Native-speaker And Non-native-speaker Teachers Of English - 2

Native-speaker And Non-native-speaker Teachers Of English - 2 Native-speaker And Non-native-speaker Teachers Of English â€" Essay Example > Native-speaker and non-native-speaker teachers of EnglishIntroductionThe English language has become the unparalleled lingua franca of the world as the number of second and foreign language speakers of English surpasses by far the number of native speakers of English or the first language speakers of English as indicated by Graddol, (1997, p. 9). Be it as it may, non native speakers of English language have continued to be at an disadvantage when competing with English native speakers which has transcended to non native teachers of English, despite the fact that there are more than eighty percent English language teachers globally who are non-native English speaking teachers (Canagarajah, 2005, p. 11). It is argued that both native speakers of English and non-native speakers of English have much to offer as teachers of English to speakers of other languages. In this regard, this assignment will explore several contexts of ESL/EFL in which teachers of native speakers of English and no-native speakers of English teach English. This will include the consideration of the kind of knowledge, skills and attitude which are necessary for an English teacher to take on board when teaching English in specific contexts. Definitions of terms A native speaker of English is conventionally described as a person who speaks English as their native language or as their first language (Anchimbe, 2006, p. 1). That is to say English is their mother tongue. On the other hand the non native English speakers are persons for whom English is a second language or a foreign language to them, that is, they have a native language which is not English (Arva Medgyes, 2000, p. 355). Non Native English speaking teachers are also known as Non-NESTs while native English speaking teachers are known as NESTs. The term ESL will be routinely used in this report and it refers to English as a Second Language or EFL, which refers to English as a foreign language (Ellis, 2004, p. 55). On the other ha nd, the term ELT refers to English Language Teaching (Anchimbe, 2006, p. 1). The role a native and a non native English speaker play in teaching ESL According to Medgyes, there are perceived differences in teaching behavior between native English speaking teachers and non-native English speaking teachers teaching speakers of other languages (Medgyes, 1999, p. 435). Among these differences are their uses of English where NESTs speak better English and they utilize the language more confidently while non-NESTs are more prone to using bookish English and they are less confident when utilizing the English language (Medgyes, 1999, p. 435). In regards to the general attitude, NESTs assume a more flexible approach, they are less empathetic with learners of ESL, they have far-fetched expectations, they are more causal and they are less dedicated to the teaching process (Ellis, 2004, p. 63). In contrast, non-NESTs adopt a guided approach to the English language and they are more empathetic to learners of ESL, more dedicated to teaching English, stricter and they address the real needs and have realistic expectations from their students (Medgyes, 1999 p. 435). In relation to the attitude they have towards teaching the English language, Medgyes indicates that NESTs are less insightful and they are more concerned with meaning, fluency, how language is used, oral skills and colloquial registry (Medgyes, 1999 p. 435). In addition, they tend to teach items if context, they do not resort to translation, they set fewer assessment tests, they have a higher tolerance for errors and opt for group work and they favor free learning activities (Ellis, 2004). In relation to non-NESTs, these teachers are more insightful, they concentrate on accuracy, form, rules of grammar, printed form and formal registry (Medgyes, 1999, p. 436). In addition, non-NESTs favor controlled activities, they teach items in isolation, the prefer frontal work than group work, they easily correct and punis h learners when they make errors, they are more prone to setting more assessment tests and they more often resort to translation and usage of their first language (Medgyes, 1999, p. 437). As highlighted above, native speakers of English and non-native speakers of English offers different benefits to the learning of ESL process (Anchimbe, 2006, p. 1).