The Problem of Native English Speakers - Essay Example

Running head: IS A NATIVE ENGLISH SPEAKER ALWAYS THE BEST TEACHER OF ENGLISH Is a Native English Speaker Always the Best Teacher of English [ Writer’s Name] [ Institution’s Name] Is a Native English Speaker Always the Best Teacher of English Introduction Language teachers have to be prefect in the language they are teaching, especially if it is to a class with students who do not know the language. Like English as second language classrooms require a teacher who knows everything about the language from, how to enhance reading skills to their speaking ability. Such a difficult task can be managed to the fullest if the teacher is native English speaker. In this way the class even has complete confidence in the teacher and also can learn a lot more then they can if the teacher is not of native English.   This paper shall highlight all the benefits of both kinds of teachers of a native English speaker as well as non native English speaker for an ESL class. Analysis According to , Amin (2000) and Brain (1999) believe as compared to non native English speakers teachers who are native English speakers are prove to be better teachers even if they are less qualified and experienced . Most students also prefer native English speaking teachers. Native English speaking teachers have the ability to provide students who are not native English speakers with colloquial speech, idiomatic terminology regarding English, as well as assist non native students in using rules of language and issues in the way they pronounce the words. However if non native English teachers have a sound know how of the language they can assist the students in understanding and producing new structures. Several studies have been conducted on comparing native and non-native speaker teachers, and have provided fascinating findings regarding teaching success, classroom management, individual qualities, communication skills and attitudes. Native speakers are considered to have an important status and are preferred in the teaching profession. The native English teacher may ensure frequent opportunities for interaction between themselves and individual students; because they understand that they are a major resource for student language development (Gibbons 1991). “Planning opportunities for meaningful interaction between students may also help to provide wide range of models and the need to communicate becomes an important impetus for using language "(Gibbons 1991). Widdowson (1992) believes that there is a considerable difference among the responsibility of the teacher and the responsibility of the informant. However, Non-native speakers may be more beneficial while the role of the teacher is vital as they have the understanding as second language learners of English thus, experience will give them full mastery over the target language. Native speakers are considered as a trustworthy source of information as per the task of informant. non-native teachers of English, are capable of utilizing learning strategies more successfully to provide English students with more information regarding the English language, they are more compassionate when it comes to the needs and issues of their students , their main advantage is that they have the same mother tongue and thus even their students feel more comfortable with them. (Medgyes, 1992). Non-native speaker teachers are extremely beneficial for the students as they have good classroom management, as they have information of institutional culture, aims and classroom environment. Such teachers can easily anticipate and handle the management, fellow teachers and students. This understanding of rules not only helps them in analyzing students’ requirements better but also assists in managing a whole spectrum of problems , ranging from extremely diverse management practices to approaches in classroom management like cheating in tests, which could be a barrier in the native speaker teacher’s efficiency. Apart from this , the fact that they have full knowledge of the mother tongue may become a favor of non-native speaker teachers not just for the useful explanation of theoretical concepts but it is may also serve as an useful tool for classroom management. According to Gill & Rebrova (2001) the teachers’ eager anticipation of students’ self-sufficiency, their respect for individual responsibility as well as their support of students’ contribution and help to lessons are important methods used by native speaker teachers in classroom management. Differences among native and non- native English speaking teachers regarding teaching success, classroom management, individual differences and communication skills are an important topic of study particularly in nations where English is not their mother tongue and a lot of native speaker teachers are hired in English medium schools. The problem of native English speakers in countries where English is not the first language is quite common. As for native speakers disadvantage when it comes to teaching non- native English speakers in is culture. It may be said that language, method of teacher and culture are three essential elements which make a teacher successful in the class room (Millrood 1999). Even though native teachers of English frequently use interesting teaching methods, students feel that the selected method of teaching does not fulfill the requirements of how language ought to be taught. The cause behind this may be that native teachers do not really know the mistakes they have made in their classrooms and lack adequate feedback from the classroom. Usually a non-English speaking country, carry out a lot of studies regarding native and non-native teachers, particularly in private language institutes, as employing efficient teachers are directly related to the education provided in the institution. In a lot of schools native teachers of English have a lot of benefits when it comes to cultural aspects however native teachers at times are considered not ‘real’ teachers although merely native speakers of English . Thus, they may have trouble in explaining a number of concepts regarding English language while teaching. (Mattos, 1997). A native English speaking teacher may be aware that "linguistic output does not necessarily reflect cognitive understandings; learners often know far more than they can express in a second or foreign language" (Becket etal 2009), enabling them to adjust their strategies and planned learning experiences accordingly. There are a range of strategies that can be put in place to ensure a supportive classroom for students learning English as a second language. These will support any child's language learning, but are of special relevance to bilingual and bidialectal students. Strategies to ensure purposeful learning experiences include: offering choice and open ended tasks to students; encouraging cooperative learning and group interdependence in the classroom; allowing students to assume responsibility for their own learning; enabling students to establish and monitor their own goals, and enabling students to regularly practice reflective thinking on their own learning. Native English speaking teachers are successful in modelling and scaffold questions, and explicitly link learning experiences to past current and predicted events explicitly. These teachers while engaging in these strategies adopts a facilitative approach to teaching and learning in the classroom in order to successfully implement them: a 'chalk and talk' approach is not what they use. They make use of a lot the expression of an underlying attitude towards how children learn the importance of learning to learn, and the encouragement of independent learning. In such a classroom, teaching and learning is usually explicit and native speaking teachers help make clear not only the purpose behind the process and content of the learning experience, but their own expectations of the students' learning. Explicit teaching, according to Krashen (1981) "involves all the information needed for learning... [Including] access to the teacher's expectations..." they can successfully integrate Speaking and listening with the other English learning areas, and across the curriculum into wider learning areas. Ideally, according to the Curriculum Framework (Montes 2002) students will have opportunities to use oral language for argument and persuasive purposes, to reflect on their values, to express opinions, to draw conclusions, to evaluate and to make judgments. Activities to encompass these opportunities could include talk as performance (news, storytelling debating) and talk as process (barrier games, problem solving tasks, construction activities) (Jones 1996). Mostly teachers who are native speakers of English, from the outset of their practice, are aware of the impact differences of language use they create for their learners. If one individual or group is unable to understand the communication systems in place in the classroom, that individual or group quickly becomes alienated and excluded from the classroom learning experience. For 30 years experts have had ongoing discussions concerning native and non native English speaking teachers and their mental abilities relating to intelligence and knowledge of the language . Originally, experts believed that a non native language teacher could not be an intellectual, since he/she was carrying two or more languages in their head. Consensus has changed considerably over the past three decades, with the development and use of new testing. Teachers with non native language speaking ability offer an opportunity for researchers to explore the connections between language and teaching methods they use (Bialystok 1988). Non native English speakers have advantages in their calss , due to cognitive development, divergent thought, and mental flexibility. Cognitive ability relates to mental activity, such as thinking, remembering, learning, or using language. Research demonstrates the differences in cognitive functioning between non native English speakers and native English speakers . Analysis and control are language components that develop later in monolinguals than in bilinguals (Bialystok 1988). These abilities refer to representation and selective attention in language that aid in comprehension and understanding. Teachers who speak two languages in childhood are profoundly affected in their cognitive development (Bialystok 1988).This advantage can be manifest itself in several ways. The majority of field researchers conclude that this ability allows bilinguals the advantage of diversity and flexibility in cognition to a significant level over native English speakers (Latham 1998). Gonzalez (1982) proposes that non native English speakers naturally develop cognitive representation verbally, non-verbally, and symbolically (230). Truly non native English speaking teachers native English speaking teachers on many intelligence tests, both verbal and nonverbal (Latham 1998). Language fluency is determined by listening, speaking, and reading abilities (Rosenberg 1996). Recommendation for both Native and Non Native Teachers A common goal in any educational model should be to provide learners to reach their full potential and provide excellence in learning. For ESL if should be to provide an equal opportunity to succeed in such an environment. A thorough model would include screening of both teachers and students. Students would need to speak a language other than English as their primary language. Teachers must also be qualified to teach students whose primary cultural background is not English. ESL students would then need to be monitored yearly on their progress. An evaluation should be shared with the school administrators and the student's parents. These evaluations should not be through exams, but through monitoring and teacher-student interactions. Communication with mainstream teachers and monitoring progress in the mainstream classes would also aid in the evaluations. However non native English speaking teachers have their disadvantages may be said to be one who is able to communicate, to varying extents, in a second language. This includes those who make irregular use of a second language, are able to use a second language but have not for some time or those who have considerable skill in a second language (Crystal, 1987). This type of alteration, or code switching, between languages is feten found in such teachers , he may take a number of different forms, including alteration of sentences, phrases from both languages succeeding each other and switching in a long narrative. There are a number of possible reasons for the switching from one language to another and these will now be considered, as presented by Crystal (1987). The first of these is the notion that the teachers may not be able to express him/herself in one language so switches to the other to compensate for the deficiency. As a result, the teachers may be triggered into speaking in the other language for a while. This type of code switching tends to occur when the non native teacher is upset, tired or distracted in some manner. Secondly, switching commonly occurs when an individual wishes to express solidarity with a particular social group. From frequent observations, it may be said that these teachers have mastery of speaking. Thus, when it comes to code switching then native English speaking teachers are always the best as they are quite sure of their language and don’t switch language when they are upset. Apart from this they may even be able to control a lot of students’ code switching habits, making them fluent of English. Conclusion It may be said that ESL class room require a prefect teacher to fulfil all their needs. Such a teacher can only be one who is the native speaker of English as well as a non native speaker of English. The class has to be thought how to read, write and speak English, sometimes from zero. At times the class knows quite a bit of the language. In both situations a teacher who has complete mastery over the language can handle the classroom properly. It may be said to become a successful English language teacher, both native or non-native teachers must under go the course of learning an additional language apart from English. However, if native English teacher learn the language of their students it would defiantly be added advantage. It may be said both kinds of teachers native was well as nonnative should have qualifications and experience both. Being a native or non-native speaker does not make much of a difference. Only the kind of experience and qualification of language teachers makes them efficient. It may be said that teaching culture without a doubt has a lot to do with efficiency in the teaching occupation, particularly when one is teaching in a country which is strange to him/her. It is quite true that a lot of issues have been clarified in this paper teaching practices, practical steps should be taken to consider good implications for English language teachers of both categories native and non-native. This may help them to even tech in strange countries and impart quality education. Hopefully information provided in the paper will help native as well as nonnative speakers of English, who want to use their talent to teach English , handle the problems , caused due to the local teaching culture and be extremely efficient when it comes to their professional undertakings. Both non native English speakers as well as native English speakers may turn out to be good teachers. When it comes to teaching students who don’t know much about the subject a teacher just has to understand the needs of the students. Both kinds of teachers have their own advantages which they can use to the fullest to impart knowledge regarding English. As mentioned above both teachers have their advantages in teaching English. Thus, to conclude it may said teaching is an occupation which requires a lot of experience and understanding. Especially when it comes to teaching languages it requires a sound knowledge of the back ground of the students as well as of the language. So, both native and non native speakers of English can good at their teaching if they keep the above mentioned elements in mind. References Amin, N. (2001). Nativism, the native speaker construct, and minority immigrant women teachers of English as a second language. The CATESOL Journal, 13(1), 89-107. Beckett, Gulbahar H.; Stiefvater, Andrea (2009). Change in ESL Graduate Students' Perspectives on Non-Native English-Speaker Teachers TESL Canada Journal, v27 n1 p27-46 Bialystok, E. (1988), Levels of bilingualism and levels of linguistic awareness. Developmental Psychology, 24, 560–567. Braine, G. (Ed.). (1999). Non-native educators in English language teaching. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Cecilia (1999), “Learning to Read Words: Linguistic Units and Strategies.” CIERA/University of Michigan Crystal, D. (1987), The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English Language, Chapter 23, Cambridge University Press; Gibbons P (1991) Learning to Learn in a Second Language. Australia, PETA. Gill, S., & Rebrova, A. (2001). Native and non-native: Together we're worth more. ELT Newsletter. Retrieved 20 August 2011, from the World Wide Web: http://www.eltnewsletter.com/back/March2002/art522011.htm Gonzalez, AB. (1982), Bilingual Schooling at De La Salle Grade School (Taft Avenue): A Case Study. Manila, Philippines: De La Salle University Latham, Andrew S (1998), "The advantages of Bilingualism." Educational Leadership 56.3 79-80. Mattos Almeida, A. M. de. (1997). Native and non-native teacher: A matter to think over. Forum, 35(1), 38. Medgyes, P. (1992). Native or non-native: who’s worth more? ELT Journal, 46(4), 340-349. Millrood, R. (1999). How Native English Speakers Can be Better English Teachers in Russia. The Internet TESL Journal. Vol..5 No 1 Montes, F. (2002). Enhancing content areas through a Cognitive Academic Language Learning based collaborative in South Texas. Bilingual Research Journal, 26, 697-716. Rosenberg, M. (1996), Raising bilingual children. Teachers of English as a Second Language, 2(6) Widdowson, H. (1992). ELT and EL Teachers: matters arising. ELT Journal, 46(4), 333-339. Read More