Decoding the Myths of the Native and Non-Native English Teachers on the Language Acquisition of Turkish Post-Secondary Students

Abstract

There is a prevalent belief among individuals that the optimal approach to acquiring a second language (L2) is through instruction provided by native English-speaking teachers (NESTs). The objective of this research was to investigate the perspectives of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students at the post-secondary level regarding the instructional competencies of non-native Englishspeaking teachers (NNESTs) and native English-speaking teachers (NESTs). The study comprised a sample of 30 Turkish students who were learning English as a foreign language. The sample included 17 female and 13 male participants who were selected from post-secondary students enrolled in ANKU (Ankara University Development Foundation Private Anatolian & Science High School). Participants were required to have a minimum of 27 hours of weekly English language instruction. The participants were selected through the convenience sampling method. The present study utilized semi-structured interviews as the primary data collection instrument, with a total of 30 participants being interviewed. The investigator conducted individual, semi-structured interviews at the English Language Department of Foreign Languages. The data collection process consisted of five interview sessions, each of which lasted for 90 minutes. Thematic analysis (TA) was utilized to examine the interview data. The results of the current investigation indicate that non-native English-speaking teachers (NNESTs) have the potential to offer more effective feedback compared to their native English-speaking counterparts (NESTs). Furthermore, non-Native English-Speaking Teachers (NNESTs) possess superior abilities in instructing writing and grammar compared to Native English-Speaking Teachers (NESTs), and they exhibit a proficient understanding of pedagogical techniques. Conversely, non-native English-speaking teachers (NESTs) exhibited exceptional linguistic aptitude and demonstrated fluency in their use of language. Additionally, non-native English-speaking teachers (NESTs) served as a significant source of inspiration for English language learners, and they exhibited greater efficacy in instructing oral communication and auditory comprehension abilities than non-native English-speaking teachers (NNESTs). The study's implications were presented in the paper's conclusion.