Native or Non-native speakers. Who are the better English teachers?

Term Paper , 2008 , 17 Pages , Grade: 1

Didactics for the subject English - Miscellaneous

In today’s globalised world language knowledge becomes more and more important for good and skilled communication. Especially the knowledge of one language – the world language English – is necessary to be competitive and able to communicate worldwide. The status of English as a world language is obviously due to its large amount of native speakers all over the world, but also its simplicity in grammar, structure and vocabulary makes it to one of the most important languages in the world.

There are approximately 380 million native speakers of English and more than 700 non-native speakers of English all over the world, which results in large parts of today’s communication taking place in English. Thus good English language knowledge is a precondition for many jobs and educations. This places great importance on today’s English language education. It has to be of high quality and learners have to acquire the language as good and as fast as possible. But who can perform the job of an English teacher best?

There has been lots of discussion in the past years about whether native or non-native speakers are better at language teaching. Due to globalisation also the amount of English teachers available is rising steadily. Today’s English teachers come from a broad range of different countries and thus have differing cultural and linguistic backgrounds. Those backgrounds have again influence on the teachers’ teaching styles and methods and their general understanding of the teaching context and their students. Moreover, today’s English teachers have different levels of knowledge of the target language and culture.

In this paper, I will thus have a look at the following question: Native speakers of English or non-native speakers of English – who are the better English teachers? Native speakers, on the one hand know their language perfectly, faultlessly and naturally. Non-natives on the other hand are more familiar with the students’ language learning process and have a better understanding of the learners’ needs. Thus, who is the ideal language teacher for the challenging task of teaching the world language English?

Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)

• Introduction
• Native or Non-Native
  • Defining Native and Non-Native
  • Advantages and Problems of Native Speaker Teachers
    • Advantages of Native Speaker Teachers
    • Problems of Native Speaker Teachers
  • Advantages and Problems of Non-Native Speaker Teachers
    • Advantages of Non-Native Speaker Teachers
    • Problems of Non-Native Speaker Teachers
• My Study
  • The Questionnaires
  • The Participants
  • The Study
  • Analysis
• Conclusion
• Future Perspective

Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)

This paper aims to explore the effectiveness of native versus non-native English speakers as English teachers. It explores the arguments for and against each teacher type and examines how the cultural and linguistic backgrounds of teachers impact their teaching styles and student understanding. The paper also presents the results of a study on student preferences and experiences with both teacher types.

• The effectiveness of native versus non-native English teachers in language education.
• The advantages and disadvantages of native speaker teachers, including their fluency, sociolinguistic competence, and potential challenges in understanding student difficulties.
• The advantages and disadvantages of non-native speaker teachers, including their understanding of the language learning process, their ability to relate to student challenges, and potential limitations in language fluency.
• The impact of cultural and linguistic backgrounds on teaching styles and student learning.
• Student preferences and experiences with native and non-native English teachers.

Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)

• Introduction: This chapter introduces the topic of native versus non-native English teachers and highlights the increasing importance of English language knowledge in today's globalized world. It raises the question of which teacher type is most effective in teaching English.
• Native or Non-Native?: This chapter provides definitions of native and non-native speakers of English, outlining the distinction between L1 and L2 language acquisition. It then discusses the advantages and disadvantages of native speaker teachers, focusing on their fluency, sociolinguistic competence, and potential shortcomings in understanding student learning challenges. The chapter also explores the potential benefits and drawbacks of non-native speaker teachers, acknowledging their understanding of the learning process and potential limitations in language fluency.

Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)

The key terms and concepts addressed in this paper include native speaker, non-native speaker, L1 acquisition, L2 acquisition, NEST, non-NEST, fluency, sociolinguistic competence, language learning process, cultural background, teaching styles, student preferences, and language education. The paper examines the effectiveness of native versus non-native English teachers in the context of globalized language learning.

• Grade: 1
• Author: Svenja Christen (Author)
• Publication Year: 2008
• Pages: 17
• Catalog Number: V140542
• ISBN (eBook): 9783640517893
• ISBN (Book): 9783640517602
• Language: English
• Tags: English teachers, native vs non-native, language teacher