Native versus Nonnative: A Literacy Teacher Educator’s Story

Abstract

In the English language teaching (ELT) profession, NNEST is an acronym for nonnative English-speaking teachers, that is, English language teachers who speak English as a second or foreign language. NEST, in contrast, stands for native English-speaking teachers or those who speak English as their first or native language. The dichotomy between NNEST and NEST, though intuitively appealing at first glance, has been debated for years (Kachru, 1992;Liu, 1999;Medgyes, 1994). According to Maum (2002), proponents of the dichotomy believe that it is necessary to distinguish between native and nonnative English-speaking teachers because their differences should be recognized. Those who oppose the dichotomy argue that differentiating between teachers based on their linguistic status rather than competence perpetuates the dominance of the native speaker in the ELT profession. For example, studies (Amin, 2000;Braine, 1999;Canagarajah, 1999) show that native English speakers without teaching qualifications are more likely to be hired than qualified and experienced NNESTs, especially outside the United States. Phillipson (1992Phillipson ( , 1996 uses the phrase "the native speaker fallacy" (the belief that the ideal teacher of English is a native speaker) to refer to unfair treatment of qualified NNESTs. Canagarajah (1999) follows suit by interrogating and dismantling the fallacy from the linguistic, political, and economic slant. The debate on the dichotomy has also led to more research on the careers of NNESTs (Johnston, 1997) and the power, race, and identity of NNESTs (Amin, 1997;Shuck, 2006;Tang, 1997). A central theme recurring in these studies is that NNESTs should not be marginalized as secondary to NESTs but regarded as equal peers and contributors in the ELT profession.In 1998, TESOL, an international professional association that represents teachers of English to speakers of other languages, approved the formation of the NNEST Caucus.1 Ever since, according to Matsuda (2002), "NNEST has become one of the most visible topics at TESOL conventions, and NNEST sessions and open meetings continue to attract a growing number of TESOL professionals -both NNESTs and NESTs alike" (p. 1). Matsuda goes on to proclaim that "NNEST is more than just a Caucus; it's a movement" (p.1).Though the NNEST movement has been successful in raising an awareness of the importance of NNESTs, it is set mainly in the context of teaching and learning English as a second or foreign language (ESL or EFL). Most of the existing NNEST literature is concerned with the investigations of NNESTs as English language teachers in relation to their counterparts as native English speakers as well as to their students as nonnative English speakers. It hardly addresses the issues of NNESTs teaching native English speakers in the context of a teacher education program. Specifically, there is no shortage of accounts of native speakers teaching English as a second or foreign language to nonnative speakers or nonnative speakers teaching English to speakers of other ...

The ghost of nativespeakerism: The case of teacher classroom introductions in transnational contexts

“…This latter reason might be a more likely explanation as it is consistent with earlier autoethnographic accounts (e.g. Lee, ; Liu, ; Ng, ).…”

“…Unfortunately, I barely found any. The only two narratives I came across were the autoethnographies of Lee () and Liu (). The limited narrative account of TETs teaching NES students might be due to two potential reasons.…”

(Non)native Speakered: Rethinking (Non)nativeness and Teacher Identity inTESOLTeacher Education

“…There is also increased attention paid to personal narratives. For instance, Brutt‐Griffler and Samimy () explore four narratives of individuals born “outside of the mother tongue context” (p. 99) to support the notion that nativeness and nonnativeness are socially constructed categories, and Lee () reflects on the author's personal “subjective story” (p. 1) of professional “coming of age,” from a self‐conscious doctoral student anxious about teaching English composition to so‐called native speakers, to an experienced professor living successfully on the borderlands (Anzaldúa, ) and encouraging others to do the same.…”

“I Am Never Afraid of Being Recognized as anNNES”: One Teacher's Journey in Claiming and Embracing Her Nonnative‐Speaker Identity

“…Much has already been written on the issues pertaining to NNESTs working in various contexts, as evidenced by edited and single‐authored volumes (e.g., Braine, , , ; Kamhi‐Stein, ; Llurda, ) and numerous articles focusing on NNEST identity constructions (e.g., Chacon, ; Lee, ; Menard‐Warwick, ; Park, , ; Pavlenko, ; Simon‐Maeda, ; Tang, ; Varghese, Morgan, Johnston, & Johnson, ). The research so far has considered the rewards and challenges experienced by native‐English‐speaking teachers (NESTs) as well as NNESTs, yet attention to diversity within these groups has been limited.…”