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Beyond ‘Native’ Biases in ELT
The article “Native Speakerism – what is it and why does it matter?” delves into the complexities and biases surrounding the terms ‘native speaker’ and ‘non-native speaker’ in the context of English Language Teaching (ELT). The authors, share their personal experiences to highlight the challenges and prejudices they faced due to these labels. Huma, a multilingual individual, questions her English language identity, while Ebru recounts facing discrimination in Spain’s ELT field due to her Turkish origin. Ann, despite being a ‘native speaker’, grapples with biases related to her Geordie dialect. The article criticizes the prevailing hierarchy in the ELT community, where English is perceived as being owned by ‘native speakers’, leading to systemic biases in recruitment, wages, teaching materials, and even AI perceptions of language. This hierarchy often positions ‘native speakers’ as superior, rendering ‘non-native speakers’ as potentially inferior or deficient. The authors call for a departure from these binary labels, emphasizing the multifaceted nature of language identity. They advocate for more nuanced descriptions that capture the complexity of language understanding and use and stress the need for systemic changes in the ELT sector, including recruitment practices and teaching methodologies.
The article sheds light on the deep-rooted biases present in the English Language Teaching community. Through personal narratives, the authors effectively highlight the challenges posed by the labels of ‘native’ and ‘non-native’ speakers. In today’s globalized world, where English acts as a common language for many, it’s imperative to move beyond narrow definitions that perpetuate biases and misunderstandings. The call for significant change in the ELT sector is both timely and necessary, and I believe it will pave the way for more meaningful interactions and understanding in the field. #esl #efl #elt #Englishteachingandlearning
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