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| photo credit: www.pixgood.com |
There's a perennial argument in ESL teaching about native versus non-native teachers. There are so many issues and thousands of argument about this it took me almost 10 years to finally write my own piece. Also, because of the various points related to this topic, this will be a 3-part series.
The most common argument of Native speakers is that they know English more intimately than the non-natives. They've heard it since they're in the womb. That's how intimate they know the language. This argument is truly valid. Even if I want to learn Japanese, I'll look for a Nihonggo teacher who's actually Japanese. If an Indian teacher shows up in my Japanese class, I'd doubt him at first.
On the other hand, non-Native speakers argue that since they've learned English they know how to break it down and how to teach it to ESL learners. This argument is also valid. I'm a non-native speaker and the way I teach is the way I learned English. If native speakers have an intimate knowledge of the language, non-natives have personally experienced learning the language.
Both arguments have merits but there's a disconnect in perspective. Native speakers look at English holistically. English is not just a language but a representation of a culture and of a race. Non-native speakers view English as a skill. It's a tool and a means.
Interestingly, native speakers' most common arguments against non-natives are skills-related. On the other hand, non-natives' most common arguments are more on the race.
Here are the most common arguments I've read against non-native teachers. As a non-native teacher, I will not provide rebuttals cause I might just sound bias. Instead, I'll try to explain the situation of a non-native English speaker- both as a teacher and as a learner.
1. Non-native speakers' accent and pronunciation are terrible.
Just for clarity: Accent and pronunciation are different. Pronunciation is how words are spoken. Accent is a distinct way of pronouncing words. It's relative to culture and social class.
Many fora mentioned that non-natives have bad pronunciation. They also said how we, non-natives, speak with a funny or heavy accent. Even media constructed stereotypes about the way other nations speak English. Hence, non-natives should not be teaching English because their students won't be learning the correct pronunciation and accent. Although this argument is acceptable it's not totally true.
Not all non-native speakers have funny accents and pronunciation. I understand where the stereotypes are coming from but they're just that- stereotypes. Non-native teachers who actually have English teaching degrees took phonology courses. We also understand that we have to sound "English" enough to land a job. Only those who take English teaching lightly will not strive to improve their accent and pronunciation. In the same way, not all native speakers have great accents and pronunciation. It just so happened that English is their first language so their accents and pronunciations are "acceptable."
2. Non-native speakers' grammar is terrible
Grammar is actually a point of contention. Some natives say that non-natives have good grammar and some say we don't. Here's my personal problem with English grammar when I was started studying it. I understand how grammar works and I can explain it but it wasn't easy to apply in speaking. It doesn't help that English has a lot of exceptions. I can ace a grammar writing test but I can easily commit grammar errors when speaking. (There's a grammar error in this paragraph. Can you find it?)
Why? This is how a bilingual's brain works- we think in our first language, translate in English, produce the correct response, then self-correct when we identify wrong grammar. In writing, we have a visual stimuli that helps our brain to process things faster from one language to another. In speaking, we only have sounds. Light is faster than sound; our eyes receive faster stimuli than our ears. It's easier to respond when something is written. It's easier to erase a grammar error in paper than take back a grammar error when speaking.
Non-natives can't help this phenomena but it doesn't mean we can't do anything about it. Non-native speakers can improve the workings of the brain by constant practice. Grammar skills in speaking can be improved overtime. The more we speak in English, the more our neuro pathways related to language skills are developed. In time, the process of translating from one language to another is almost only a split second. When non-natives reached this "split second translation," good grammar is also noticeable. The trickier parts of English grammar are prepositions because their meanings are abstract. Can you imagine what is "in," or "from" or "to" or how about "about"?
Again, only those who take English teaching lightly will not strive to improve and perfect their grammar skills. This goes for natives as well.
3. Non-native speakers lack cultural knowledge
Many native speakers in various fora pointed out how non-natives can't teach the culture in English-speaking country. They say that we're not familiar with their idioms, with connotation of words, with the other rudiments of English that only native speakers can understand. I have nothing to say against this argument. Even if I can speak and write in English proficiently, I wouldn't fully know the culture of an English-speaking country unless I live in one.
As I've mentioned, non-native speakers view English as a tool. When we see something as a tool, we're only concerned on how to use it. We don't care how it came about. For illustration, I see my DSLR camera as a tool to take pictures. I bought it because I want to take high quality pictures. I don't care how it was assembled, how it really works and how it evolved from what it is now etc. etc. My only concern is how I can use it. It's the same with English. Non-native speakers are more concerned on how they can use English for their own purpose. The cultural aspect of the language is not so important.
However, I personally think that non-native English speakers should concern themselves with the cultural aspect of English. Read books, watch movies, study its nuances and communicate with native speakers. The more I learned about the history of English and the culture of English-speaking people, the more I can easily find sense in all its exceptions and metaphors. It makes me more effective as a teacher. I fell in love with English because of its dynamic roots. It is perhaps the most adaptable and the most creative language in the world. Using the camera illustration, I would perhaps appreciate it more if I know what aperture is for portrait, landscape, movement, etc. Maybe I can take better pictures if I know that there are other lens I can use. It's the same with English and with any other language. We can use it better if we don't only see it as a tool but as a part of a bigger thing.
Watch out for the next post:
Part 2: What Do Non-Native Teachers Say Against Native Speakers?
Part 2: What Do Non-Native Teachers Say Against Native Speakers?
