Native and Non-native English Teachers' Perceptions of their Professional Identity: Convergent or Divergent?
There is still a preference for native speaker teachers in the language teaching profession, which is supposed to influence the self-perceptions of native and nonnative teachers. However, the status of English as a globalized language is changing the legitimacy of native/nonnative...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Urmia University
2016-10-01
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| Series: | Iranian Journal of Language Teaching Research |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.urmia.ac.ir/sites/www.urmia.ac.ir/files/3.pdf |
| _version_ | 1818473908955774976 |
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| author | Zia Tajeddin Aylar Adeh |
| author_facet | Zia Tajeddin Aylar Adeh |
| author_sort | Zia Tajeddin |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | There is still a preference for native speaker teachers in the language teaching profession, which is
supposed to influence the self-perceptions of native and nonnative teachers. However, the status of
English as a globalized language is changing the legitimacy of native/nonnative teacher dichotomy. This
study sought to investigate native and nonnative English-speaking teachers’ perceptions about native
and nonnative teachers’ status and the advantages and disadvantages of being a native or nonnative
teacher. Data were collected by means of a questionnaire and a semi-structured interview. A total of
200 native and nonnative teachers of English from the UK and the US, i.e. the inner circle, and Turkey
and Iran, the expanding circle, participated in this study. A significant majority of nonnative teachers
believed that native speaker teachers have better speaking proficiency, better pronunciation, and
greater self-confidence. The findings also showed nonnative teachers’ lack of self-confidence and
awareness of their role and status compared with native-speaker teachers, which could be the result of
existing inequities between native and nonnative English-speaking teachers in ELT. The findings also
revealed that native teachers disagreed more strongly with the concept of native teachers’ superiority
over nonnative teachers. Native teachers argued that nonnative teachers have a good understanding
of teaching methodology whereas native teachers are more competent in correct language. It can be
concluded that teacher education programs in the expanding-circle countries should include materials
for teachers to raise their awareness of their own professional status and role and to remove their
misconception about native speaker fallacy. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-14T04:29:07Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-07d2512053c44bf8849ba4aa6528d1f0 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2322-1291 2322-1291 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-14T04:29:07Z |
| publishDate | 2016-10-01 |
| publisher | Urmia University |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Iranian Journal of Language Teaching Research |
| spelling | doaj.art-07d2512053c44bf8849ba4aa6528d1f02022-12-22T02:12:07ZengUrmia UniversityIranian Journal of Language Teaching Research2322-12912322-12912016-10-01433754Native and Non-native English Teachers' Perceptions of their Professional Identity: Convergent or Divergent?Zia Tajeddin0Aylar Adeh1Allameh Tabataba’i UniversityKharazmi UniversityThere is still a preference for native speaker teachers in the language teaching profession, which is supposed to influence the self-perceptions of native and nonnative teachers. However, the status of English as a globalized language is changing the legitimacy of native/nonnative teacher dichotomy. This study sought to investigate native and nonnative English-speaking teachers’ perceptions about native and nonnative teachers’ status and the advantages and disadvantages of being a native or nonnative teacher. Data were collected by means of a questionnaire and a semi-structured interview. A total of 200 native and nonnative teachers of English from the UK and the US, i.e. the inner circle, and Turkey and Iran, the expanding circle, participated in this study. A significant majority of nonnative teachers believed that native speaker teachers have better speaking proficiency, better pronunciation, and greater self-confidence. The findings also showed nonnative teachers’ lack of self-confidence and awareness of their role and status compared with native-speaker teachers, which could be the result of existing inequities between native and nonnative English-speaking teachers in ELT. The findings also revealed that native teachers disagreed more strongly with the concept of native teachers’ superiority over nonnative teachers. Native teachers argued that nonnative teachers have a good understanding of teaching methodology whereas native teachers are more competent in correct language. It can be concluded that teacher education programs in the expanding-circle countries should include materials for teachers to raise their awareness of their own professional status and role and to remove their misconception about native speaker fallacy.http://www.urmia.ac.ir/sites/www.urmia.ac.ir/files/3.pdfprofessional identitynative teachersnonnative teachersinner-circleexpanding circle |
| spellingShingle | Zia Tajeddin Aylar Adeh Native and Non-native English Teachers' Perceptions of their Professional Identity: Convergent or Divergent? Iranian Journal of Language Teaching Research professional identity native teachers nonnative teachers inner-circle expanding circle |
| title | Native and Non-native English Teachers' Perceptions of their Professional Identity: Convergent or Divergent? |
| title_full | Native and Non-native English Teachers' Perceptions of their Professional Identity: Convergent or Divergent? |
| title_fullStr | Native and Non-native English Teachers' Perceptions of their Professional Identity: Convergent or Divergent? |
| title_full_unstemmed | Native and Non-native English Teachers' Perceptions of their Professional Identity: Convergent or Divergent? |
| title_short | Native and Non-native English Teachers' Perceptions of their Professional Identity: Convergent or Divergent? |
| title_sort | native and non native english teachers perceptions of their professional identity convergent or divergent |
| topic | professional identity native teachers nonnative teachers inner-circle expanding circle |
| url | http://www.urmia.ac.ir/sites/www.urmia.ac.ir/files/3.pdf |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT ziatajeddin nativeandnonnativeenglishteachersperceptionsoftheirprofessionalidentityconvergentordivergent AT aylaradeh nativeandnonnativeenglishteachersperceptionsoftheirprofessionalidentityconvergentordivergent |