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Pedagogy and Education

December 13, 2024; Zurich, Switzerland: VII International Scientific and Practical Conference «GRUNDLAGEN DER MODERNEN WISSENSCHAFTLICHEN FORSCHUNG»


THE IDEA OF A “NATIVE SPEAKER” IN TEACHING FOREIGN LANGUAGES


DOI
https://doi.org/10.36074/logos-13.12.2024.071
Published
10.01.2025

Abstract

The concept of a native speaker has become a topic of intense debate in language research, with scholars increasingly questioning its validity and its association with “native speakerism” within foreign language teaching—the belief that native speakers are inherently more effective language teachers than non-native counterparts. This perspective often elevates native-speaker teachers as ideal due to their presumed superior linguistic competence and cultural authenticity while marginalizing non-native-speaker teachers. Such bias fosters discriminatory practices in hiring, resource allocation, and classroom roles. Additionally, researchers argue that the term’s ambiguity perpetuates stereotypes about behavior, experience, and identity, leading to negative consequences. Consequently, they recommend abandoning the term “native speaker” and adopting alternative frameworks to describe language proficiency and usage [1].

References

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