‘Only native speakers should teach English.’ Did you like this idea? Do you agree with this point? I think ,what makes native speakers privileged in teaching English could be their best pronunciation that most students would like to have. On the other hand, most English teachers often have very good English pronunciation and therefore students do not really need a native speaker to model sentences for them. Good English pronunciation does not mean using a British or American accent; if a teacher is Uzbek, an Uzbek accent is perfectly acceptable as long as the words are being pronounced correctly. Accents are not an indication of poor teaching but of where a person is from. At any rate, audio and video clips demonstrating proper English pronunciation are readily available and should be used by every teacher to give students a chance to hear other voices. This does not mean that recordings can replace native English speakers or teachers with good pronunciation; it is simply another tool that teachers can use in their classrooms. Most non-native speakers are trained teachers in their country which means that they often will have much more teaching experience than native speakers. It seems foolish to assume that just because someone speaks English they can teach it effectively. Without training in classroom management and lessons in English grammar, native speakers cannot be effective instructors. They may be able to speak the language but explaining it is an entirely different matter. If a native speaker is a qualified educator, then they will have an advantage but when teaching abroad, as mentioned above, it is also beneficial to be able to communicate with students in their native language. When native English speakers are paired with local teachers, students have the best of both worlds. But the worst news for non-native speaker teachers is that if you ask any student which teacher they prefer they all answer ‘Native Speaker’.
Comments
Submitted on 22 February, 2013 - 19:44
Thank you for the post! My university has had experience of inviting native speakers to teach, and I should say this - the ability to speak the language is less important than the ability to explain and teach. Those native speakers who are able to teach are absolutely amazing! BUT if a person has never taught, his results will be disastrous - I know it from my own experience! I was taught by a Canadian guy (for 3 months only) who had no idea of teaching!
The guest teacher who is staying with us at the moment is, on the contrary, very good! He is ready to teach and (which is also important) to learn to live in a new environment.
Submitted on 22 February, 2013 - 20:19
Submitted on 22 February, 2013 - 21:01
Hi nosirjon and all I have been working with native speakers, UK and US, since 1988, a long time to have experienced both professional teaching and less so. This year I co-teach with a US Fulbright TA, a 23-year-old Chinese-American.
In my experience in the past our students seemed to be very enthusiastic about having a native speaker - much less so these days because of the availability of online materials(which you mentioned above). What I mean native speakers are no longer seen as exotic or whatever the word.
BUT what I really like about working with such teachers is not so much the language they speak as the culture they carry with them. For example I have been learning so much about assessment, blogging, attitude to life, perspectives on topics we discuss - the list is long. So I agree with you that non-native professionals do a better job because they know their students' needs and their local context best. I would just add that (if things work!) native speakers enrich our classrooms with the cultural baggage they bring and this can be really fulfilling, for both ss and teachers.
Perhaps you can be a bit more specific about your own experience? Has it been rewarding or disappointing?
Submitted on 22 February, 2013 - 21:35
Submitted on 23 February, 2013 - 18:28
Submitted on 23 February, 2013 - 18:50
Submitted on 23 February, 2013 - 23:09
Submitted on 24 February, 2013 - 00:28
It is not easy to find something new to say in support of what has been said in all the previous posts. I can only say that I strongly agree that the native speakers, just like local teachers, need to be good at teaching.
There is a number of important qualities that native speakers have, like their pronunciation and culture, but local teachers can be equally good at these, plus they understand better the needs of the students and know their weak points.
I'd say that in many cases the difference between a native speaker and a local teacher in only the difference between two individuals.
Submitted on 24 February, 2013 - 20:23 New