My reflection on an academic paper. Um, my post isn’t that academic…
Working as a teacher of English for years, I have never taken the notion of being a “non-native speaker teacher” into account. Thanks to the article, I have an opportunity to dive into the brand new concept. Below is what I found most impressive in the text:
“non-native-speaker teachers are endowed with the privilege of bilingualism, as their experience of switching back and forth from their own language to the target one enhances their understanding of the demands of the learning situation. Non-native speakers have lived through the process of becoming bilingual and expressing themselves in different languages. English learners will become speakers of EIL, through which they will express their own selves in a multilingual world that uses English as the means of expression and as the instrument for interaction among people from disparate cultures. Non-native-speaker teachers are the ones who are inherently endowed with better expertise in guiding this process.”
From my own experience, it is not always a positive point when it comes to learning English with a non-native-speaker teacher. English is not their mother tongue, so basically, it is better to learn English with a native speaker. However, my perspective on this matter has completely changed after reading the article. Non-native-speaker teachers are the ones who go through the process of acquiring a foreign language themselves, so their first-hand experience whilst learning a new language can be a plus in teaching situation.
In short, I am very grateful as from the author’s viewpoint, I am on the right track. Accordingly, I have more motivation and confidence in my life-long learning and teaching career.
P/s: After endless conversations about education, parenting, and the like with my uncle, I’ve started questioning myself on my real capability and the reality. Anyway, have a nice day.
And this is a corner in the place nurturing my career: ULIS – VNU
brillbro 