The Ideal Teacher of English is a Native Speaker - Essay Example

Running Head: Is a native English speaker always the best teacher of English? Name Institute Tutor Date Is a native English speaker always the best teacher of English? Introduction There has been a perception that native English speakers make the best English teachers. The big question is whether this is true or is just a misconception. Many scholars argue that English is a Lingua Franca and inadequacy of it is merely deprivation of an important tool necessary for communication in all persons (Cofin and Burns 2001). It is factual to argue that English language is a tool inescapable in communication around the world. In whichever society, English is considered a device useful in gaining social status. People who are fluent in English are considered learned and of an intellectual class in the society (Griffith 1994). However, some scholars argue that, this argument is out rightly phony as evidenced from the high number of people in the society who are deprived of this language yet they maintain an important and prestigious class in the society! Some people are also well-educated, ignorant in English but live a comfortable and a happy life (Griffith1994). English has attained World recognition and is spoken widely all over the world. From this fact therefore, we can deduce that literacy in English is inexorable as is communicated globally. This brings out to our question that relates to learning English. There has been a growing demand to improve the quality of English of many people. Is this only possible through a teacher who speaks English as the first language or simply any teacher who has exemplary mastery of content and skills necessary to teach this language? This paper will critically analyze this factor using examples and a wide range of ESL/EFL contexts. Body The Ideal Teacher of English is a Native Speaker—A Deep Analysis A greater percentage of the society believes that the English native speakers are the perfect teachers of English both as a Second Language (ESL) and a Foreign Language (EFL). Most employers even use this factor while employing teachers of English and are keen to confirm it in the interviews. Cofin and Burns (2001) argue that in Indonesia, being a native English speaker is a marketable instrument used to capture English learners and those who prospect to be proficient in it. In the advertisements for jobs, a clear emphasis on the aspect of being a native English teacher stands out in the whole picture. Ultimately, such institutions are considered the best in teaching English and linguistics. The fee charged on the learners being taught by Native English speakers is slightly higher than the one being paid by the ones being taught by ordinary teachers! From the above statements, what can we can simply ask one question, what is the main reason or the sparkling characteristic that makes this native English speaker peculiar from the rest especially the non-native speakers who wish to be English teachers? To come to a substantial conclusion, we will simply look at the features of a good English teacher and see if it is justified to say that they are the best teachers. One of the most exemplary characteristic of a good English teacher is originality. These teachers are original and have a wide scope of mastery of this language. It is this originality that enables the teacher quickly detect grammatical errors and poor sentence structure formation by the learners unlike another teacher who also learnt English as a second language. This just comes automatically by this teacher though he or she may not be in a position to clearly explain where the problem lies. The error is quickly noted and mentioned to the learner who in turn corrects the mistake. They have an inborn comprehension of words especially if they have an implied meaning. Their pronunciation of words is effortless contrasting to the other non-native English teacher who puts so much effort while trying to pronounce words especially vocabularies that do not relate to their cultural background. Excellence is speech no doubt creates a lasting notion in learners that their teacher is proficient enough and the best they can ever have. This again leaves the employers with no option but to absorb teachers who native English Language speakers. They are a package of experience both professionally and naturally. This does not mean some of the teachers who are not natives of English are not good enough; we are just saying the native speakers are simply perfect. Another factor that makes the native English speakers as the best English teachers is that these teachers offer the whole package. The whole package basically refers to one who can comfortably teach and has a wide range of sayings that relate to the English language. These sayings describe the society at large and most employers will argue that it is only the ‘blue-eyed’ teachers who can relay the same to the learners. These teachers are consequently assets in an institution that is on the verge of teaching English as a business enterprise. The native English speakers are more confident and their chances of having accents are almost extinct. Some scholars argue for this by posing a question, ‘How can you claim to teach English when it’s not even your own language?’ Some of these have the obligatory content but what is the need of delivering this content in a way that will reduce the learner into another problem of trying to discern which pronunciation is the best. The teacher alters what the learner might have learnt on his or her own. These scenarios do not occur with teachers who are native speakers of English simply because they are born in it and live in it. A teacher should be acknowledged by the learners though not fully at least to a small percentage. The native English teachers are generally accepted by learners and are confident in the content they exhibit. On the other hand, the non-native English speakers suffer from inferiority complex as employees and colleagues. This is transferred to the classrooms to the learners who wish to learn from these teachers. If the teacher is not confident in him or herself, there is no way the learners will have confidence in them and what they teach. The native English teacher is therefore, with no hesitation, the best English teacher. Non- native English speakers the best teachers of English As we have discussed earlier the non native speakers of English are stigmatized in the teaching sector and their ability to deliver content that is good enough for the learners of English. In this section, our main aim to prove these facts wrong by arguing that it is a mere miscarriage of justice arguing these non- natives cannot be teachers of English. Kirkpatrick (2007) argues that these assumptions have no scientific validity that can be recorded and used to practically in a classroom situation to nullify these teachers’ efforts to teach English. ELT has for a while been giving warnings against over-reliance on the Non-native English speakers exclusively as English teachers. One major prerequisite of a good teacher is the educational qualification. This takes us to the fact that not only a person who is proficient in spoken mother tongue can teach the same language in a classroom setting. The best teacher cannot be disqualified by the virtue that he or she is not a native speaker of a language but on whether he or she is from a similar linguistic or cultural background of the learners. The European foreign language tradition states that the non-native English speakers are also able to make good teachers (Katz, 1998). If the teacher has undergone educational training this is reason enough for him or her being a teacher of English. The English language has been standardized. This means that there is a level used in teaching and assessment of the learners in the classroom. This will automatically disqualify the native English speakers who have not gone to school and do not have the background information on how to teach students. They rely on assumptions and heresies which ultimately end up confounding the learners unlike the non- native English speaker who has the basic skills and the background information on the teaching and learning technique (Katz, 1998). The natives are considered flawed for ELT merely due to the fact that they are speakers of some nonstandard form of English. Professionalism is therefore key to teaching of language. The standards put have to be followed to the letter only possible to those who have been in school and are able to determine how to implement the policies put down in relation to teaching English. Nieto, (2009) argues that being a native English speaker does not necessarily mean that one is stupendous in the communication of that particular language. Communication is far much more than the vocabulary of a language but how to portray it. A good example that will prove this is in the case of two different backgrounds between the teacher and the learners. Though the teacher may have a wide scope of vocabulary, it is all futile if he or she cannot present that in class due to the differing backgrounds between the two parties. This is unlike the non-natives who have gone to school and learnt the basics of language teaching. Cultural and social mechanism are therefore mandatory in the teaching and learning process which the natives are ignorant of since they have not undergone training that reminds them that this is far much important than even the content by the teacher. In generally we can simply argue that native English language speakers have higher chances of making mistakes while teaching as compared to the non-natives who are very careful with what they say in the teaching- learning environment. A non-native English speaker is aware of some of the changes and requirements of a good English teacher. These teachers are taught on the varieties of English, rules of language, dialect variations, socio-cultural contexts, cultural disparities among others. With this we can deduce that language is extremely multifaceted and being a proficient speaker is not only the required qualification to be a good teacher. The native speakers are ineligible simply because they rely on the spoken English rather than both spoken and theoretical aspect of English as a language. They evade correctness of language in relation to the rules of language. Since language is in a process of revolution, it is a high time that the English teachers are at par with the changes that are taking place in the English syllabus. ELT has crossed over the borders of UK, U.S.A. and Australia and is now all over the world (Phillipson, 1992). The native speakers assume that they are the best in English. It is these assumptions that clearly indicate that the teacher concerned will not be in a position to deliver the best to the learners without undergoing the necessary training. Today, we have varieties of English. These varieties are used for communication by many people. It is important to note that these varieties of English are a far from borders of the English speaking countries. Culture and social backgrounds of the learners cannot be evaded by the English teachers. The native English speakers are at a greater disadvantage because of the ignorance in regards to this issue. They may possess the literacy skills but how about the cultural distance they create among the learners by simply holding the view that they are the best English teachers and consider being in school is purely time wastage? The learners are not able to acquire the so called flawless language simply because of the difference in cultural background which these native English speaking teachers are not keen to follow. The non-native English speakers are the best teachers of English because they have undergone the same educational system just like there are. This is a complete opposite of the native English teachers who just acquired this language. The non-native English teachers are able to know how well to describe a particular topic or concept to a student depending on the difficulty (Kirkpatrick, 2007). They do it in a very effective manner from the experiences of the past of them being in classrooms learning and in institutions of higher education in order to advance the concepts once taught. They say experience is the best teacher. The non-native English speakers have learnt it all through experience which is the best method of learning. This teacher is more confident since he or she has undergone the system over and over again. Basically, native English speakers are not always the best teachers of English. Studies have shown that teachers who went for TEFL recorded a change in the performance of their learners (Ahmar, 2006). English is becoming more professional by the day to an extent that even though one is a native speaker of English and does not have the necessary academic qualification, the probability of such people not being shortlisted in interviews is increasing by the day. Formal education and one’s experience is a major perquisite of an English teacher which the native English teachers do not have. Studies have shown that it is even worse in the institutions of higher learning. It is next to impossible acquiring a job in a university without academic qualification. It is almost impossible therefore, to teach English without the non-natives in English. The growing demand of these teachers, by the day, clearly puts down the notion of validity and reliability of natives English speakers as the best English teachers. Research done on teachers has shown that their effort to go for training and get certificates has made all the difference in their teaching programs. Waxman and Tellez (2006) argue that the teaching certificate makes all the difference. At first, the teachers of English as a foreign language (TEFL) had no certification of their jobs. Today the number of teachers who are joining colleges and the training institutions is getting higher by the day. It has dawned on the teachers that though they are native English speakers they have no option but to go back to school and get the basics of English as well as be at par with the developments that are taking place in the educational sector that may hinder the effective teaching of language. The English language itself is on the verge of revolution and how will these so called “blue-eyed” native English speakers teach English yet they are not aware of the changing needs of the society? This is a major merit to the non-native English speakers who have not undergone training and a great demerit to the Native English speakers who are only confined to the outdated form of lesson presentation which does not have a tangible impact to the learners of English. One teacher of English from Vancouver language centre (VLC) was quoted saying that her teaching had been made easier after undergoing training and certification from the learning centre (VLC). Mariah says, “Once I took the TEFL, "Once I took the TEFL I realized I hadn't been teaching them anything”. She continues to argue that it is this four week course that made a difference in her teaching. Her being in the classroom practicing and observing the learners enabled her acquire techniques useful for teaching quite a number of topics in class like the tenses. She was in a position also to know which methods suit learners best and the dos and don’ts of the teacher. Learning therefore is not about how well you speak the language but how you present yourself and the content to the learners. The learning styles acquired through training are the backbone of teaching language which is only possible to the non-native English speakers who have undergone training and teaching practice. The natives assume a lot and end up producing results that do not appeal to neither of the stakeholders in the educational sector. It is true to argue therefore, that the non-native English teachers make the best TEFL teachers as far as competency and experience is concerned. A good teacher should have a considerable depth and detail of the English language. The non-natives have undertaken the hustle of learning a language. The non-native develops a keen interest in the second language which goes a long way. This interest is cultivated right from an early age to higher levels of education. Others go to an extent of visiting the English speaking countries simply to perfect the skills already acquired in the schools. Their accents are exemplary and skills perfect ready to be transmitted to learners of English of whichever level of study. This contrasts the native English speakers who only view this language as an obvious language. The finer details taught in schools escape their learners. A wise saying, ‘ignorance is no defense” proves this. The natives will blame no one if they are not aware of the changes in the English language. It is their assumptions that will cost them their jobs and the lives of their learners. Some of the non-natives English teachers expressed their views on EFL teaching. This is study from the Vancouver language centre (VLC). One of them put it concisely that having learnt English as a second language enabled her understand the learner’s position better. Annett said that it is mandatory to learn so much about the local culture of a language so that you can teach it well. She appreciates the fact that she was taught the same in the college unlike before whereby she only made assumptions on the importance of context and culture while teaching English. In the same way, Gonzalez argued that it was now easier for him to understand his students better unlike before when he had no training in the teaching methodology. He quotes, “I just realized that I had not been teaching them anything.” In his course of TESOL he satisfactorily says he now understands his students better and is in a position to know what they feel and what they want. He says that he got these essential skills from the education he acquired from the institution and things are much easier in the classrooms. The non-native English speakers are in a better position to empathize more openly with their EFL students unlike their fellow native English teachers. Learning is a complex process that changes an individual. According to the Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary, Learning can be defined as knowledge obtained by study. The natives are deprived of new skills obtained through this process. The non-natives are the best teachers of English because they are simply trained to teach the English language and can handle various language difficulties especially if the learners are of their own mother tongues. These teachers have the skills necessary for teaching the language and the practical aspect of it. This can be illustrated from the numerous correct sentences these teachers can construct. They are not short of vocabulary in use and grammatically, they are just the perfect examples. How would we therefore disqualify these teachers as teachers of English simply because they are not original speakers of the same language? Reaching a balanced conclusion From the discussion above, our conclusion would be that the non-native English speakers make the best teachers. The points that support the non –natives outdo the native English speakers with a very wide range. This is a call as well as plea to the employers of teachers of English all over the world. The non-natives English speakers are the best English teachers they can ever employ. They are willing to learn and embrace the changes that have taken place in learning and teaching English. The native English speakers only rely on their own understanding which ultimately costs their students’ lives. They do not consult and have no reference points to the English they teach in the classrooms. They suffer from superiority complex that does not allow them bend low and ask questions on what seems too difficult for them to comprehend. These doubts are then duplicated in the classrooms and it is the students who are on the losing end. The non-natives have undergone training and are able to consult both their lecturers and fellow teachers in their department as it is a culture cultivated in them right from the elementary school to the university or college level. They don’t mind being judge so long as they acquire the right information unlike the native speakers who want to be named the “know-it –all” (Odlin, 1994). It is a high time these teachers embrace the new methodology of doing things in the learning environment. More so, they should come out of their cocoons that destroy the future of many language learners. Their comfort zones do not add a plus to the teaching of this important language but diminish the efforts to endeavor make it an international language. The prospect non-native English teachers have posted their inability to gain ELT positions in their home countries. Their misfortunes start right from the day they apply for these jobs. Their application letters are critically assessed not with the aim of looking at their capability but criticize the kind of language used in these letters. The employers are quick to note that their English is sloppy and unacceptable as a teacher. The need for EFL / ESL Teachers is massive. It would be unfair to only allow the native speakers occupy these positions worldwide. The non-native English speakers can attempt looking for jobs in other areas of the world where they are not discriminated against but appreciated. Learning English as a second language definitely brings about many benefits in the understanding of the TEFL learning process. Language categories and structures are made aware to these learners. Language does not just come out naturally but a greater percentage of it has to be learnt in the classroom. If this is not done mistakes in the use of prepositions, pronouns or even tenses will not be escaped by this teacher of native English. The non-native English speakers try as much as possible to make up the fact that they are not native speakers and no fine detail will escape them. Conclusively, the ELT efficiency is very possible in the case of the effort to try and comprehend the contents of a language. In short, being fluent in English does not necessarily mean that they are the best English teachers. With appropriate skills and comprehension, a non-native English speaker is good enough to be the best English teacher known!   References: Ahmar, M. (2006). Beyond the Native Speaker in TESOL. Linguistik online: New York. Cofin, C. and Burns, A. (2001). Analysing English in a global context: a reader. Routledge Publishers: New York. Griffith, S. (1994). Teaching English abroad. Vacation Work Publishers: New York. Katz, L. (2008).Affirming students' right to their own language: bridging language policies and pedagogical practices. Taylor and Francis publishers: U.S.A. Kirkpatrick, A. (2007). World Englishes: implications for international communication and English language teaching. Cambridge University Press: London. Nieto, S. (2009).Language, culture, and teaching: critical perspectives. Taylor & Francis publishers: U.S.A. Odlin, T. (1994). Perspectives on Pedagogical Grammar .Perspectives on Pedagogical Grammar. Cambridge University Press: Cambridge. Pennington, M. (1995). Perspectives on pedagogical grammar. New Ways in Teaching Grammar, TESOL. Cambridge University Press: Cambridge. Phillipson, R. (1992). Linguistic Imperialism. Oxford University Press: Oxford. Waxman, H.C. and Tellez, K. (2006). Preparing quality educators for English language learners: research, policies and practices. Routledge Publishers: New York. N.B. The names used in the essay do not refer to real students of the specific insyitutions. Read More