The Popular Distinction between Native English Speakers and Non-Native English Speakers
Location
Bell Hall 015
Start Date
26-3-2020 12:30 PM
Type of Presentation
25 minute Scholarly Work Presentation
Proposal for Presentation
The distinction between teachers who are native speakers (NEST) and non-native speakers (NNEST) have caused debate in the professional realm; this is especially so, therefore, within the Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages or, better known as, TESOL community. There are many assumptions that are made, regarding the “quality” of language learning that can be taught by an NEST and a NNEST, respectively, though the latter is majoritively projected in a lesser light and the former as the epitome of language acquisition. This assumption--or more simply put, prejudice--often leads to unfavorable odds of employment for NNESTs, despite their qualifications being the same, or even more than those of their NEST contemporaries. The term “native” in itself is difficult to define, both psycholinguistically and socioculturally, and--despite its ambiguity--is used as a ruler to differentiate NESTs and NNESTs (Butler 733). In this paper, I will discuss the popularly-made distinctions between NESTs and NNESTs, the “effectiveness” of both types of teachers and deliver the ultimatum--that, despite the separation made by name, there is and can be no true gap between the pedagogy of native English speaking and non-native English speaking teachers.
The Popular Distinction between Native English Speakers and Non-Native English Speakers
Bell Hall 015
The distinction between teachers who are native speakers (NEST) and non-native speakers (NNEST) have caused debate in the professional realm; this is especially so, therefore, within the Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages or, better known as, TESOL community. There are many assumptions that are made, regarding the “quality” of language learning that can be taught by an NEST and a NNEST, respectively, though the latter is majoritively projected in a lesser light and the former as the epitome of language acquisition. This assumption--or more simply put, prejudice--often leads to unfavorable odds of employment for NNESTs, despite their qualifications being the same, or even more than those of their NEST contemporaries. The term “native” in itself is difficult to define, both psycholinguistically and socioculturally, and--despite its ambiguity--is used as a ruler to differentiate NESTs and NNESTs (Butler 733). In this paper, I will discuss the popularly-made distinctions between NESTs and NNESTs, the “effectiveness” of both types of teachers and deliver the ultimatum--that, despite the separation made by name, there is and can be no true gap between the pedagogy of native English speaking and non-native English speaking teachers.
Acknowledgments
Butler, Yuko Goto. “How Are Nonnative-English-Speaking Teachers Perceived by Young Learners?” TESOL Quarterly, vol. 41, no. 4, 2007, pp. 731–755. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/40264404. Accessed 13 Jan. 2020.