Since language skills consume a primary role in the topic of language educating, the qualifications of instructors as native or non-native is of major concern. Analysis outcomes point to a dichotomous difference between local and non-native language instructors that is demonstrated in their pedagogical views. Others decline this difference and the importance of local qualifications to teachers’ views. Yet, these analyses failed to examine the impact on additional individuals and expert qualification factors in the teachers’ views. Moreover, subjects in these analyses were classified as local or non-native,centered on very limited explanations, overlooking the complex nature of what constitutes ‘native’.
Research Process
The first stage of the study analyzed the factors that consider the teachers’ local or non-native self-ascription, centered on information gathered from 102 instructors via self-report surveys. Results demonstrated that the teachers’ self-perceived local presenter identification can be explained by a group of nine factors, thus indicating the complexity of the local presenter idea. Two of the factors put together to best predict the teachers’ self attributed identification as local or non-native British speakers: whether they had spoken British from the age of 0 to 6, and whether others recognized them as local or non-native. Thus outcomes indicate that local presenter identification is not necessarily preordained, but is also affected by social recognition along with choice. Outcome was verified using cross triangulation procedures.
The second stage of the study investigated the impact of local and non-native identification on the espoused pedagogical views of 264 British instructors (65% non-native sound system and 35% local speakers). Data was gathered through a self-report questionnaire composed of 48 items. Findings demonstrated that the teachers’ local or non-native qualifications did not consider variations in most understanding domains. Differences between the local and non-native categories were recognized in only three perceptions:
How can we start to use these finding to improve the education of students in language training? Is it better to have a native teacher rather than a non-native teacher? What the findings suggest is that sometimes the perception of what is a native teacher is effected by the teacher’s own world view, his understanding of his local environment and his pre-conditioning as a child with the language. It is possible to speak to a native teacher if you still do not live in that country, for example through an English course online, however you might be just as wise to take an English lesson with a non-native teacher who understand the language from your own perspective.