It is commonly believed in Taiwan that native English-speaking teachers teach better than non-native English-speaking teachers do, especially in terms of verbal skills.
Recently, I heard a radio commercial about the effectiveness of native-speaking teachers. The scenario starts as a conversation between a Taiwanese girl and a foreign female native-English speaker who also speaks quite proficient Chinese. The Taiwanese girl wonders why the foreigner is able to speak fluent Chinese. The foreign woman says in Chinese: "I learned Chinese from a native speaker of Chinese. I think that we have to learn a foreign language from a native speaker in order to obtain a good command of the target language. Have you ever seen a non-native speaker of Chinese teaching Chinese in Taiwan? Likewise, we have to learn English from native English-speaking teachers."
I don't fault the commercial because one of its objectives is to sell a product. However, is it really true that English students don't have a chance to obtain a good command of English if they are taught by non-native English- speaking teachers? Let's see what research and daily experience have shown us.
Actually, defining a native speaker of English is more complicated than commonly thought. It is obvious that a person who grows up in the US is, while a Taiwanese is not. However, what about someone from Singapore who studied his or her subjects in school in English, and who has used English to communicate at work ever since?
Even if we simply regard native speakers as Americans, Canadians, Britons, Australians and New Zealanders, most research indicates that students' proficiency in English is not significantly related to the nationality of the teacher.
A growing number of studies indicate that how well students learn English ultimately depends more on their own efforts, rather than on those of the teacher.
The role of an English teacher is not only to be a transmitter of knowledge, but also a coach who needs to assist students in understanding the tasks before them, in staying motivated and in learning how to pursue their studies on their own.
For this reason, any attempt to understand effective language teaching must consider the issues of language learning, not just the nationalities of the teachers.
If language competence were the only variable in effective teaching, in almost all cases a native English-speaking teacher would undoubtedly be superior to non-native speakers. It would be also true that any native speaker, with or without teaching qualifications, would be more effective than a non-native speaker.
However, I have found that this assumption contradicts everyday experience, because I have been taught English by both native and non-native speakers who were ineffective and unprofessional.
By the same token, I am sure that most university students come across teachers who have a doctorate in their field but cannot perform effectively in the classroom.
Competence in English is an important factor, but it is not the only factor that makes for an effective English teacher. There are a host of other decisive variables involved in the teaching process, such as teaching experience, age, gender, aptitude, charisma, motivation, dedication and professional training.
Moreover, non-native English teachers have some advantages over native speakers. For example, non-native speakers can serve as role models who demonstrate to students that English can be successfully studied in Taiwan. Based on their own experience, they can teach effective learning strategies, anticipate learning difficulties, empathize with students and benefit from sharing the students' mother tongue.
Therefore, in an ideal language institute, there should be a good balance between native speakers and non-native speakers because they can complement each other in their strengths and weaknesses.
"The more proficient in English, the more effective in the classroom" is a statement that is superficially plausible but does not bear up under further examination.
To be an effective English teacher requires more than just being a native speaker.
Kao Shih-fan is an assistant professor at Jin Wen Institute of Technology in Taipei.
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