitment of teachers in English as a foreign language (EFL) and English as a second language (ESL) contexts. It establishes that being a native speaker does not make one automatically a competent speaker or, of that matter, a competent teacher of the language. It observes that on many grounds, including physical, sociocultural, technological and economic changes in the world as well as the status of English as official and national language in many post-colonial regions, the distinction between native and non-native speakers is no longer valid. * I wish to thank an anonymous reader who proposed certain changes to the initial draft. I could not help taking some of the proposals s/he made word for word.
A Study of EFL Preservice Teachers’ Perceptions of Non-native English Teachers
2012
The study aimed to investigate the preservice teachers’ perceptions of non-native English teachers and being a non-native English teacher. One-hundred and five college students participated in this study. Findings from the descriptive statistics, the One-Way ANOVA, correlations and content analysis were analyzed based on the classroom observation, questionnaire, and semi-structured interview. The findings show that non-native English teachers have knowledge among the nine major domains for being professional foreign language teachers.The domain of Language and Learning and Classroom Management was very strongly correlated. The preservice teachers also perceived in themselves to acquire higher knowledge on the domain of Technology, Teachership and Psychology for Teachers than other domains. There was a statistically significantly different among the nine domains of knowledge. Knowledge of educational research need to be improved as it showed the lowest mean score. In addition, the do...
Native and Non-Native Teacher Talk in the EFL Classroom
2020
Native and Non-Native Teacher Talk in the EFL Classroom explores and compares the linguistic features of native and non-native English teacher talk with the aid of corpus linguistics. Setting aside the wide range of audio and video materials available, the EFL teacher is in many instances the main model of English to which students are exposed in secondary-level education. The basis of this book is to work towards a framework for the language that teachers of English need to be proficient in, based on an empirical study of language used in the ELT classroom by both native and expert nonnative users. Presenting a corpus-informed treatment of the precise linguistic features used by EFL teachers within the framework of their most common teaching functions, this book: • Relates directly to the teacher talk of secondary-level EFL teachers; • Combines quantitative and qualitative approaches to data analysis; • Looks into pedagogical implications for ELT and proposes a flexible language development model based on evidence from the teacher training classroom; • Provides a corpus-based repertoire of language for the classroom which is of relevance to native and non-native student-teachers and practising teachers. Highlighting the need for much greater awareness of the impact of language use in both learning and teaching, this book is a major resource for advanced students and researchers of TESOL, classroom discourse, corpus linguistics, ELT, English for professional purposes, and teaching placement preparation.
English Review: Journal of English Education
In the field of TESOL, the perception that Native English Speaking Teachers (NESTs) are better than Non-Native English Speaking Teachers (NNESTs) has influenced language schools, recruitment policies and institutional leadership practices. The tendency to recruit more NESTs and achieve improved learning outcomes can be seen in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) and English as a Second Language (ESL) contexts. This paper aims to investigate whether NESTs or NNESTs have any impact on the EFL learners� language proficiency in Saudi EFL context. This quantitative study adopts pretest-posttest experimental and ex post facto designs to determine students� achievement in two language skills, namely speaking and listening. The two groups of participants are EFL students in a foundation year program at a Saudi Arabian University. One group was taught by a NEST and the other by a NNEST. The quantitative data were analyzed by using SPSS. The findings indicated that teachers� nativeness and ba...
Native vs. non-native EFL teachers: Who are better?
Studies in English Language and Education
This paper discusses possible advantages of having Non-Native English-Speaking Teachers (NNESTs) to teach English as a Foreign-Language (EFL) especially in Asian countries when they are often regarded as inferior to their Native English-Speaking Teachers (NESTs) counterparts. A native speaker fallacy has emphasized that NESTs are better teachers of EFL and have put NNESTs at a disadvantage. Actually, NNESTs possess advantages that can make them better teachers for teaching English in an EFL/ESL setting connected with their own EFL learning experiences and with sharing the same first language and cultural background with their students. While considered to have lower English language proficiency and lower self-confidence compared to NESTs, NNESTs who have made the effort to become quality teachers can position themselves as ideal English teachers in their own environment.
2018
The main aims of this study are to investigate the attitudes of Libyan students towards Native and Non-native English language teachers in an EFL context, teachers' self-perceptions in relation to their teaching abilities, and institutional regulations related to hiring both teachers. In order to achieve the aims of this study adequately and precisely, a mixed methods research was implemented where qualitative and quantitative research instruments were used. Data was gathered from two language training centres at two different oil companies in Tripoli the capital of Libya in a period of five months through the distribution of questionnaires and conducting interviews. The results of this research showed that both teachers have their own advantages and disadvantages particularly when teaching in an EFL context. Most of the participants agreed that qualifications and experience are the key factors to judge teachers. However, there were other points to consider as the study showed on one hand that NESTs are better language speakers as they are fluent and accurate. They also have an original pronunciation. On the other hand, NNESTs are good grammar teachers as they went through the educational process. They are more sympathetic than NESTs and also they speak their students L1. Although everyone in the literature and in the study explicitly says that NESTs and NNESTs are equal but different, still there seems to be an implicit preference for NESTs in the comments and responses. For example, the valuing of fluency and proficiency and the focus on pronunciation are indirect ways of preferring NESTs over NNESTs. So, in a world where the concept of the native speaker has been challenged and where it may be unacceptable to express a blanket preference for native speaker teachers, certain attributes (e.g. pronunciation, fluency) become indirect ways of perpetuating the idea that the NEST is inherently better and for maintaining their advantage in the job market.