EFL College Students’ Perceptions toward Native and Non-Native English Speaking Teachers

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate Taiwanese English as a foreign language (EFL) students' perceptions and preferences toward Native English-Speaking Teachers(NESTs) and Non-Native English-Speaking Teachers (NNESTs) who hold a degree from a country where English is the dominant language through addressing the differences of their English instruction. This quantitative research was consisted of 184 participants who answered the questionnaire that involved of 28 Likert scale type statements. The results showed the teachers' qualifications and experiences were seen as an important feature of excellent English teachers, regardless of his or her mother tongue language. More precisely, NESTs were perceived to be superior in their good English proficiency and ability to facilitate students' English learning. In terms of NNESTs, they were perceived to be superior in their proficiency in students' first language, their knowledge of students' learning difficulties, and at communicating in general. Finally, the findings indicated that EFL programs where both NESTs and NNESTs worked cooperatively were considered an effective English learning environment for language learners.

Native and Non-Native EFL Teachers Dichotomy: Terminological, Competitiveness and Employment Discrimination

“…Some researchers provided a narrower Anglo-centric definition of the native speaker, defining them as someone who was born in an English-speaking country and has acquired the English language during their childhood in an English-speaking family or environment (Braine, 2010;Cook, 2005;Lee, 2005;Medgyes, 1994). This means that "the individual speaks English as his/her first language, has a native-like command of English and has the capacity to produce a fluent and spontaneous discourse" (Medgyes, 1994, p. 10).…”

“…Shin's article 'Preparing non-native English-speaking ESL teachers' in Teacher Development, Volume 12, Issue 1, mentions that the difference between the advantages and disadvantages of native and non-native teachers is a highly complex issue to define and the label of "native/non-native is too simplistic and fails to capture the rich complexities associated with being a user of a language" (Shin, 2008, p. 60). However, despite the many uncertainties surrounding the study of the native/non-native divide, a significantly visible advantage that non-native English language teachers possess is their awareness of the grammar which is built into their understanding of language due to their previous language learning experience (Shih & Ying, 2017;. However, Medgyes (1983) describes any situation in which "non-native" teachers' feel unsafe in using the language they teach as a contingency towards adopting a "pessimistic or an aggressive attitude".…”

“…There are only a few studies (Shih & Ying, 2017;Clark & Paran, 2007;Pacek, 2005;Medgyes, 1994/2) that have been carried out in the field of discrimination against non-native English teachers both in the UK and internationally. The lack of research regarding discrimination in this field is in view of it possibly having "political and economic consequences, as well as raising questions about the academic integrity of its institutions [TEFL/ TESOL]" (Clark & Paran, 2007, p. 417).…”

“…In addition, Medgyes (1994) carried out a similar survey in London and Paris of a group of 'highly sophisticated teachers, teacher trainers, applied linguistics and publishers' (Medgyes, 1994, p. 67). Most of the respondents were native speakers of English from London.…”

“…67-8). He adds that this was not the real business hiring practices of ELT schools in London faced with short-term economic decisions to make (Medgyes, 1994). In other words, prejudice was much more likely to be risked when money was involved, and the activity took on a business setting rather than an academic one.…”