Dec 02, 2011 11:58 AM
Are you a non-native speaker of English who first learned English in the country where you were born? Were your teachers native or non-native speakers of English? Some people believe that languages must be taught by those who are native speakers of that language. Others feel that instruction in a foreign language by an individual from the same first language background as those who are learning the language has more advantages. There are also those who believe that a combination of both types of instruction is the best option. Whatever people might view as the optimal situation, a growing number of individuals who teach the English language around the globe are non-native speakers of English.
In a U.S. Department of Education funded article that appeared in Online Resources: Digests in December of 2002, Rosie Maum reported that native English speakers without the appropriate teaching credentials are more likely to be hired as English as a Second Language teachers than qualified and experienced teachers who are non-native speakers of English, especially outside of the United States (“Nonnative-English-Speaking Teachers in the English Teaching Profession.”) While many private institutes in Chile prefer that their teachers have English as a Second Language teaching certificates, native speakers of English without teaching certificates can often find work as English teachers there. Speaking English “flawlessly” is the “… ultimate priority of Indonesian parents living in several cities.” They send their children to private schools and institutions that hire a number of native speakers of English who have online teaching certificates, but do not have backgrounds in teaching English (“Non-native vs. native English teachers” by Nelly Martin, The Jakarta Post, October 29, 2011). An English as a Second Language (ESL) teacher must be a native of an English-speaking country to teach English in the Republic of Korea. A bachelor’s or master’s degree in any field is required. Teaching experience or an ESL type certificate is desired.
According to Chizuko Mizuno of Mukogawa Women’s University and Junior and Senior High School, there are few “… empirical studies that explore the differences between native and non-native teachers of English…” (“Non-native speakers of English teaching English in Japan – Critical Perspectives on *TESOL in an Educational Context.”) (*Teaching English to speakers of other languages) Mizuno referred to a statement by Sir Randolph Quirk who said that “…native speakers are the only language teachers who can be trusted, since non-native speakers make mistakes that disqualify them as purveyors of a language (cited in Christensen, 1992).” A study conducted in 1995 by Chiba, Matsuura, and Yamamoto found that Japanese college students displayed a more positive attitude toward American English accents than they did toward the other accents that were presented to them. Torkil Christensen indicated that, ‘While native speakers can speak English without making mistakes, non-native local teachers can understand their students’ culture and communicate with their students in their language, which is more important in teaching.’ Mizuno expressed a sentiment that others have also expressed: “No matter what English accent we have, however, the accent should be comprehensible to people regardless of nationalities.”
Whether you learned English from a native speaker of English or from a non-native speaker of English, are you easily understood by the people who you communicate with on a daily basis? Are you frequently asked to repeat what you have said? If you did not learn how to correctly produce the sounds and the rhythm of American English, it is likely that you will have problems conveying your messages. Do you sometimes still have difficulty selecting the appropriate words and expressions to use? Is it possible that your sentences contain a few errors? Speech-language pathologists who provide accent modification services can help you acquire the skills that you need to become a more successful communicator.
Celia C. Goldstein, M.A., CCC-SLP holds a certificate of clinical competence in speech-language pathology and is licensed in Tennessee. She earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Virginia and a master’s degree from Vanderbilt University. She has more than twenty-five years of experience as a speech-language pathologist and has had additional training in accent modification. Ms. Goldstein is the granddaughter of immigrants.
celiagoldsteintn@comcast.net 615-776-8674
