The term Non-Native Speaking English Teachers (NNESTs) has created discrimination among the ELT professionals. The people who support the term believe that it is essential to differentiate between native- and non-native English-speaking teachers because their differences and strengths should be recognized. On the contrary, those who deny this feel that distinguishing among ELT teachers based on native or non-native speakers extends the supremacy of the native speaker in the ELT profession and discriminate in hiring practices.
I have discovered that native English speaking teachers cannot ensure all the qualities of an ideal teacher. I also agree with the idea that all over the world, the English teaching industries demand native speaking English teachers because of the demand of the customers. One thing I have observed that because of pronunciation and friendly behaviors most of the learner like the native speaking English teachers.
Most of the time it is found that non-native speakers of English need not apply for English teaching jobs come from some factors like native speakers provide accurate pronunciation models for learners, understand the complex idiomatic English, understand native English speaking cultures and students' and student’s parents desire for native speakers.
Conversely, there are some counterarguments to the points above like non-native English speakers can provide a model of English as the Lingua Franca and in the real life situation, most of the English conversation will be in non-idiomatic Standard English. Most of the time, majority English learners will be using their English to discuss business, holidays, etc. with other non-native English speakers. Even, most English learners will be communicating with people from a wide variety of cultures in English, that doesn't mean that US, UK, Canadian or Australian culture. So, pronunciation cannot be a barrier to communication.
From my teaching experience, so many times I have heard from guardian and management level that it would be better if the students could learn English from the native speaker. However, the thing is that only the teacher could understand that native speaker cannot be a good teacher unless he or she becomes trained or he or she possesses the best qualities of the teacher.
It is certainly true that without being a qualified teacher a person cannot teach English whether he or she is a native speaking English teacher. A teacher should have a wider knowledge of teaching and teaching qualities which might not be found in the native speaking English teachers. However, the student can take native pronunciation as a model. Students' and students' parents prefer native English speakers: This is purely a marketing decision made by the schools.
In this case, Phillipson (1996) coins the phrase "the native speaker fallacy" to mention the unfair treatment of qualified NNESTs. He indicates that non-native speakers can learn to use idioms appropriately. He also thinks NNESTs to be the ideal ESL teachers since they have gone through the process of acquiring Engish. This sensitivity gives them the opportunity to apprehend their students' linguistic problems.
Lippi-Green (1997) discovered that teachers with non-native accents were considered as less qualified in comparison with their native-English-speaking colleagues who are from according to Kachru (1985) "countries of the Inner Circle" (i.e., UK, the USA, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand).
In the case of pronunciation, good English pronunciation does not mean using a British or American accent; if a teacher is Bangladeshi, a Bangladeshi accent is perfectly acceptable as long as the words are being pronounced appropriately. A native born teacher will teach much better pronunciation, but what so many people don’t know is that it’s difficult for beginners to take advantage of this. It is a foolish idea that just because someone’s mother tongue is English can teach it effectively without training in classroom management and English grammar.
Gill and Rebrova (2001) have found out that many native English speaking teachers are not strict enough to correct their students’ mistakes which may lead to the fossilization of wrong structures by the students since they do not receive appropriate feedback. In addition, native speakers might not always be conscious of the language rules and structures of the language they teach, as they use those instinctively (Cook, 1999).
According to David Crystal, “If I were in charge of a language-teaching institution, I would want to know four things about applicants: are they fluent? Are they intelligible? Do they know how to analyze language? Are they good teachers? I would not be interested in what their first language was.”
REFERENCES
Cook, 1999. “Going beyond the Native Speaker in Language Teaching” TESOL Quarterly, Vol. 33, No. 2 , pp. 185-209.
Crystal, D. (N.D). TEFL EQUITY ADVOCATES. [ONLINE] Available at: https://teflequityadvocates.com/ . [Accessed 22 June 2017].
Gill, S. & Rebrova, A. (2001), “Native and non-native: together we’re worth more.” The ELT Newsletter, 52, 1-11.
Kachru, B. (1985). Standards, codification and sociolinguistic realism: The English language in the outer circle. In R. Quirk & H. G. Widdowson (Eds.), "English in the world: Teaching and learning the language and literature" (pp. 11-30). Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press.
Lippi-Green (1997) “English with an Accent: Language, Ideology and Discrimination in the United States.” London & New York: Routledge.
Phillipson, R. (1992). "Linguistic imperialism." Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Phillipson, R. (1996). ELT: The native speaker's burden. In T. Hedge & N. Whitney (Eds.), "Power, pedagogy & practice" (pp. 23-30). Oxford: Oxford University Press.
In this case, Phillipson (1996) coins the phrase "the native speaker fallacy" to mention the unfair treatment of qualified NNESTs. He indicates that non-native speakers can learn to use idioms appropriately. He also thinks NNESTs to be the ideal ESL teachers since they have gone through the process of acquiring Engish. This sensitivity gives them the opportunity to apprehend their students' linguistic problems.
Lippi-Green (1997) discovered that teachers with non-native accents were considered as less qualified in comparison with their native-English-speaking colleagues who are from according to Kachru (1985) "countries of the Inner Circle" (i.e., UK, the USA, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand).
In the case of pronunciation, good English pronunciation does not mean using a British or American accent; if a teacher is Bangladeshi, a Bangladeshi accent is perfectly acceptable as long as the words are being pronounced appropriately. A native born teacher will teach much better pronunciation, but what so many people don’t know is that it’s difficult for beginners to take advantage of this. It is a foolish idea that just because someone’s mother tongue is English can teach it effectively without training in classroom management and English grammar.
Gill and Rebrova (2001) have found out that many native English speaking teachers are not strict enough to correct their students’ mistakes which may lead to the fossilization of wrong structures by the students since they do not receive appropriate feedback. In addition, native speakers might not always be conscious of the language rules and structures of the language they teach, as they use those instinctively (Cook, 1999).
According to David Crystal, “If I were in charge of a language-teaching institution, I would want to know four things about applicants: are they fluent? Are they intelligible? Do they know how to analyze language? Are they good teachers? I would not be interested in what their first language was.”
REFERENCES
Cook, 1999. “Going beyond the Native Speaker in Language Teaching” TESOL Quarterly, Vol. 33, No. 2 , pp. 185-209.
Crystal, D. (N.D). TEFL EQUITY ADVOCATES. [ONLINE] Available at: https://teflequityadvocates.com/ . [Accessed 22 June 2017].
Gill, S. & Rebrova, A. (2001), “Native and non-native: together we’re worth more.” The ELT Newsletter, 52, 1-11.
Kachru, B. (1985). Standards, codification and sociolinguistic realism: The English language in the outer circle. In R. Quirk & H. G. Widdowson (Eds.), "English in the world: Teaching and learning the language and literature" (pp. 11-30). Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press.
Lippi-Green (1997) “English with an Accent: Language, Ideology and Discrimination in the United States.” London & New York: Routledge.
Phillipson, R. (1992). "Linguistic imperialism." Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Phillipson, R. (1996). ELT: The native speaker's burden. In T. Hedge & N. Whitney (Eds.), "Power, pedagogy & practice" (pp. 23-30). Oxford: Oxford University Press.
