Being a Native Speaker and a Non-native Speaker of English - Essay Example

The advantages and disadvantages of being a native speaker and a non-native speaker of English Introduction English is a West Germanic language that is spoken in Australia, Canada, India, Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka, the United Kingdom, the United States, and many other countries. English is now the third-most spoken native language worldwide (after Chinese and Hindi), with some 380 million speakers. It has lingua franca status in many parts of the world, due to the military, economic, scientific, political and cultural influence of the British Empire in the 18th and 19th centuries and that of the United States from the 20th century to the present. Through the global influence of native English speakers in cinema, airlines, broadcasting, science, and the Internet in recent decades, English is now the most widely learned second language in the world. Many students worldwide are required to learn at least some English, and a working knowledge of English is required in many fields and occupations1. According to Ethnologue (2000) English is spoken in 105 countries, it is the dominant or official language in more than 60 of the world’s 185 nation-states recognized by the United Nations. It has 55,000,000 first language speakers in the United Kingdom, 210,000,000 in the USA, 17,100,000 in Canada, 15,682,000 in Australia, 3,500,000 in South Africa, 3,213,000 in New Zealand. Native English usage concerns to the greatest extent the countries mentioned in the order: USA >>> UK > Canada > Australia > South Africa > New Zealand > Ireland > and other 98 countries. Although the available counts are very divergent, all of them agree on a greater number of non-native than native speakers of English in the world. Another factor which adds to the variability of English is hundreds of dialects (Katarzyna Dziubalska-Kołaczyk, 2005). Today, many countries have taken up English as their second language. As a result many young people and adults are involved in the study of English. Indeed this interest has lead to the popularity of this language to such an extent as it is considered to be an international language. Whereas today there are more native than non native speakers of English, in the coming decades the more and more non native speakers will take up English as an international language. In other words more bilingual speakers of English will use this language for several purposes particularly for cross cultural communications within there own borders. The use of English as an international language has been brought about by the continuing spread of English. This spread has resulted in a variety of changes in English on grammatical, lexical and phonological levels. Some contend that such changes will eventually lead to varieties of English spoken today becoming mutually unintelligible. Therefore it becomes essential to examine the kind of changes occurring today and how these changes may affect intelligibility. 2 Interestingly, a growing number of teachers are not native speakers of English. Some learned English as children; others learned it as adults. Some learned it prior to coming to the United States; others learned it after their arrival. Some studied English in formal academic settings; others learned it through informal immersion after arriving in this country. Some speak British, Australian, Indian, or other varieties of English; others speak Standard American English. For some, English is their third or fourth language; for others, it is the only language other than their mother tongue that they have learned. Today teaching and learning English is taken up extensively in many parts of the world. Current status of English English is the second or third most widely spoken language in the world today. A total of 600–700 million people use the various dialects of English regularly. About 377 million people use one the versions of English as their mother tongue, and an equal number of people use them as their second or foreign language. English is used widely in either the public or private sphere in more than 100 countries all over the world. In addition, the language has occupied a primary place in international academic and business communities. The current status of the English language compares with that of Latin in the past. English is also the most widely used language for young backpackers who travel across continents, regardless of whether it is their mother tongue or a secondary language. The majority of English native speakers (67 to 70 per cent) live in the United States. Although the United States federal government has no official languages, it has been given official status by 27 of the 50 state governments, most of which have declared English their sole official language. Hawaii, Louisiana, and New Mexico have also designated Hawaiian, French, and Spanish, respectively, as official languages in conjunction with English. English is the most widely learnt and used foreign language in the world, and as such, some linguists believe that it is no longer the exclusive cultural emblem of native English speakers, but rather a language that is absorbing aspects of cultures world-wide as it grows in use. Others believe that there are limits to how far English can go in suiting everyone for communication purposes. Many people feel that the use of English through media such as the Internet and its constant, informal use by others has lead to a diminution in the importance of using the language correctly, thus resulting in a dumbing down of the English language. English is the language most often studied as a foreign language in Europe (32.6 per cent), followed by French, German, and Spanish. It is also the most studied in Japan, South Korea and in the Republic of China (Taiwan), where it is compulsory for most secondary school students. Because English is so widely spoken, it has been referred to as a "global language". While English is not an official language in many countries, it is the language most often taught as a second language around the world. It is also, by international treaty, the official language for aircraft/airport communication. Its widespread acceptance as a first or second language is the main indication of its global status. There are numerous arguments for and against English as a global language. On one hand, having a global language aids in communication and in pooling information (for example, in the scientific community). On the other hand, it excludes those who, for one reason or another, are not fluent in the global language. It can also marginalize populations whose first language is not the global language, and lead to a cultural hegemony of the populations speaking the global language as a first language. Most of these arguments hold for any candidate for a global language, though the last two counter-arguments do not hold for languages not belonging to any ethnic group (like Esperanto). A secondary concern with respect to the spread of global languages (including major non-English languages such as Spanish) is the resulting disappearance of minority languages, often along with the cultures and religions that are primarily transmitted in those languages. English has been implicated in a number of historical and ongoing so-called language deaths and linguicides around the world, many of which have also led to the loss of cultural heritage. Language death caused by English has been particularly pronounced in areas such as Australia and North America where speakers of indigenous languages have been displaced or absorbed by speakers of English in the process of colonization (Wikipedia, 2006). Native Vs Non-Native speaker of English According to the Oxford Companion to the English Language a native speaker is defined as “a person who has spoken a certain language since early childhood” (Christophersen & McArthur, 1992, p. 682). However, it is difficult to find a “true” native speaker of a language. Indeed, very few people are “born” in a language, learn it, speak it at home and at school, and later at work, and hear only one variety of this language during their entire life. Most English speakers in the world use different varieties of a single language every day. Some people have always used different “languages” at home and outside the home, while others have learned one language from their mother and another from their father. This makes them “native speakers” of two languages. At the same time, a person who was born and raised in an English-only environment might not necessarily master the English language perfectly. Kramsch (1995) explains that the distinction is so difficult to make, that a native speaker can only be defined as someone who is “accepted by the group that created the distinction between native and nonnative speakers” (p. 363). It seems that when all the advantages and disadvantages of the native speaker of English and the non-native speaker of English are compared, non-native speaker of English also have some distinct advantages despite their language difficulties. According to the McNeill’s research (1994) non-native speaker of English seem to have a greater ability in predicting the students’ difficulties in language learning, especially in the area of vocabulary needs. This is probably because non-native speaker of English have had the same difficulties as their students while learning the language themselves. In accordance with this idea, Medgyes (1992) lists these important advantages: a) Only non-native speaker of English can serve as imitable models of the successful learner of English. b) Non-native speaker of English can teach learning strategies more effectively. c) Non-native speaker of English provide learners with more information about the English language. d) Non-native speaker of English are more able to anticipate language difficulties. e) Non-native speaker of English can be more empathetic to the needs and problems of their learners. f) Only non-native speaker of English can benefit from sharing the learners’ mother tongues (pp. 346-347). There are several disadvantages for the non-native speaker of English: a) In terms of pronunciation and language usage Non-native speaker of English have a typical accent. b) Difficulty in understanding and communicate with a native speaker of English. c) Students who peruse their studies in countries such as United States and Britain find it very difficult to understand the instructors if they are native speakers of English. d) Non-native speaker of English are often found to face professional embarrassment due to their inability to communicate with their colleagues who are native speakers. e) Choosing appropriate words and setting the right tone in English are sophisticated tasks for the Non-native speaker of English.  They require a wide vocabulary, a deep understanding of cultural norms, and the ability to use American phrases appropriately in a given communication situation. f) While many non-native speakers of English have some awareness of the differences between spoken and written English, mastering the specific conventions of American business writing can be a challenge.  The purpose, level of formality, and writer-reader relationship significantly affect writing style.  It is easy to understand why native-like proficiency in American business writing is seldom achieved solely by living and working in the countries such as United States and Britain. g) Foreign accents are another source of communication problems in the multicultural workplace.  One difficulty for speakers of other languages is that English is not pronounced the way it is spelled, and most non-native speakers have never had pronunciation classes.  To compound the problem, many had instructors who were non-native speakers of English, and the instructors themselves spoke with an accent. h) Native English speaker can go often very fast with their speech and perhaps a very strong accent. However non-native speakers might not understand about the ongoing discussions. Even the new-comers introduction is hard to understand for non-native speaker. i) There are a number of challenges that face nonnative speakers of English when attempting to acquire this skill. Many nonnative speakers of English, who come from a variety of different cultures, have very little or even no training in specific styles of writing, especially research writing. This shortage limits students and even professors in their attempts to do the research that is needed for much academic writing (Simpson, 1998). As young children we all have an innate language learning ability. We learn our first language easily and quickly; we automatically integrate the rules for grammar and learn to pronounce the sounds of “our” language. As we grow older, however, we lose this natural ability to learn a language. Each language has its own rules, vocabulary and pronunciation; learning another language is much more than learning the vocabulary of that language; the requisite vocabulary cannot just be plugged into the new language as each language has different ways of doing things. When you learn another language, it is necessary to learn the rules of that language, the grammar, and how the words can be put together to make meaningful sentences. If English is your first language you learn about parts of speech and clauses in school. This grammar helps you to understand how to use the language to write well and use punctuation correctly. Non-native speakers, however, must contend with learning verb tenses and verb forms; when to use an infinitive construction as opposed to a gerund; where to place an adjective, and the order of adjectives when using more than one; and word order which is very important in English, etc. These aspects of language are ones that native speakers do automatically; they never have to think about them. From sentences we construct paragraphs and essays, but even these structures or patterns vary from culture to culture. In English, when we want to write something, we start at the beginning, write an introduction, give explanations, examples, reasons, and finish at the end with a conclusion. Students learn to order their thoughts in this way from an early age and it seems the logical way to go about it. Other languages may do things differently, however, and students need to learn this new pattern. While native speakers of English learn very few “rules” about the language, usually only spelling rules such as “i before e except after c,” non-native speakers need rules to help them make sense of the language. Rules, grammar, help students to impose some order on the information; the rules are generalizations so that not each piece of new information (language) needs to be learned and memorized as a separate piece of information. There is a rule that the third person singular of a verb in the simple present tense ends in “s”, e.g. he walks. This rule means that even if we come across a new verb we have never seen before, we know that if it is third person singular, it will end is “s”. Grammar rules are short cuts in language learning. Also, vocabulary is very culture specific so that in some cases there are no direct translations of words from one language to another, only approximations. In the Inuit language there are many different words for the one English word “snow,” emphasizing the importance of snow, and the different types of snow to the Inuit, and its relative unimportance in English, particularly in England where the vocabulary originated. In English speaking countries where snow is an important feature, then English uses adjectives to describe the different types of snow, not different words. Another problem for non-native speakers of English is the very large vocabulary needed. English has the world’s largest vocabulary, a result of English being an inclusive language that has borrowed words from many other languages and also because it has its origin in two different language sources, Anglo-Saxon and French. For this reason there are often comparable words in English from each language e.g. smell and odour, dead and deceased. The concept of count and noncount nouns is not shared by people of all cultures, and the grammars of many languages do not reflect this concept at all.  It is very difficult to learn a particular element of grammar when one has no point of reference for the world view that shaped it.  The "switch" inside the brain that must be flipped in order to communicate in a second language covers a vast territory.  Some studies have revealed superior intelligence in people who are truly bilingual or multilingual; it is a tall order for the brain, requiring time and training. Another reason that businesses sometimes overlook communication problems and perpetuate their own troubles in this area is that language is a sensitive issue.  Throughout world history, language has been politicized and has raised passionate debate.  Most people are deeply connected to their native language as a symbol of cultural identity, and strict directives about choosing one language over another are reminiscent to some of colonialism, suppression and racist attitudes.  Even though it is perfectly reasonable (and wise) for American businesses to demand that their employees have excellent communication skills in English, there is sometimes a fear that the motives behind this requirement might be misconstrued3. English has become the language of international communication and is becoming even more dominant as technology increases and spreads. While English is not the world’s most widely spoken language—Chinese is—it is the most widely spoken second language and has the distinction of having approximately the same number of native speakers as non-native speakers. These non-native speakers have learned English as their second language or even their third language; they may be communicating with native English speakers or with other non-native speakers. Communication is a two-way street. One person is speaking or writing, and someone else is listening or reading. It is important that the information is both transmitted and received correctly. Errors in communication can occur anywhere in the process. Miscommunication happens frequently, even among native speakers of a language; someone speaks indistinctly, a listener is not paying full attention, word confusion is possible, or a grammar error leads to someone being perceived negatively. All of these problems are compounded for non-native speakers of English (If English is …, N.D.). Conclusion The international spread of English has primarily occurred through the medium of education, which has always been a major part of language planning. English is the main medium of teaching in higher education in many nations, including countries where it has not achieved official status. The British Council, in its early stages, explicitly referred to its role in the active establishment of English as a universal language and in the 1950s it began collaboration with the USA, which involved the joint teaching of courses. At this point, both countries adopted a policy of promoting the use of English as an international second language in order to develop and maintain western economic interests. Although the spread of the English language is often portrayed as an inevitable consequence of global forces, it can also be conceived as a subtle and insidious form of western imperialism. The spread of English can be seen as the consequence of its penetration into economic and political institutions worldwide, which in turn arose from the growth in the global economic market controlled by the English-speaking countries. The process of globalization, facilitated by rapid advancements in information and communications technology and marked by increased mass communication and movement of people, can be viewed as imperialist in spirit. Changes in structural relations have helped maintain global inequalities, which in turn serve the interests of capitalism in English-speaking countries. Thus, English has become the language of capitalism. As well as functioning as the medium of globalization, English also works as a tool for its extension, the gatekeeper of access to international trade and information. There has been little concerted action to control the worldwide spread of English. Although it can no longer be tied to a specific country, the future of English may be connected to the future of the USA, particularly because the weakening of national governments through globalization has greatly increased the reach of American media and culture (Gaffey, 2005). The development of political alliances among non-English speaking countries or changes in demographic patterns may challenge English’s dominant international position. There are many possibilities for a limiting of the dangers that English poses to other languages and cultures. However, because the growth of English as an international language can be conceived as linguistic imperialism and is linked to the current global supremacy of capitalism, it is difficult to envisage any serious threat to the global dominance of English without a shift in the balance of world power. Bibliography Christophersen, P., and McArthur T. (1992). Native speaker. In T. McArthur, (Ed.), The Oxford companion to the English language.New York: Oxford University Press: 682. Gaffey, E. (2005) Biting your tongue: Globalised power and the international language Variant, Volume 2 Number 22, Spring 2005: 12-15 If English is not your first language, (N.D.) Retrieved January 8, 2006, from http://www.athabascau.ca/courses/engl/155/support/if_english_is_not_your_first_language.htm Katarzyna Dziubalska-Kołaczyk, (2005) Native or non-native? This is the question: Which English to teach in the globalizing world? Retrieved January 8, 2006, from http://www.phon.ucl.ac.uk/home/johnm/ptlc2005/pdf/ptlcp67.pdf Kramsch, C. (1995, March). The privilege of the non-native speakers. Plenary address at the Annual Convention of Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages, Long Beach, CA: 363. McNeill, A. (1994). Some characteristics of native and non-native speaker teachers of English. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 386 067) Medgyes, P. (1992). Native or non-native: Who’s worth more? ELT Journal, 46(4), 340-349. Simpson, JM (1998) Research Writing in a Foreign Language Retrieved January 8, 2006, from http://exchanges.state.gov/forum/vols/vol36/no2/p34.htm Wikipedia Encyclopedia (2006) English language. Retrieved January 8, 2006, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_language Read More