Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Textbook Native and Non Native Teachers in English Language Classrooms 1St Edition Juan de Dios Martinez Agudo Ed Ebook All Chapter PDF
Textbook Native and Non Native Teachers in English Language Classrooms 1St Edition Juan de Dios Martinez Agudo Ed Ebook All Chapter PDF
https://textbookfull.com/product/affect-language-interactions-in-
native-and-non-native-english-speakers-a-neuropragmatic-
perspective-1st-edition-rafal-jonczyk-auth/
https://textbookfull.com/product/grammar-for-teachers-a-guide-to-
american-english-for-native-and-non-native-speakers-2nd-edition-
andrea-decapua/
https://textbookfull.com/product/grammar-for-teachers-a-guide-to-
american-english-for-native-and-non-native-speakers-2nd-edition-
andrea-decapua-2/
https://textbookfull.com/product/science-research-writing-for-
native-and-non-native-speakers-of-english-second-edition-hilary-
glasman-deal/
Teaching English Language Arts to English Language
Learners: Preparing Pre-service and In-service Teachers
1st Edition Luciana De Oliveira
https://textbookfull.com/product/teaching-english-language-arts-
to-english-language-learners-preparing-pre-service-and-in-
service-teachers-1st-edition-luciana-de-oliveira/
https://textbookfull.com/product/uncovering-ideology-in-english-
language-teaching-identifying-the-native-speaker-frame-robert-j-
lowe/
https://textbookfull.com/product/practical-tensorflow-js-deep-
learning-in-web-app-development-juan-de-dios-santos-rivera/
https://textbookfull.com/product/emotional-prosody-processing-
for-non-native-english-speakers-towards-an-integrative-emotion-
paradigm-1st-edition-halszka-bak-auth/
https://textbookfull.com/product/native-cultural-competency-in-
mainstream-schooling-outsider-teachers-with-insider-
knowledge-1st-edition-sharon-vegh-williams/
Juan de Dios Martínez Agudo (Ed.)
Native and Non-Native Teachers in English Language Classrooms
Trends in Applied Linguistics
Edited by
Ulrike Jessner
Claire Kramsch
Volume 26
Native and Non-Native
Teachers in English
Language Classrooms
Edited by
Juan de Dios Martínez Agudo
ISBN 978-1-5015-1211-7
e-ISBN (PDF) 978-1-5015-0414-3
e-ISBN (EPUB) 978-1-5015-0411-2
ISSN 1868-6362
www.degruyter.com
Table of contents
Péter Medgyes
Foreword ix
Ahmar Mahboob
Chapter 1
Understanding language variation: Implications of the NNEST lens for TESOL
teacher education programs 13
Masaki Oda
Chapter 5
Native-Speakerism and the roles of mass media in ELT 99
vi Table of contents
Yasemin Bayyurt
Chapter 7
Non-native English language teachers’ perceptions of culture in English
language classrooms in a post-EFL era 139
Toshinobu Nagamine
Chapter 8
The potential for non-native teachers to effectively teach speaking in a
Japanese EFL context 161
Luís Guerra
Chapter 9
Students’ perceptions and expectations of native and non-native speaking
teachers 183
Arthur McNeill
Chapter 11
Native and non-native teachers’ sensitivity to language learning difficulties
from a learner’s perspective: Implications and challenges for teacher
education 239
Table of contents vii
Wolfgang Zydatiß
Chapter 13
Professional challenges faced by non-native CLIL teachers 273
David Malinowski
Critical Afterword 337
Péter Medgyes, Professor Emeritus of Applied Linguistics and Language Pedagogy (Eötvös
Loránd University, Budapest)
DOI 10.1515/9781501504143-203
x Péter Medgyes
I had arrived at. Others, following different research agendas, presented new
perspectives and generated novel ideas. In addition to scores of research papers
published in professional journals, about a dozen full-length books discussing
this topic have been published in the past 20 years. To all intents and purposes,
the study of the NEST/NNEST issue has come into its own.
An even more encouraging sign is that non-native experts, who had seldom
made their voices heard in the past, volunteered to contribute to this line of
research. This turned out to be a niche which offered non-natives opportunities
to gain recognition in the academic world. Braine is right in noting that this devel-
opment is “an indication of the empowerment of [non-native] researchers who
are no longer hesitant to acknowledge themselves as [non-native speakers], and
venture into uncharted territory” (2010: 29).
The book you are about to read is a welcome addition to the ever-growing list
of publications by non-native researchers. The bio-data supplied at the end of the
volume indicates that the authors are based in 14 different countries extending to
all five continents. However, if their birthplace were also marked, the number of
countries would probably be even higher.
The range of topics being dealt with covers a similarly wide spectrum. What
all the studies have in common is that everything is examined through the lens of
the NNEST, which Mahboob in this volume defines as “a lens of multilingualism,
multinationalism, and multiculturalism”. Diversity may also be identified in the
research methods employed by the contributors: the alternation of conceptual,
descriptive and empirical studies strikes a healthy balance.
It goes without saying that non-native researchers can offer enormous bene-
fits for the research community. The question is whether they are able to deliver
similar benefits for their colleagues at the chalkface. Before I venture to answer
this question, let me take a glance at NNESTs.
How did they fare in the past? From time immemorial, native speakers were
regarded as models of the proper use of English that every learner was expected
to imitate. Needless to say, non-native teachers were the worst off; after all, for
them an excellent command of English was – and still is – a good predictor of
professional success. Since there’s no way they can emulate NESTs in terms of
language proficiency, many NNESTs developed a more or less serious form of
inferiority complex.
However, with English becoming the lingua franca of the world, the picture
has changed irrevocably. Today non-native speakers of English outnumber native
speakers: according to rough estimates, only one in four speakers of English is a
native speaker! This being the case, the question of ownership inevitably arises:
Can a minority group, that of native speakers of English, retain their hegemony
and continue to arbitrate over what is right and what is wrong in language usage?
Foreword xi
References
Braine, George. 2010. Non-native speaker English teachers: Research, pedagogy, and
professional growth. New York / London: Routledge.
Medgyes, Péter. 1992. Native or non-native: Who’s worth more? ELT Journal 46. 340–349.
Medgyes, Péter. 1994. The non-native teacher. Basingstoke: Macmillan Educational.
Juan de Dios Martínez Agudo
Introduction
Today our world is undeniably characterized by the diversity and complexity
of its constantly changing reality. Thanks to, or because of, globalization, the
unprecedented expansion of English as the most influential language of interna-
tional communication around the world has led to the emergence of new varieties
of English (World Englishes). What is true, as Widdowson (1994) claimed, is that
a language which is truly international such as English is not owned exclusively
by any group of people but belongs to all its potential users or speakers. However,
in the eyes of many people, native speaker supremacy still enjoys a great pro-
fessional reputation, both within and outside the language teaching profession
(Llurda 2009). In this respect, Davies (2003, 2004) concludes that the native
speaker concept, besides being problematic as well as potentially racist, remains
ambiguous, since it is both myth and reality and, thus, the concept is interpreted
differently, in view of the existing disputes and differences of opinion.
Over the last decades, the native speaker (NS) / non-native speaker (NNS)
distinction has been intensely discussed in applied linguistics and SLA litera-
ture and, by extension, in L2 teaching literature. It was not until the 1990s that
the controversial issue of the professional role and status of NNS teachers was
reported for the first time in the academic literature on second language educa-
tion (Medgyes 1992). Despite the fact that teachers have always been the centre
of attention in the classroom, it is true that their emotions, concerns and needs
have never before been addressed in the same way. For a long time, the idealized
notion of native speaker competence involved standard language, the perfect lan-
guage model, the guardian of the true language. Having NS teachers in second
language classrooms in fact implied a guarantee of quality education in terms
of language competence and cultural awareness. So far, nobody, even including
NNSs, seems to question such superiority or supremacy of NSs. However, recent
voices have advocated the idea that nativeness is not always a synonym or guar-
antee of successful language teaching, because language competence is essen-
tial but that is not all since there are other aspects besides language competence
such as professional competence and experience that should also be valued and
emphasized in a similar way (Medgyes 1992).
Recent perspectives and innovative ideas in applied linguistics such as the
paradigms of World Englishes and English as an International Language or
DOI 10.1515/9781501504143-001
2 Juan de Dios Martínez Agudo
English as a Lingua Franca (EIL/ELF) (Crystal 1997; McKay 2002, 2003), which
provide an alternative lens to the nativeness paradigm, have contributed to accept
and legitimize multiple non-native varieties of English (Mahboob 2010). Intelligi-
bility has become a key issue in these recent paradigms. Since the issue of native-
ness or non-nativeness seems no longer to be relevant, at least theoretically, it
is time to move beyond the nativeness paradigm (Brutt-Griffler & Samimy 2001).
In addition, the relatively recent so-called NNEST movement has questioned
the professional role and status of the idealized monolingual NS model, which
is deeply seated in applied linguistics and TESOL literature, legitimizing the
NNSs as language professionals in their own right and, thus, emphasizing their
well-deserved recognition and contribution to the English language teaching pro-
fession in the world (Medgyes 1994; Braine 1999; Cook 1999; Mahboob 2010). In
light of the recent perspectives and paradigms, such as Cook’s (1999) notion of
multicompetence (L2 users), widely reported and discussed in the research litera-
ture, it is time to abandon the myth of the monolingual native speaker as the ideal
language teacher (Brutt-Griffler and Samimy 2001). The great variation among L2
users is another key issue in this discussion (Cook 2005), which also strengthens
the argument of NNSs as legitimate language educators.
Despite the on-going generalized perception of the monolingual NS as the
ideal language teacher, recent efforts have echoed the long-silenced voices of NNS
teachers articulating their professional concerns and challenges, thus advocat-
ing their right to be heard in the language teaching profession (Llurda 2009). In
today’s world, where prejudices are so deeply rooted, being a NS or NNS of English
should not really matter but rather what should be actually valued are teachers’
professional competence and experience. What is true, however, is that it might
take some time to become aware that NNSs are as competent as NSs in the English
language teaching profession (Moussu and Llurda 2008; Llurda 2009). In view of
the current discussion, one might even think that the recent greater recognition
and appreciation of the role of the NNS would involve a certain downgrading of
the NS, which is far from being true (Llurda 2009). The fact that NNS teachers are
today shaping the future of English (Hughes 2007) does not necessarily mean that
NS teachers’ days are already numbered. The debate should be approached from
a different angle: towards a more collaborative teaching between NSs and NNSs,
which would substantially improve the quality of language instruction (Medgyes
1994; Carless 2006). In short, what is true is that all language educators, whether
NSs or NNSs, deserve their place and recognition in the language teaching pro-
fession because both have much to say and offer. As Medgyes (1992) reminds us,
NNS teachers are not by definition less efficient. Needless to say, teacher educa-
tion programmes play an essential role in this respect because student teachers
should have the opportunity to reflect on their own weaknesses and strengths
Introduction 3
as NNS teachers, to overcome such weaknesses and to make the most of their
strengths, and all these issues should be fully discussed (Matsuda 2003).
Since the monolingual native speaker is an abstraction as argued by Cook
and Singleton (2014), Dewaele (2017) concludes that all individuals can be mul-
ticompetent users of multiple languages and, thus, the traditional dichotomy
‘native’ versus ‘non-native speaker’ has to be rejected because of the inherent ide-
ological assumptions about the superiority of the former and the inferiority of the
latter (p.4). Perhaps the so-called ideology of native-speakerism in second lan-
guage pedagogy (Holliday 2005), which in turn derives from Phillipson’s (1992)
well-known linguistic imperialism thesis, requires, as Houghton and Rivers (2013)
rightly proposed, a revised definition grounded in respect for human rights given
the unfair treatment faced by NNS teachers over time.
Despite being highly debated in applied linguistics and L2 teaching literature, the
controversial topic of (non)nativeness still remains unresolved and, thus, there
is still a long way to go (Moussu and Llurda 2008). Written by internationally
renowned researchers and teacher educators, both NSs and NNSs, from differ-
ent L2 learning settings all around the world, the selected contributions of this
volume cover a great variety of aspects related to the professional role and status
of both NS and NNS teachers in terms of perceived differences and main profes-
sional concerns and challenges. The discussion in this publication mainly aims
to recognize and value the potential and contributions of both NS and NNS teach-
ers and show how both groups of teachers should actively collaborate together,
learning from each other, so as to take advantage of their respective strengths
and, accordingly, offer the best of their capabilities.
It is precisely this international perspective which makes this volume illus-
trative of different realities with a similar objective in mind: the improvement of
both L2 teaching and teacher education. This publication explores wide-ranging
issues related to (non)nativeness and thus provides a forum of reflection and
discussion mainly for language educators but also for teacher educators since
this research area, undoubtedly, has long been neglected and unexplored in L2
teacher education. Since applied linguistics has a lot to offer language teachers
and, accordingly, plays a prominent role in any discussion of language teacher
education (Bartels 2004), numerous implications and challenges for teacher edu-
cation are then discussed throughout the book.
The volume is made up of a foreword by Péter Medgyes and a critical after-
word by David Malinowski, followed by 15 chapters organized into four thematic
4 Juan de Dios Martínez Agudo
parts focusing predominantly upon the (non)nativeness issue from different per-
spectives. The overall intention of the volume is to help to better understand the
potential and professional challenges faced by those teachers categorized as NSs
and NNSs today all over the world.
Part I, which is the most heterogeneous, provides a set of introductory works
focusing on overall issues and perspectives on the (non)nativeness issue in
second language education.
The opening chapter by Mahboob examines some of the implications of the
NNEST lens for TESOL teacher education programs. Since the NNEST lens chal-
lenges the monolingual bias, the author describes the three-dimensional model of
language variation in detail and considers the implications of the NNEST lens in
developing a multilingual perspective on understanding language and language
variation in teaching. A discussion of some of the directions that TESOL teacher
education programs can develop if they use the NNEST lens is also provided.
Since the monolingual paradigm is still deeply rooted in our minds, Derivry-
Plard and Griffin (Chapter 2) draw attention to the symbolic violence (Bourdieu
2001) expressed from the pervasive ideology of native-speakerism (Holliday
2006) within ELT which can prevent all language teachers and their learners from
feeling comfortable with language learning and teaching. Data collected from
in-depth interviews of NESTs and NNESTs in France then suggest the need of a
multilingual paradigm shift to go beyond the multiple and confined forms of sym-
bolic violence affecting all FL teachers.
Drawing on the premise that non-native grammars are natural languages, the
next chapter by Liceras, Méndez and Moreno (Chapter 3) examines L2 near-na-
tiveness from a linguistic, a psycholinguistic, a contact linguistics and a peda-
gogical perspective. What the authors discuss is whether it is possible to achieve
native-like competence in an L2 and who can really become native-like in an L2.
They argue that even though non-native L2 teachers may not reach native-like
competence, they can nonetheless acquire a native-like degree of metalinguistic
awareness about the native grammar. Key concepts such as the critical period and
the age factor, optionality or crosslinguistic influence underlie the different levels
of discussion.
Since perhaps the most distinctive feature marking a difference between the
discourse styles of NS and NNS teachers is their use of code-switching in L2 class-
rooms, the next chapter (Chapter 4 by Martínez) examines the widely observed
phenomenon of language alternation or code-switching from the perspective of
student teachers. The role and pedagogical value of teacher codeswitching in
general as well as the functions and underlying reasons behind this communi-
cation strategy in particular are examined. Based on his experience observing
Introduction 5
student teachers in the practicum, the idea that the reasons for codeswitching are
multifaceted and of situational, contextual and personal nature is emphasized.
Special attention is given to the impact of mass media discourse in chapter 5
by Oda who examines the interplay among learners’ beliefs, public discourse,
and the formulation of language policy in education. The author discusses the
roles of mass media in the formation of the discourse of native-speakerism in
ELT in Japan through an analysis of advertisements of language programmes so
as to illustrate the discourse of native speakers and non-native speakers. In this
respect, more active involvement of ELT professionals to overcome the negative
aspect of mass-media on learning English is suggested.
Non-native L2 teachers’ self-perceptions, which probably constitutes the
most explored area in NNS teacher research (Llurda 2005), are considered in Part
II. The discussion focuses not only on language teachers’ self-perceptions and
emotions but also on teacher educators’ views. Since little research has been
actually conducted so far as to how non-native language teachers perceive the
affective experiences in the classroom, Chapter 6 by Lee, Schutz and van Vlack
examines NNESTs’ self-perceived English proficiency levels, anxieties, insecuri-
ties or inferiority feelings derived from their self-perceptions of communicative
limitations. By means of a questionnaire and semi-structured interviews aimed
to find out more about their self-perceptions and emotional experiences, the find-
ings revealed the types of strategies NNESTs use to manage or alleviate those anx-
ieties or insecurities.
In Chapter 7, Bayyurt focuses mainly on non-native teachers’ perceptions of
culture in English language classrooms in a post-EFL era. The author insists on
the necessity of training both NESTs and NNESTs with an awareness towards the
significance of teaching English as an international language/ lingua franca (EIL/
ELF) in EFL and ESL settings. The role and importance of the concept of culture
in English language teaching is also examined and discussed. In this longitudi-
nal study, research questions are related to the connection of culture with the
language drawing on the perceptions of NNESTs. Implications for ELF/EIL-aware
teacher education programmes are also discussed.
The influence of contextual factors also deserves special emphasis here.
Taking Japan as an example, Nagamine (Chapter 8) discusses, from the perspec-
tive of a teacher educator, the potential of NNS teachers to effectively teach speak-
ing in a Japanese EFL context by analyzing various contextual (sociocultural,
educational and political) factors which have affected and shaped the creation of
non-nativeness or the differences between non-native and native teachers. Based
on this discussion, some helpful pedagogical recommendations are proposed to
help non-native teachers change their teaching practices to be able to success-
6 Juan de Dios Martínez Agudo
fully teach speaking in Japanese EFL contexts and explore their potential in col-
laboration with native teachers.
L2 students’ perceptions and expectations of native and non-native teachers
receive special emphasis in Part III of the volume. In Chapter 9, Guerra explores
Portuguese students’ perceptions and expectations of native and non-native Eng-
lish-speaking teachers in terms of language proficiency, teaching behaviour and
cultural knowledge. Students’ perceived differences and similarities between
NESTs and NNESTs were identified and their preferences for both types of teach-
ers were also expressed. The author suggests a change of learners’ and teachers’
perspectives on the concept of native speaker given that what needs to be consid-
ered is their intercultural competence, their teaching skills, and their language
competence, no matter where they were born and brought up.
Since variability in foreign-accented speech intelligibility, the chapter by
Levis, Sonsaat and Link (Chapter 10) explores EFL versus ESL students’ beliefs
and attitudes towards the pronunciation of native and non-native teachers and
the way that teachers’ accents may affect their pronunciation learning. The
authors support the idea that nativeness is not essential for excellent language
teaching in general and for excellent pronunciation teaching in particular,
whereas knowledge of and skill in the language, understanding of pedagogy, and
ability to understand and meet students’ needs are. It is also highlighted that
learners’ beliefs can be modified by emphasizing professionalism as the key to
effective pronunciation teaching.
Given that an aspect of teacher language awareness is teachers’ sensitivity to
the language learning difficulties experienced by L2 learners, McNeill (Chapter
11) analyses the extent to which both native and non-native teachers are able to
predict and identify learners’ language learning difficulties from a learner’s per-
spective. The results suggest that there is considerable variation in sensitivity to
difficulty among both native and non-native speaker teachers, although it is con-
cluded that non-native teachers are more sensitive than native speakers to learn-
ers’ language difficulties. This chapter also considers how teacher education
programmes might help to sensitize candidate teachers to aspects of L2 learning
derived from SLA research.
The last part of the book is devoted to the construction of professional iden-
tity and the different professional challenges faced by both NS and NNS teachers.
Part IV of this volume features four chapters focusing on such themes. Chapter 12
by Selvi and Rudolph mainly focuses on the fixed, rigid and mutually exclusive
construction of professional identities in the field of TESOL. In order to be able to
move beyond the native speaker model, the authors argue that teacher education
efforts should be sensitive to teachers’ sociohistorically situated negotiations of
identities and diverse lived experiences as translinguistic, transcultural, trans-
Introduction 7
national and transacademic border crossers. This chapter also presents a series
of implications for EFL/ESL teacher education and a set of guidelines for both
teacher candidates and teacher educators.
Chapter 13 by Zydatiß examines the main professional challenges faced by
non-native CLIL teachers in general and the distinctive features of academic lit-
eracy in particular. Drawing upon the functional linguistics framework initiated
by Halliday and Vygotsky’s Sociocultural Theory, the nature and development of
academic language use or language of schooling (=Cummin’s CALP or academic
literacy) needed for the construction of subject-matter knowledge are examined.
Some distinctive linguistic and cognitive challenges of the CLIL classroom are
also reported.
Chapter 14 by Manyike examines English language teaching policy in the
South African education system and discusses the main professional challenges
faced by both native and non-native speakers in the use of English as a medium of
instruction in multicultural schools in South Africa. At the heart of this chapter,
as the author recognises, is the assumption that cultural diversity in language
teaching should be enhanced in order to address English language teaching and
learning. Additionally, recommendations for teacher education are also offered.
In line with the idea of contemplating all language users, both native and
non-native, as collaborators in a context of international communication (Llurda
2009), the final chapter of the book (de Oliveira and Clark) discusses the advan-
tages of collaborative experiences and/or relationships between NESTs and
NNESTs, recognising that many educators may not be aware of the numerous
benefits attained by such collaboration. Using examples from their own practice,
the authors discuss their teacher education experiences in Indonesia, Brazil and
the United States. Individual differences receive special emphasis in this chapter.
Patience, communicative negotiation, cultural awareness and understanding,
mutual respect and flexibility are essential components of successful collabora-
tions. Helpful suggestions for teacher education programmes are also offered.
The contents of this publication will be helpful not only for those researchers
interested in a deeper understanding of the professional role and potential of
both native and non-native L2 teachers but also for both pre-service and in-ser-
vice language teachers from all over the world who need to be aware of how much
they, as non-native teachers, might offer to their future students. This publication
is also intended for all those L2 teacher educators involved both in pre-service
and in-service education of L2/FL teachers. Policymakers and graduate students
8 Juan de Dios Martínez Agudo
in applied linguistics and English language education will also find it helpful. I
sincerely hope that all issues raised in the various chapters will be of value and
interest to all of them.
References
Bartels, Nat. 2004. Applied Linguistics and Language Teacher Education. Boston: Springer.
Braine, George (ed.). 1999. Non-Native Educators in English Language Teaching. Mahwah, New
Jersey: LEA.
Brutt-Griffler, Janina & Keiko K. Samimy. 2001. Transcending the nativeness paradigm. World
Englishes 20(1). 99–106.
Carless, David. 2006. Collaborative EFL teaching in primary schools. ELT Journal 60(4).
328–335.
Cook, Vivian & David Singleton. 2014. Key Topics in Second Language Acquisition. Bristol:
Multilingual Matters.
Cook, Vivian. 1999. Going beyond the native speaker in language teaching. TESOL Quarterly
33(2). 185–209.
Cook, Vivian. 2005. Basing teaching on the L2 user. In Enric Llurda (ed.), Non-native Language
Teachers: Perceptions, Challenges and Contributions to the Profession, 47–61. New York,
NY: Springer.
Crystal, David. 1997. English as a Global Language. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Davies, Alan. 2003. The Native Speaker: Myth and Reality. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters.
Davies, Alan. 2004. The native speaker in applied linguistics. In Alan Davies & Catherine Elder
(eds.), The Handbook of Applied Linguistics, 431–450. Oxford: Blackwell.
Introduction 9
Dewaele, Jean-Marc. 2017. Why the dichotomy ‘L1 versus LX user’ is better than ‘Native versus
Non-native speaker’. Applied Linguistics. 1–6.
Holliday, Adrian. 2005. The Struggle to Teach English as an International Language. Oxford:
Oxford University Press.
Houghton, Stephanie Ann & Damian J. Rivers (eds.). 2013. Native-speakerism in Japan:
Intergroup Dynamics in Foreign Language Education. Bristol, UK: Multilingual Matters.
Hughes, John. 2007. Fall of the native speaker. The Guardian.
Llurda, Enric. (ed.). 2005. Non-native Language Teachers: Perceptions, Challenges, and
Contributions to the Profession. New York: Springer.
Llurda, Enric. 2009. The decline and fall of the native speaker. In Li Wei & Vivian Cook (eds.),
Contemporary Applied Linguistics: Volume 1 Language Teaching and Learning, 37–53.
London: Continuum.
Mahboob, Ahmar. 2010. The NNEST lens. In Ahmar Mahboob (ed.), The NNEST lens:Non native
English speakers in TESOL, 1–12. Newcastle upon Tyne: Cambridge Scholars Publishing.
Matsuda, Aya. 2003. The ownership of English in Japanese secondary schools. World Englishes
22(4), 483–496.
McKay, Sandra Lee. 2002. Teaching English as an International Language: Rethinking Goals
and Perspectives. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.
McKay, Sandra Lee. 2003. Teaching English as an International Language. ELT Journal 57(2).
139–148.
Medgyes, Péter. 1992. Native or non-native. Who’s worth more? ELT Journal 46(4). 340–349.
Medgyes, Péter. 1994. The Non-native Teacher. Basingstoke: Macmillan Educational.
Moussu, Lucie & Enric Llurda. 2008. Non-native English-speaking English language teachers:
History and research. Language Teaching 41(3). 315–348.
Phillipson, Robert. 1992. Linguistic Imperialism. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Widdowson, Henry. 1994. The ownership of English. TESOL Quarterly 28(2). 377–389.
Part I O
verall issues and perspectives on (non)
nativeness in second language teaching
Ahmar Mahboob
Chapter 1
Understanding language variation:
Implications of the NNEST lens for TESOL
teacher education programs
Abstract: This chapter discusses the implications of the NNEST lens in the context
of teacher education programs in TESOL. In particular, it focuses on a discussion
of two key issues: avoiding the monolingual bias in describing languages and
language variation; and, avoiding a monolingual bias in developing teaching
methods. In discussing the first issue, the chapter identifies some of the limita-
tions in how language and grammar are often described in limited ways and how
this can be expanded by using an NNEST lens. The chapter describes the three
dimensional framework of language variation in some detail and discusses its
implications for language teaching. The chapter then discusses why local lan-
guages are not included in much of the theorisation and practice of TESOL and
argues that there are historical as well as theoretical reasons why local languages
have been excluded in TESOL. The chapter describes one way in which teachers
can consider integrating local languages in their classrooms.
1 Introduction
All NNESTs share one aspect about their linguistic repertoire: they all speak at
least one other language in addition to English. This shared feature of the NNESTs
has a number of implications and is the main argument for what Mahboob (2010)
calls The NNEST Lens. The NNEST lens is defined as “a lens of multilingualism,
multinationalism, and multiculturalism through which NNESTs – as classroom
practitioners, researchers, and teacher educators – take diversity as a starting
point, rather than as a result” (Mahboob 2010: 1). The NNEST lens challenges the
monolingual bias (Kachru 1994) in TESOL theory and practice and suggests that
having a multilingual orientation in TESOL would be much better aligned with
the needs and context of NNESTs. In this chapter, we will examine some of the
implications of the NNEST lens for teacher education programs. In particular, we
DOI 10.1515/9781501504143-002
14 Ahmar Mahboob
2 U
nderstanding language and language
variation
In numerous casual surveys – at conferences and in classes – I ask in-service
and pre-service teachers how they would define the following terms: language
and grammar. The responses that I get are almost always the same: language is a
form of communication; and, grammar is a set of rules that tell us how language
works. Both of these are common-sense understanding of the terms and are quite
limited for language educators. Given that the key role of English language teach-
ers (ELTs) is to teach language, it is essential that language teachers have a more
technical understanding of what language and grammar are. And, more specifi-
cally, since NNESTs are teachers of English, teacher education programs need to
help pre- and in-service teachers develop an understanding of ‘English’ in today’s
world.
While it is true that language is used for communication, language is not com-
munication. Language, as defined by Halliday (2009), is a semogenic system: a
system that creates meaning. Language is not the only semogenic system – there
are others such as music, colours, etc. – but language is arguably one of the most
important ones and it plays a key role in how we learn to create, contest and
represent meaning. We are able to use language to create, contest and communi-
cate meaning because language is patterned. As humans, we notice, recognise,
interpret and use a range of patterns to understand, to mean and to communi-
cate. The study of these patterns of language is grammar. Grammar is not a set
of rules; grammar is a way of understanding how language works. Language, we
can say, is data and grammar is the way in which we make sense of the data.
Thus, it is possible for us to have different grammars: each influenced by the limi-
tation/extent of data and the purpose of explaining the data. Thus, depending on
the corpus and our purpose, we can have different grammars. If we take native-
speaker language and describe it in terms of structural rules that can be taught
to students, then we will develop traditional prescriptive grammars. If we take
native-speaker language and describe it in terms of its structural features, then
we develop a traditional descriptive grammar. If we take native-speaker language
and describe it in terms of how the human mind transforms the deep structure
of the language into surface structures, then we are developing a transformative
grammar. If we take native-speaker language and describe it in terms of what
Understanding language variation 15
choices speakers have available and how they make specific choices in particular
contexts, then we are moving towards a functional grammar. In each of the exam-
ples here, the end grammar that we develop is a response to the data that we have
and the purpose of developing the grammar. Grammar itself, broadly speaking, is
a theory of language – a theory that helps us organise, make sense of, describe,
explain and predict language. The last element here, prediction, is a key aspect
and worth some more discussion.
If we think of grammar as a theory of language, then, as a theory, a grammar
should be able to predict language use. This means that a strong grammar should
not only describe how language works in the corpus that it is based on, but it
should be able to predict – with some level of certainty – how language can/will
be used in instances not included in the corpus. This is an important test for a
grammar and one that shows that most of the grammars that we learn and teach
in teacher education programs are not strong grammars (in that they are unable
to predict language use).
Traditional descriptive/prescriptive grammars are perhaps the most common
type of grammars that teachers and students of English are familiar with in most
parts of the world. These grammars have evolved out of earlier grammars of
English (which, some argue, were not based on English data but modelled on
Latin) and are based on written samples of English by monolingual speakers of
the language. Most ELTs are familiar with such grammars and the rules associated
with such grammars, even if they may not agree with some of them. For example,
while rules such as do not split infinitives etc. are now considered myths, they
were included in grammar books and taught as rules. These rules lost their valid-
ity (in some contexts) because they were not predictive: there were/are hundreds
of examples that demonstrate that even monolingual speakers of English split
infinitives (e.g. the introductory text from Star Trek, to boldly go where no man
has gone before). However, there are many other rules that are not questioned
and continue to be taught. For example, one of the key rules taught about English
is that an English sentence must minimally have a subject and a verb. While this
rule is valid in many contexts, it does not always apply to procedural texts where
the subject is often elided and clauses start with a verb. Thus, traditional gram-
mars are not always able to predict actual language use.
This issue becomes even more complex when we consider non-native varie-
ties of English, also known as World Englishes, and contexts where English is not
used as a local/community language. One reason for this is because these tradi-
tional grammars do not draw on data from non-native users of the language when
abstracting grammatical principles. Thus, traditional grammars are not drawn
on or explain non-native use of language. While this may not be an issue in itself,
problems arise when the native-user based grammars are seen as correct or stand-
16 Ahmar Mahboob
ard language and other uses of the language are measured against them (and
found lacking). One might ask the question: if traditional grammars can’t even
always predict language use within other native contexts, how valid or appropri-
ate is it to use them for non-native contexts?
The problem of documenting and using native-user based grammar books as
reference points becomes a bigger issue in contexts where English is not used as a
community/local language. In such contexts, people don’t always have access to
samples of language use that they can draw on or learn from. In these contexts,
people depend on grammar books as a source of information about appropriate
use of language. In many contexts, the books readily available are traditional
grammar books. As we have noted above, these grammars have limitations. But,
since there are no other recognised sources available locally, people (including
local ELTs) use these reference books as authority and prescribe the traditional
descriptions of language in these books. Things can get even worse in situa-
tions where local publishers/authors republish or plagiarise a selection of the
grammar rules found in primary sources without fully realizing how the whole
grammar works or the implications of picking-and-choosing some of the rules
from one book and combining them with those found in others. These locally pro-
duced books have considerable impact on learners who buy and use their books.
Among other things, this creates problems in terms of peoples’ understanding of
grammar – as a set of rules – and perpetuates myths about language. These myths
need to be challenged in TESOL teacher education programs through focussed
and informed discussions about the nature of language, grammar, and language
variation (see Mahboob 2014). Descriptions of language need to be based on data
that reflects its use by both native and non-native users of the language (note
that I’m not saying learners of the language – whether native or non-native – but
users).
Research on World Englishes, which studies the spread of English worldwide,
has challenged monolingual descriptions of English. World Englishes schol-
ars (see, for example, Jenkins 2015; Kirkpatrick 2010; and contributions to the
journals such as World Englishes, English Worldwide and English Today) look at
how English is used (and how it changes) in different contexts – including those
where English is not a native-language. These scholars have demonstrated that
the English language is not a monolithic entity and that it varies greatly based
on who is using it, how, where, and for what purpose. These scholars have also
shown that these variations exist across all strata of language: grapho-phonol-
ogy, lexico-grammar, and discourse-semantics.
For example, at grapho-phonological strata, we notice differences between
spellings in British and American English, as in colour (British) and color (Ameri-
can); we also hear phonological differences between speakers of English from dif-
Another random document with
no related content on Scribd:
Destiny or Heimarmene, the sphere of, in Pistis Sophia, ii. 137 n. 2,
143 n. 1, 153, 154;
in Texts of Saviour, ii. 174, 184;
in Mithraism, ii. 255 sq.
See Moira
Diadochi, the, or Successors of Alexander, i. 14, 52
Diagram, the Ophites’, ii. 66-71;
prayers to powers depicted in, ii. 71-74;
place of Ophiomorphus in, ii. 77
Diana Dictynna, Cretan goddess identified with Isis, i. 56
Didache, the, source of Apostolical Constitutions (Duchesne), ii. 7 n.
2
Dieterich, Prof. Albert, quoted, i. 141, 142; ii. 255.
See Mithraism, Orpheus
Dill, Sir Samuel, quoted, i. lvii, lix, 24, 54 n. 3; ii. 87, 272, 359
Dinkard, the, quoted, i. 134 n. 1
Diocletian, the Emperor, makes Mithraism state religion, i. 81, 119 n.
1, 228, 271;
his persecution of Christians, ii. 12, 23;
his victories over Persians, ii. 226;
his adoption of Persian ways, ii. 228
Diodorus Siculus, authority for Oriental religions, i. 9;
quoted, i. 31 n. 1, 43 n. 3
Diogenes, the Cynic, his saying about Patecion quoted, i. 131
Dionysia, the, peculiarly popular in Northern Greece, i. 136
Dionysion, temple of Dionysos at Athens, i. 42
Dionysius, the Areopagite, his orders of angels, i. 188 n. 1
Dionysos, a Thracian or Thessalian god, i. 17;
legend of Cretan, i. 37, 46;
diaspasm or tearing to pieces of, i. 37, 125;
identified with Iacchos, i. 39, 40;
and with Zagreus, i. 42, 125;
legend of, told in Little Mysteries, i. 42;
identified with Osiris, i. 43, 48;
his relations with Demeter and Persephone, i. 47; ii. 39;
identified with Hades, i. 47, 48, 130;
with Apollo, i. 48;
god of dead to Alexandrians, i. 49;
Boeotian worship of, i. 52;
his mystic marriage with Demeter, i. 61 n. 1;
called the Vine, i. 64 n. 3;
his temple at Alexandria demolished by Theophilus, i. 83;
the Liberator, i. 90 n. 1;
sacrifices to, i. 95;
his likeness to Tammuz, i. 122 n. 3;
his legend centre of Orphic teaching, i. 123;
identified with Orphic Phanes, i. 124, 144;
with Zeus, i. 125 n. 2;
Orphics connect his death with man’s creation and rebirth, i. 126;
soul of man part of, i. 127, 133;
omophagy chief rite of worship of, i. 128; ii. 112;
soul of man united with, i. 129, 144;
called Eubuleus, i. 133;
widespread worship of, i. 135;
identified with Adonis, i. 137;
and Sabazius, i. 138;
and Attis, i. 139;
Orphic hymns to, i. 142 n. 3, 143;
son of Semele, i. 145;
an androgyne deity, 145, 185;
all Graeco-Roman gods tend to merge in, i. 146, 147;
will succeed Zeus, i. 186;
jealousy of, cause of diaspasm, i. 190 n. 2;
spouse of Persephone and her son, ii. 39;
the soul of the world, ii. 50 n. 2;
called Pappas, ii. 57;
and Iao, ii. 71 n. 1.
See Bacchus, Iao
Diotima, gives traditional view of Platonic affinity, i. 195 n. 1
Discourse, The True, of Celsus, probable date of, ii. 66
Docetism, a mark of heresy, ii. 17;
Marcion’s adherence to, ii. 210;
Manichaeans profess, ii. 318, 348
Dodecad, the, of Valentinus, ii. 101 sqq.;
its duplication explained, ii. 145 n. 8;
Egyptian parallel to, 176
Doinel, Jules, founder of modern Valentinianism, ii. 133 n. 1
Döllinger, Dr, quoted, i. 140 nn. 2, 3; ii. 164 n. 3, 168, 169, 172
Dositheus the heresiarch, founder of sect (Eusebius), ii. 6 n. 3
Dove, in Pistis Sophia, emblem of Holy Spirit, ii. 135 n. 3;
and of Great Goddess, ibid.;
in Manichaeism, 302 n. 1
Drexler, Prof. Anton, quoted, i. 85
Drogheda, Cromwell’s letter after Siege of, ii. 85 n. 2
Dualism, distinguishing feature of Manichaeism, ii. 289
Duchesne, Mgr Louis, quoted, i. 89 n. 1; ii. 1 n. 5, 4, 5 n. 2, 7 n. 2, 11
n. 2, 14 n. 1, 22 n. 2, 122 n. 1, 178 n. 1, 202 n. 2
Dyaus, the god, worshipped in Vedas and by Persians, i. 73 n. 4; ii.
231 n. 1