1. Date: _________________
2. Questionnaire Number given by researcher: ___________________________________________
3. What course/s do you teach? (Course Title viz. Freshman English, Sophomore English etc.)
______________________________________________________________________________
4. At what level (beginner, intermediate, higher, advanced) do you teach? ______________________
5. Country of origin/ Nativity: ______________________________________________________
6. Country of Residence: __________________________________________________________
7. Your First Language(s): _________________________________________________________
8. Age as on 01.01.2015: _______________________________ 9. Gender: (a) male (b) female
10. Have you learnt languages other than English at school or college or a language Institute?
(a) Yes. If yes, name of the language/s learnt_________________________ (b) No
11. Are you aware of yourself being a Non Native Speaker Teacher of English? (Circle the apt option)
(a) Yes (b) No (c) Not sure as I never heard of it.
12. If your answer to Q. No 11 is option (a) yes, then it is because of …… ( circle all that apply). This question is not applicable, if your answer to Q. No 11 is (b) No or (c) Not sure
(a) Appearance
(b) Accent/ Mother tongue Influence
(c) Being a citizen of a country where English is not the first language
13. Do you think being a Non Native Speaker-Teacher is part of your professional - identity?
(Circle the apt option)
(a) Yes (b) No (c) Not sure as I never heard of it.
14. To what extent do you accept the identity of Non Native Speaker Teacher of English?
(a) Completely accept (b) Completely reject (c) Not sure (d) Somewhat accept or reject
Given the developmental situation prevailing in the
State of Eritrea, the label of being a NNST does not
make a significant impact on the professional identity
of being a teacher of English in the international
English Language Teaching (ELT) scenario, despite
self knowledge of the same. For instance, seventy three
percent of the respondents firmly believed in the
identity of being competent or qualified or committed
tertiary level teachers of English. These respondents
did not include the label of NNST in their response to
their perceived professional identity. In context, one
can agree with the idea put forward by Ofra Inbar
(2005) on ineffectiveness of teacher classification
according to the single criterion of birth, and the
context-embedded models in foreign language
teaching.
Preferred identity as Speakers and Teachers of English
in the NST-NNST debate:
Given the touchy debate about the accented speech, poor
oral skills, inadequate fluency and speech competence of the
Non native speakers who also become qualified teachers of
English, the study also focussed on finding out the preferred
identity of the teachers concerned. The data revealed a
mixed result with varied aspirations. This variegated result
is an important pointer to the current dynamic situation of
the global enterprise of English Language teaching where
the there is a much better understanding of the living,
growing nature of the language of English and the
contemporary context of ‘varieties of English’. Further this
result also points out to the fact that fluent expression and
intelligibility are the accepted norms for spoken English,
since facilitating communicative competence has become
the watch word for teachers of English today.
Authentication of Peter Medgyes’ findings on the
Non Native Speaker Teacher in the state of Eritrea:
Further, an analysis of the teachers' perceptions
regardful of the NNST background produced a
typical NNST teacher as exemplified by Peter
Medgyes, who aimed to be a good teacher, providing a
good learner model, anticipating understanding
students’ needs and difficulties, using students’ native
language to their advantage, in accepting that near
native proficiency brings in an ideal NNST identity.
Majority of the respondents expressed that being an
effective teacher, being a good learner model, ability to
anticipate the learners’ difficulties in the EFL and ESL
classroom was of prime importance.
The NNST voice on who is more a better role
model in the Eritrean context:
A very significant majority viz. 80% of college
teacher –respondents disagreed with the idea that
Native speaker teachers(NST’s) are better role
models than Non native speaker teachers(NNST’s)
in the state of Eritrea. Moreover, a whopping 93%
disagreed with the idea that NNST’s should be
allowed to teach English in their countries. This
result needs a further, in-depth examination in light
of the buoyant ELT enterprise and Braj Kachru’s
(1985) categorisation of the expanding circle of
users of English Language.
The present study on the self-perception of the
non-native speaker teacher of English in the state
of Eritrea is a continuation of the pioneering
research by Peter Medgyes on the existing reality
of the category of Non Native Speaker Teacher of
English (NNST) and the self perceptions of
NNST’s, besides the recent research on a
language teacher’s identity by Seidlhofer, Ofrah
Inbar Lourie and others.
Especially, the data obtained through self report questionnaire
authenticates Medgyes’s image of the NNST, the best practices of the
NNST. Further, the study corroborates the findings of Seidlhofer(1999)
that being an effective teacher of a language was more important than
being a near native speaker. According to the findings of the study, 80%
of the respondents indicated that being an effective teacher of English
was of greater priority than being a non native speaker teacher of English.
Next, similar to the findings in both Medgyes( 1994) and Seidlhofer’s
(1999) studies, a significant percentage (73%) indicated that under the
NNST label, they lacked self-esteem a teachers of English.
In line with Ofrah Inbar Lourie( 2005) research on the Native and Non-
Native English Teachers: Investigation of the Construct and Perceptions,
the present study also calls for a context based models in English as a
Foreign Language teaching, as the teacher models applicable to a
country where English is the first language, may not be applicable to a
country where English is a foreign language. Significantly similar to
Ofrah Inbar’s(2005) study, the categorisation of a Non Native Speaker
Teacher of English, though an accepted label, is at times peculiar and a
complex one, and of course perceived as a source of discomfort in terms
of self or perceived identity.
Given also the fact that English language teaching is a global
phenomenon since late twentieth century, it is time the ELT
practitioners and decision makers in the ELT enterprise
acknowledge that one’s country of origin alone does not alone
make an efficient teacher of English in all locations where
English is used or taught. In the multi-lingual policy and social
context of Eritrea, it was found that teachers overwhelmingly
perceived that Non speaker teachers were not better role models
than the Non Native Speaker Teachers for language pedagogy
purposes. Interestingly, the study revealed that the NNST’s did not
agree to the idea that NNST’s should teach in their countries or
that NST’s should only teach in countries where English is the
first language. A unique finding of the study was that every
country has its own language policy and social needs, implying
that there is a need to think beyond fixed teacher identity labels, to
find out appropriate, integrated adaptable teaching methods which
can work for facilitating learner’s acquisition of skills in a living,
growing language such as English.
Braine, G. (Ed.). (1999). Non-native educators in English language teaching. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum
Braine, G.(2005). A History of Research on Non-NativeSpeaker English Teachers. Non Native Language Teachers: Perceptions, Challenges an d Contributions to the Profession. Llurda, E(
Ed.) XII, 314 P, Springer.
Inbar Lourie, O. (2005). Native and Non-Native English Teachers: Investigation of the Construct and Perceptions .www.tau.ac.il/~masof/eduweb/toar3/etakzir2001-4.doc retrieved on
26.02.2015 12.56 am IST
Inbar-Lourie, O. (2005) Mind the gap: Self and perceived native speaker identities of EFL teachers. In E. Llurda (ed.) Non-Native Language Teachers: Perceptions, Challenges, and
Contributions to the Profession. Boston, MA: Springer, 265-281
Kachru Braj, (1985), Standards, codification, and sociolinguistic realism: The English language in the outer circle.English in the world: Teaching and learning of Language and Literature,
RandolphQuirk and Henry Mddowson eds.: 11-30. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Kachru, Braj B. (1986). The alchemy of English: The spread, functions and models of non-native Englishes. Oxford: Pergamon Press. (Reprint 1990, University of Illinois Press, Urbana,
IL.)
Kachru, Braj B. (1986). The Power and politics of English. World Englishes 5: 2-3.121-140.
Kachru BB. (1996). Models for nonnative Englishes. In The Other Tongue: English across Cultures. 2nd edition. Edited by Braj B. Kachru. Delhi: Oxford University Press, pp. 48–74.
Medgyes, P. (1996). Native or non-native: Who's worth more? In T. Hedge & N. Whitney (Eds.), Power pedagogy & practice (pp. 31-42). Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Seidlhofer, B. (1999). Double standards: Teacher education in the expanding circle. World Englishes, 18(2), 233-245.
TEACHER QUESTIONNAIRE
1. Date: _________________ 2. Questionnaire Number given by researcher: ___________________________________________
3. What course/s do you teach? (Course Title viz. Freshman English, Sophomore English etc.) ______________________________________________________________________________
4. At what level (beginner, intermediate, higher, advanced) do you teach? ______________________
5. Country of origin/ Nativity: ______________________________________________________ 6. Country of Residence: __________________________________________________________
7. Your First Language(s): _________________________________________________________
8. Age as on 01.01.2015: _______________________________ 9. Gender: (a) male (b) female
10. Have you learnt languages other than English at school or college or a language Institute?
(a) Yes. If yes, name of the language/s learnt_________________________ (b) No
11. Are you aware of yourself being a Non Native Speaker Teacher of English? (Circle the apt option)
(a) Yes (b) No (c) Not sure as I never heard of it.
12. If your answer to Q. No 11 is option (a) yes, then it is because of …… ( circle all that apply). This question is not applicable, if your answer to Q. No 11 is (b) No or (c) Not sure
(a) Appearance , (b) Accent/ Mother tongue Influence (c) Being a citizen of a country where English is not the first language
13. Do you think being a Non Native Speaker-Teacher is part of your professional - identity?
(Circle the apt option)
(a) Yes (b) No (c) Not sure as I never heard of it.
14. To what extent do you accept the identity of Non Native Speaker Teacher of English?
(a) Completely accept (b) Completely reject (c) Not sure (d) Somewhat accept or reject
15. How many Native English Speaker Teachers have you had while learning English at school and at College level? NATIVE Speaker TEACHERS of English (NST) are teachers whose first (native)
language is English or whose citizenship by birth is in the countries of U.K, U.S.A, Canada, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand.
(a) None (b) One (c) Two (d) Three (e) More than three (f) I only had nonnative teachers
16. How many NONNATIVE speaker teachers of English have you had while learning English? NONNATIVE Speaker-TEACHERS of English ( NNST) are teachers who learnt English in addition to their first
language.
(a) None, (b) One , (c) Two, (d) Three, (e) More than three, (f) I only had nonnative teachers
17. Why did you choose English Language Teaching as a profession?
(a) because I know English is very important in today’s society, (b) because I like the English language and culture very much, (c) because , in future, I want to work in a country where English is the first
language., (d) because I am qualified to be a teacher of English, (f) for fun and personal pleasure, (g) for other reasons (please explain): _________________________________________________
18. How do you want to be known as a teacher of English? (Circle all that apply)
as a fluent speaker-teacher ( b) as an intelligible speaker-teacher (c) as a teacher with neutral pronunciation (d) as a good and impressive speaker with near native pronunciation
19. How do you identify yourself as a teacher in the international English Language Teaching context? (Circle all that apply)
as a tertiary level instructor of English
as a qualified teacher of English Language Teaching
as a Non Native Speaker-Teacher of English
as a competent English Language Instructor
23- 33. Please answer the following questions about Native (NST) and Non Native teachers of English (NNST) in general by
CIRCLING the numbers that correspond to your feelings:
1: strongly disagree, 2: disagree, 3: not sure, 4: agree, 5: strongly agree
23. I think teachers of English should all speak with a perfect American/ British accent. 1 2 3 4 5
24. I think teachers of English should all speak with an aim for intelligibility. 1 2 3 4 5
25. It’s okay for teachers of English to speak English with a foreign accent. 1 2 3 4 5
26. I prefer Native teachers of English to learn English language and culture. 1 2 3 4 5
27. Native teachers of English don’t always know how to answer students’ questions. 1 2 3 4 5
28. Native teachers of English sometimes make grammar mistakes. 1 2 3 4 5
29. Non Native teachers of English sometimes make grammar mistakes. 1 2 3 4 5
30. Only Native teachers of English should be allowed to teach English in the English Speaking
Countries. 1 2 3 4 5
31. Non Native teachers should only be allowed to teach English in their own countries. 1 2 3 4 5
32. Native teachers of English are better role models than Non Native teachers of English in Eritrea.
1 2 3 4 5
33. The ESL learners’ (English as a Second Language) experience with Non Native teachers of English
have been good so far. 1 2 3 4 5
34-44 Please answer the following questions about yourself as a Non Native teacher of English (NNST) based on ideas of
Medgyes (1994) in general by CIRCLING the numbers
that correspond to your feelings: 1: strongly disagree, 2: disagree, 3: not sure, 4: agree, 5: strongly agree
34. I don’t care where I’m from as long as I am an effective teacher for me. It is more important
that I be a good teacher than I be a native speaker of English. 1 2 3 4 5
35. I provide a good learner model to my students. 1 2 3 4 5
36. I can teach language strategies very effectively. 1 2 3 4 5
37. I am able to provide more information about the language to the students. 1 2 3 4 5
40. I can (in English as a Foreign Language settings) use the students’ native language to their
advantage. 1 2 3 4 5
41. I think the more proficient I am in English; the more efficient I am in the classroom. 1 2 3 4 5
43. I can be an ideal Non Native teacher when I achieve a ‘near native’ proficiency. 1 2 3 4 5