Humanising Language Teaching
Year 2; Issue 6; November 2000

'NATIVE' AND 'NON-NATIVE': not only a question of terminology

by Jorge Suárez (Uruguay)

I dedicate this article to Susan Holden, Peter Medgyes and the late Gill Sturtridge, staunch but critical supporters of the non-native English teacher.

For years now I have been trying (unsuccessfully) to find two terms less biased and subjective than the ELT world's native and non-native to distinguish between people who acquire English as a first language and those who learn or acquire it as a second or foreign language. Apart from the obvious question of the linguistic competencies of these two types of speakers of English, the ideological, cultural and psychological aspects of this fairly complex dichotomic situation are also of great interest to me.

On the terminological front I have only managed to come up with L1 English speakers or L1 speakers of English and L2 English speakers or L2 speakers of English. When referring specifically to English language teachers I have lately taken to using L1 English teachers for those whose mother tongue is English and L2 English teachers for those who have a mother tongue other than English. This is still an infelicitous classification because some people are speakers of more than two languages. I am also aware that these terms can be interpreted as meaning 'teachers who teach English as an L1' or 'teachers who teach English as an L2.' Unsatisfactory and imprecise as they are, I find these terms less obnoxious than native and non-native, and in the context of ELT I have found that they are understood.

Native and non-native in the ELT tradition are presented and perceived as 'neutral' descriptions of two different types of speakers. However necessary it is to classify and categorise, it is unfortunate that whatever we call ourselves or others, we inevitably seem to end up with a bipolar and even Manichaean classification that does not take into account the continuum that stretches from the monolingual speaker of the one language, through different degrees of proficiency in the second language, past different degrees of bilingualism in both languages, to the monolingual speaker of the other language at the other end of the spectrum.

Native is an ordinary word that denotes the locality one is born or brought up in. However we cannot ignore that it is also used as a derogatory term to refer to the indigenous population of large parts of the world outside the racially 'white' English-speaking regions. In the Anglo-American culture its connotations of primitiveness are more often than not received with hilarity (i.e. How! / Me Tarzan, you Jane). It also has negative associations with the colonial concept of going native, and expressions like the natives are restless are part of that mentality. The paradox in ELT today is that the term has acquired highly positive connotations and being a 'native' is now considered a Good Thing!

As for non-native, one need not be too perceptive to realise that it is the sort of word Orwell railed against in his essay Politics and the English Language. Anything following the negative prefix non is bound to be negative. It seems unfair, to say the least, to group into a non- category the vast majority of English teachers in the world (according to reliable estimates approximately 90% of English language teachers are not L1 speakers of English).

Were it only a question of terminology, I may not have bothered to write this. The linguistic and educational differences between the two groups may be large or small, but under the apparently superficial differences there are more profound historical, ideological and psychological variables that are not always taken into account and are not that easy to measure.

To this day the issue of the 'native' and 'non-native' English teacher is practically a taboo subject in ELT. Like a badly-kept secret, it is not talked about much in public, although teachers of either affiliation are keen to talk about it with their 'co-natives.' In these politically correct times when diversity is celebrated in colloquiums all over the world, the 'N/non-N' issue appears at times too embarrassing to mention. It has low priority on the ELT agenda presumably because it is a prickly subject, for which reason it is politely avoided or charmingly 'neutralised' by stating that both sides complement each other and can coexist in peace and harmony. We know that this is not true, but since it is deemed best to let sleeping dogs lie, avoidance tactics are used in order not to deal with the issue frontally because it might cause embarrassing confrontations over extra-linguistic aspects that can prove controversial. Passions run high when an issue involves questions of personal and cultural identity, vocation, status, equal rights and opportunities, jobs and salaries.

I recently re-read Peter Medgyes' excellent and thought-provoking book, The non-native teacher (Hueber 1999). When it was first published six years ago I celebrated that at last those of us whose first language is not English had found a voice in the ELT world to echo ours – our strengths and weaknesses, our facts and fantasies, our doubts and certainties – not only providing sound advice to L2 English teachers, but also reflecting on the results of his research into the similarities and differences between L1 and L2 English-speaking teachers. Much as I respect him, I have a bone to pick with Medgyes, which takes us back to terminology. In the title of his book the author deliberately omits naming the language he refers to, presumably because to have called it The non-native English-speaking teacher would have been too long. In choosing the shorter version, he echoes the ELT community's implicit belief that it is unnecessary to state the obvious – a non-native teacher is obviously one whose mother tongue is not English! It is worth remembering however that the English language is not a given thing.

Medgyes also coins two neat but ultimately rather unfortunate terms: NEST (Native English-Speaking Teacher) and Non-NEST (Non-Native English-Speaking Teacher). The lexical item nest is loaded with positive connotations and one cannot but associate it to concepts like shelter, home, family, offspring, nurture. Non-NEST evokes exactly the opposite.

But what concerns me most these days in this non-debate is the 'I'm-not-a-native-speaker' syndrome found among L2 English teachers. It has disastrous effects on the morale of teachers who feel inferior and inadequate when they compare themselves to their L1 colleagues. L2 English teachers are sometimes the most severe and intolerant judges of their own English. I have met too many of them who are often painfully aware of their non-native status yet use the term native with embarrassing admiration. I believe this syndrome is also the cause of a type of self-imposed censorship that consists in not speaking English in public (i.e. outside the classroom). I know a good many Uruguayan teachers whose English is satisfactory to good, but who rarely or reluctantly speak English in front of their colleagues. What is worse, some L2 English teachers feel that because they are not fully proficient in English they are also inadequate as teachers.

In a country like Uruguay, where the overwhelming majority of English teachers are L2 English speakers, very nearly 100% of English students and teachers learn their English from L1 Spanish-speaking teachers. Furthermore, unlike other parts of the globe, where L1 speakers abound, there is no stigma attached to being an L2 English teacher. To be an L2 English teacher is not an issue in this country, either with students, parents, teachers or schools. It is high time, then, that we shook off any feelings of inadequacy that some of us might have about being L2 English teachers and stop comparing ourselves to L1 English teachers. If we are sufficiently motivated and prepared to develop our personal and professional skills – for our own good and for that of our students – we will want to upgrade our English (join language improvement courses), aim for higher teaching qualifications (certificates, diplomas, degrees) and keep up with developments in education, methodology and technology by continuing to study throughout our teaching careers.

What I have attempted here is to express some of my thoughts and feelings about a subject that I think deserves looking into more deeply among N and non-N teachers alike. I have had numerous opportunities to share my thoughts with teachers on both sides of the spectrum and have gained a greater insight into a question that touches the entire profession. I am aware that among the more progressive L1 English teachers there is a more tolerant attitude towards L2 English teachers. I cannot say the same for many L2 English teachers with respect to their L1 English-speaking colleagues. It should be feasible for us to thrash out our differences in an atmosphere of mutual respect – we can certainly do without the competitiveness, aggression and discrimination that occasionally sour what is potentially a fruitful and necessary debate. I look forward to the moment when we can bring it out into the open fully and discuss it on a frank and equal basis from a more objective, academic and professional angle than the personal, subjective or nationalistic angle that has on occasions been pursued. The moment has come to accept without undue pride or hangups that our diversity is a factor that can join us rather than keep us apart. All we need is goodwill and an open mind.

To end, I would like to make an appeal to all teachers of English – if you haven't read it yet, I strongly recommend reading The non-native teacher by Peter Medgyes, after which I suggest you pass it on to a colleague.

BIOGRAPHICAL DATA

Jorge Suárez

I have been an English teacher for twenty-five years. I am currently a freelance teacher, teacher trainer/educator, school advisor and lecturer in English Phonetics & Phonology, Varieties of English and Lexis in state and private education. I am Senior Team Leader for the standardisation of UCLES oral tests in Uruguay. I am also a painter, draughtsman and installation artist.

Address: Bartolomé Mitre 1488 ap 402
11.004 Montevideo, Uruguay

E-mail: suarezj@adinet.com.uy