Native-speakerism is the belief that native-speaker teachers embody Western cultural ideals in both English language and teaching methodology. The term was coined by A. Holliday.[1] However, the ideology of native-speakerism has been present much longer than that.[2] Native-speakerism relies upon the dichotomous discourse of us and them,[3] of native speakers and non-native speakers where the former is seen as ideal and the latter is seen as inferior. One example which illustrates this preference of native-speaker language over non-native-speaker is that of interlanguage fossilization, a concept within linguistics and language learning that is often used to dictate what is right and wrong with the second language use.[4]
History and background
In second language acquisition, native-speakerism developed quickly following the end of the Second World War and the beginning of the scientific period of language learning.[5] This period saw the implementation of standards in grammar and vocabulary, which is the foundation of the favouritism given towards native-speakers in the second language learning and teaching environment.[6] During this period post World War II, the Chomskian notion of the monolingual, idealised, native speaker was developed.[6]As a result, the idealisation of native-speakers as the bearers of correct language has led to the ideal language teacher as also being a native-speaker.[7]
Criticisms
The native-speaker ideal for language teachers is a fallacy,[8] as native-speaker teachers are not linguistically and instructionally superior compared to non-native speaking teachers. The native-speakerism ideology is described as "a distorted world view" by Holliday,[9] and by labelling teachers as native or non-native it falsely positions them as inferior or superior in their profession. This results in employment discrimination and divisiveness in the second-language acquisition industry,[9] which favours young White native speakers from English speaking countries.[10] The privileging of native speakers and Western pedagogical methods has long been critiqued by scholars.These practices cause anxiety amongst non-native speaking teachers,[2] and decrease feelings of self-efficacy. Meanwhile, a large body of work in fields such as English as a lingua franca has shown that language use outside the classroom has moved away from dependence on native speaker norms.[2] Native-speaker teachers face over-generalisations of their abilities and pedagogical knowledge, and their experience can be undermined in preference for their native language.[9]
Current responses
Native-speakerism is still influencing ELT hiring practices on an international scale.[11] In the EU there have been recent attempts to bring recruiters to justice.[12] In February 2024 an unprecedented case, of a discriminated French English teacher, was acknowledged and undertaken by the French Defender of Rights.[13]