Going Beyond Native-Speakerism: Theory and Practice from an International Perspective

Abstract

Terminology has always been wrought with politics. A case in point, the term or concept of native speaker has been disputed for at least two decades in applied linguistics , its definition being grounded more in folk taxonomy than scientifically verifiable parameters according to some scholars. Through research into World Englishes, English Lingua Franca, and intercultural competence, for example, researchers have grappled with alternative approaches to defining teachers, learners, and speakers of one or more languages in light of developments in communicative realities worldwide. Yet, the native speaker as a point of reference has not disappeared, even if some institutions now use labels such as native-like or near-native to be inclusive. In order to shed some light on the different manifestations of this phenomenon and its impact on teachers and students, the chapter examines five teaching institutions where the researcher was affiliated as a teacher, researcher, or administrator while being neither native speaker of the language of the students or host country (China, Spain, the USA) nor of the target language (English, Spanish). The study is based on open-ended questionnaires that were filled out by the respective program directors. It is hoped that this comparative perspective on the various possible scenarios in teaching and administration can contribute to the current discussion of how to challenge and overcome a concept that is no longer beneficial in the task of preparing learners to communicate locally and interact globally in a multicultural plurilingual varilectal world.

Appendix: Survey Questions

Going beyond native-speakerism: Theory and practice from an international perspective

Thank you for contributing to this research on language policy and practice at tertiary institutions in Asia, Europe, and the USA. Preliminary findings will be presented at the 2nd International Symposium on Native-Speakerism to be held at the University of Saga, Japan, on September 29–30, 2014. If you have any questions or concerns or would like to join the team of researchers for a follow-up comparative case study, please contact Claudia Kunschak at ckr12106@fc.ritsumei.ac.jp

• 1. What is the mission of your institution/program? (mission statement or in your own words)

• 2. Who is your student population? (background and goals/estimated future trajectory, in particular related to their language background and perceived future language needs)

• 3. What are your teacher demographics (languagewise, percentage of *L1/L2/L3 speakers, variety in country/region of origin)? What role does their linguistic/ethnic/national background play in the selection process if any? *L1 = of the country, L2 = language taught, L3 = different from either

• 4. What learning objectives and/or standards have been set or have you set for your program? (CEFR, ACTFL, TOEIC/TOEFL/IELTS score or other institutional or national levels)

• 5. What written or unwritten policies about language use in the context of teaching/medium of instruction exist if any? (monolingual–bilingual–multilingual, native–native-like–non-native, prescriptive–descriptive, written–oral…)

• 6. How would you describe your own personal approach to language policy and practice? What theories or personal experiences inform your practice?