Non-native language teachers in US university

ESL courses

Dan Zhong
 Why I’m interested?

• As a non-native speaker & English

major
• Applied linguistic department
• NNS to be better language teachers
 Inquiry questions:
• 1. Do ESL students have a preference in
teachers’ nativeness/non-nativeness?
• 2. What are the challenges of non-native
ESL teachers?
• 3. How to survive as a non-native
speaker to teach language? (How to
prepare non-native language teachers)
 Literature
• I. Self-perception of NNS teachers
• Peter Medgyes (1994)
• Four hypothesis: (difference of NS & NNS
teachers)
• (1) Language proficiency;
• (2) teaching practice/behavior;
• (3) differences in teaching practice/behavior can
be attributed to the discrepancy of language
proficiency;
• (4) Both type of teachers are equally good.
• II. Students’ perceptions of NNS
teachers
• Lucie Moussu (2002)
• Time and exposure to teachers
made students’ opinions more
positive by the end of semester.
• III. Both teachers’ and students’
opinion in a single study
• Cheung (2002)
• Both NS and NNS have respective
strengths.
• NS: high fluency; ability to use
English functionally.
• NNS: empathize with students as
fellow second language learners; a
shared cultural background, and the
emphasis they placed on grammar.
• Ahmar Mahboob (2003)

NNS teachers
teaching ESL in
the US (7.9%) NNS graduate students in
TESOL programs in the US

• Most (59.8%) program administrators have a preference in hiring

'native English speakers’.
• Both NS and NNS teachers received positive and negative
comments, different areas.
 Surveys
• 1. For non-native ESL teachers in
APLNG:
• What
are the challenges you have as a n
on-native ESL teacher
?

• 2. For ESL students in Penn State:

• What do ESL students think about
having a non-native teacher?
 Results of the survey
• ESL teachers:
• 18.6 years;
• preference of native language teachers;
• 75% (disadvantages);
• Being treated as a second class citizen in
the job environment.
• Knowing students’ difficulties in L2
learning
• Personal identity & professional ability
• ESL students (81.25% graduate
students)
• 13.5 years;
• Generally think that native speaker
teachers are better in teaching
English.
• 75% agree that NNESTs are better at
explaining grammar.
• 100% would continue the course as
long as the NNS teacher is good.
 Conclusion
• 1. ESL students do not have an
overwhelming preference of NS/NNS
teachers;
• 2. Students’ assumption that NESTs
are better English teachers; English
proficiency and knowledge of US
culture.
 How to help NNS teachers?

• NNS teacher themselves:

• 1. Maintain the appreciation of other
cultures (Vivian Cook, 2002)
• 2. Enhance fluency in English;
• 3. Learn more about US culture;
• 4. Take advantages of their personal
learning experiences (Liu); be more
confident
• Program directors and institutions:
• 1. Systematic training programs for
GTAs;
• 2. Raise ESL learners’ awareness of
factors (teacher’s personality, cultural
background, teaching styles, etc.)
contributes to effective teaching
• 3. Practicum supervisors: More
practice teaching. (Enric Llurda)
• 4. Combine NS and NNS in ESL
programs
 Potential problems with research

• Native/non-native speaker?
• All researches related to this issue is
conducted by NNSs, so the results
could be in favor NNS sometimes.

• Any questions?
 References
• Braine, G. (Ed.) (1999). Non-native educators in English language teaching.
Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
• Canagarajah, A.S. (1999). On EFL teachers, awareness, and agency. ELT Journal,
53(3), 207-13.
• Cheung, Y. L. (2002). The attitude of university students in Hong Kong towards
native and non-native teachers of English. Unpublished M. Phil. Thesis. The
Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
• Cook, V. J. (1999). Going beyond the native speaker in language teaching. TESOL
Quarterly, 33(2), 185-210.
• Cook, V. J. (2000). Comments on Vivian Cook’s “Going beyond the native speaker
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142.
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