Native-speakerism in ELT:A Survey of the Attitudes of Students and Teachers in China

This article reports part of the findings of an investigation into the attitudes of Chinese English as a foreign language(EFL)education students and teachers toward Native-speakerism.Data were collected through two sets of questionnaires from 976 students and 146 teachers engaged in College English(CE)programs at six Chinese universities.The analysis of data reveals that the participants as an entirety:(a)endorse native speaker(NS)teachers,NS English and pronunciation;(b)anticipate the localization of teaching approaches emanating from the English speaking West;and(c)expect English textbooks multicultural in content.It was also found that teachers are more supportive of NS teachers and NS English while Inner Circle(Kachru,1985)teaching approaches and multicultural textbooks are more popular with students.All these findings indicate the persistence of Native-speakerism in China’s EFL education as well as the ideological resistance from Chinese EFL education stakeholders.

Native-speakerism in China:An Investigation of Foreign Language Education Policy and Learners’Attitudes

With the development of globalization,the use of English is no longer restricted to native speaker(NS)but also widely spread to non-native speaker(NNS).The importance of English learning is also acknowledged by Expanding and Outer Circle,and English as a foreign language(EFL)education plays a significant role in China’s education.Admitting the fact that non-native English teachers(NNESTs)take up a large proportion of English teachers,English language teaching(ELT)is still greatly influenced by native-speakerism.This research aims to investigate language ideologies reflected in Chinese foreign language education policy(FLEP)at higher education level,and Chinese English learners’attitudes towards native-speakerism and English teachers.A mixed method of policy analysis and survey is adopted in this research.After conducting analysing two FLEPs in higher education level,it is found that linguistic instrumentalism is the prominent language ideology,although native-speakerism and standard English ideology is implicitly demonstrated.Questionnaire is used to investigate 58 Chinese English learners’attitudes,revealing that most participants do not demonstrate bias towards either NESTs or NNESTs.Instead,the strengths and weaknesses of both NEST and NNEST are identified,though participants adhere to native-speakerism in terms of English variety.Overall,English learner’s attitudes are consistent with language ideologies in FLEPs.This research may provide implications for future studies on addressing native-speakerism in Chinese FLEPs,as well as relationship of students’attitudes and language policies.

Overview of Native-speaker English Teacher Versus Non-native-speaker English Teacher

As much more non-native-speaker English teachers teach alongside native-speaker English teachers, either in China or any other non-English-speaking country, research on the differences between native-speaker English teacher and non-native-speaker English teacher is necessary. This paper offers an overview of such difference between the two groups of English teachers in terms of their strengths and weaknesses, teaching styles and approaches. The conclusion suggests that cooperation and communication be emphsised and that the two groups of teachers communicate more and exchange their ideas on how to teach the same group of students more effectively.

The Perceptions of Chinese ELT Stakeholders on the Employment of Foreign English Language Teachers

This article reports on part of the findings of an investigation into the perceptions of Chinese English as a foreign language(EFL)education stakeholders on native-speakerism.Data were collected via semi-structured interviews with 26 students,14 teachers and eight EFL program administrators from six Chinese universities.The analysis of data reveals that the three groups of participants as an entirety expected their universities to hire native English speaker teachers(NESTs),particularly those from Britain and/or America and a certain proportion of them expressed preference for white native English speaker(NES)teachers.The vast majority of the students and teachers were also found to be unaware of workplace inequalities between NNESTs and local Chinese EFL teachers,contending that NESTs deserve better treatment.Although many administrators displayed critical awareness on this issue,they argued that the inequalities need tolerating for the well-being of their EFL programs.All these findings are indicative of the persistence of native-speakerism among Chinese ELT stakeholders and by extension the tenacity of this chauvinistic ideology across the terrain of EFL education in China.

Chinese Students' Views on the Native- speaker English Teachers——A Case Study of One University

It is believed by both educationalists and policy makers that qualified native speaker English teachers with sound educational background and training play an important role in EFL teaching in China.But research on the attitudes of Chinese university students towards native English teachers has rarely been conducted.This paper aims to investigate the students'perceptions of their own experience in the native speaker teachers'classrooms and identify the students'attitudes towards native speaker English teachers.The conclusion suggests that native speaker teachers use the communicative approach in teaching,and they are also aware of the cultural difference in class and willing to adapt either culturally or pedagogically.The Chinese students have positive attitudes towards native English teachers and would like to work with them for some courses.Meanwhile,they also agree that Chinese teachers of English play an important role,and they need teachers from both cultures.

An Exploratory Study of Non-Native English-Speaking Teachers' Professional Identity Construction in a Globalizing China

Employing one-to-one interviews,this study explores,from a poststructuralist view,how Chinese English Teachers(CETs)struggle to construct their professional identity within the dominant ideology and disempowering discourses of native-speakerism in a globalizing China.Twenty-five CETs were interviewed,and the results have shown that applying human agency and subjectivity,CET participants manage to counteract the disempowering discourses and reach a relatively balanced power relationship with their native speaker(NS)counterparts mainly through four ways:Othering the NSs;exploring their own unique strengths;taking special roles in ELT;and establishing their credibility through hard work.The Chinese culture of learning,specifically,Confucian values,also plays an important role in CETs’professional identity construction.