Abstract
Within the ELT industry the native English speaker (NES) is often iconised as the ideal, or preferred teacher. These beliefs are supported by western derived teaching pedagogies such as Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) and task-based learning, which stress that it is unnecessary for teachers to speak the first language of the students. However, research has consistently shown that non-native English teachers (NNEST) are equally, if not better, at teaching English (Llurda and Calvet-Terré, 2024). NNEST have an understanding of successfully learning English and will often share the first language of the students, which endow certain attributes that native speakers lack (Yazan and Rudolph, 2018). While this is broadly recognised in the academic literature, the assumption of NES superiority persists in ELT.
This paper draws on data from a focus group study (Weekly, 2025), showing how the construct of native speakerism directly or indirectly connects teachers’ beliefs about other concepts in ELT, that serve to perpetuate the myth of NES superiority through an ideological semantic web. This study included native and non-native English teachers from 16 different countries who collectively spoke 21 different languages. However, irrespective of their language backgrounds and nationalities, the teachers tended to acquiesce towards native speakerism as an idealization. Therefore, it is argued that critical language awareness is required in English language teacher training to challenge deeply embedded belief systems as well as address the unequal power relations evident in ELT.
Llurda, E., & Calvet-Terré, J. (2024). Native-speakerism and non-native second language teachers: A research agenda. Language Teaching, 57(2), 229-245.
Weekly, R. (2025). Critical Language Awareness and Teacher Cognition in ELT. Bloomsbury Publishing.
Yazan, B., & Rudolph, N. (Eds.). (2018). Criticality, teacher identity, and (in) equity in English language teaching. Springer.
This paper draws on data from a focus group study (Weekly, 2025), showing how the construct of native speakerism directly or indirectly connects teachers’ beliefs about other concepts in ELT, that serve to perpetuate the myth of NES superiority through an ideological semantic web. This study included native and non-native English teachers from 16 different countries who collectively spoke 21 different languages. However, irrespective of their language backgrounds and nationalities, the teachers tended to acquiesce towards native speakerism as an idealization. Therefore, it is argued that critical language awareness is required in English language teacher training to challenge deeply embedded belief systems as well as address the unequal power relations evident in ELT.
Llurda, E., & Calvet-Terré, J. (2024). Native-speakerism and non-native second language teachers: A research agenda. Language Teaching, 57(2), 229-245.
Weekly, R. (2025). Critical Language Awareness and Teacher Cognition in ELT. Bloomsbury Publishing.
Yazan, B., & Rudolph, N. (Eds.). (2018). Criticality, teacher identity, and (in) equity in English language teaching. Springer.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Publication status | Published - 1 Nov 2025 |
| Event | Cultural Dialogue in Foreign Language Education: International Forum on Language, culture and Global Vision - Changjiang University East Campus , Jingzhou Duration: 31 Oct 2025 → 2 Nov 2025 https://fl.yangtzeu.edu.cn/info/1076/11679.htm |
Conference
| Conference | Cultural Dialogue in Foreign Language Education: International Forum on Language, culture and Global Vision |
|---|---|
| City | Jingzhou |
| Period | 31/10/25 → 2/11/25 |
| Internet address |