Transcript The power relationship between non

The power relationship between
non-native and native
English teachers
CATESOL, April 23, 2004
Ryukoku University
SOO IM LEE
[email protected]
The motives of this study
• 1. being inspired to work on the empowerment
of non-native English teachers by NNEST,
TESOL Caucus group
• 2. to create a non discriminatory professional
environment for all TESOL, ESL and EFL
contexts
• 3. to encourage research and publications on
the role of nonnative speaker teachers in ESL
and EFL contexts, and
• to promote the role of nonnative speaker
members in TESOL and affiliate leadership
positions.
ESL Contexts
http://www.eslbee.com/advanced_composition.htm
• "Students should understand the power realities" (Delpit
293), and that teachers should teach the "communicative
codes of the powerful" including ways of writing (Delpit,
by Villegas 23). Only by adapting to the communicative
codes of the powerful will writers strengthen their
capacity to be heard. Perhaps through writing that meets
the expectations of the US academic audience, nonnative speakers of English can influence social,
economic, and political developments to conform to their
vision of a better world.
• http://www.eslbee.com/advanced_composition.htm
EFL contexts
• Native English speakers without
teaching qualifications are more likely
to be hired as ESL teachers than
qualified and experienced NNESTs,
especially outside the United States
(Amin, 2000; Braine, 1999; Canagarajah,
1999; Rampton, 1996).
I hate the segregation of Native
and Non-Nativeness;
• Teacher, You Got it All Wrong
• by Christina Chang, Taiwan
• Can a Nonnative English Speaker Be a
Good English Teacher?
• by Icy Lee, Hong Kong, from TESOL
Matters, Vol. 10, No. 1, February/March
2000
Strengths of NNESTs
Medgyes (1994)
• 1. effective providers of learning strategies
• 2. better anticipators of language learning
difficulties
• 3. being sensitive to language learners’
needs and
• 4. facilitators of language learning as a
result of a shared mother tongue.
Challenges for NNESTs (1)
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An Electronic Magazine by Omar Villarreal and Marina Kirac ©
Year 4
Number 102
April 17th 2003
• Other researchers (Canagarajah, 1999;
Thomas, 1999) also found that native
speakers of various international varieties
of English, such as Indian or Singapore
English, were considered less credible and
less competent teachers than those who
come from what Kachru (1985) defines as
"countries of the Inner Circle" (i.e., Great
Britain, the United States, Canada,
Australia, and New Zealand).
Challenges for NNESTs (2)
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An Electronic Magazine by Omar Villarreal and Marina Kirac ©
Year 4
Number 102
April 17th 2003
• Some NNESTs have reported that many of
their students resented being taught by a
nonnative speaker until they were able to
prove that they could be as effective as a
native-English-speaking teacher. In reality,
speakers of more than one language have
both a sophisticated awareness of
language and the ability to relate to
students' needs (Canagarajah, 1996;
Phillipson, 1992).
The socio-cultural contexts in
Japan
• The subject of Eigo is often taught by
Japanese teachers and the subject is
needed for passing entrance examinations
to enter high schools and universities.
• Eikaiwa, on the other hand, is a term
coined to describe spoken English.
English conversation as taught at colleges,
universities and language schools often by
native speakers.
The Problems of Xenophobia
• Discrimination against non-Japanese in higher
education has been dubbed "Academic
Apartheid." The Problems of Xenophobia
and the Teaching of English at Japanese Universities, Alex Shishin (Kobe), Inoue (2000)
• the Japanese lifelong employment system, while
native English teachers are “Sudden death
contract”/the "ninkisei" system, most contracts
for foreign teachers are one and two years. In
many cases foreign teachers are informed that
their contracts cannot be renewed after a
prescribed period of time.
The research questions of this
study
• reexamining the roles of Japanese
teachers in the relationships with native
speakers of English in ELT in Japan
• and also focusing on the power relation
between the two groups.
The participants
• There were 52 female (68%) and 24 male (32%)
respondents for the questionnaire. 55 of the total
respondents (72%) had a tenure position while
21 of them (28%) were contracted teachers. 56
of the total respondents (74%) had overseas
experience and 20 of them (26%) didn’t. 12
respondents (15%) had less than 5 year work
experience, 26 of them (21%) had from 5 year to
10 year experience, and 38 teacher (53%) had
more than 10 year work experience.
The questionnaire to set a
theoretical framework
• Q.1Are you confident in your English ability?
I can’t answer.
No, I am not confident.
Yes, I am confident.
32%
28%
16%
Q.2What skill are you good at
teaching most?
•
•
•
•
•
•
1. Four skills (integrative skills) 5%
2. listening skill
12%
3. reading skill
22%
4. grammar skill
26%
5. writing skill
7%
6. speaking skill
4%
fallacy of diversity and racism in
education and language teaching
• Not only the need for English fluency but also the failure
of Japanese English teachers alone to establish
universal Japanese English fluency has created an acute
need for so-called native speakers of English at not only
universities but also private language schools and,
recently, in secondary schools as visiting Japan English
Teachers under a special Education Ministry program
(foreigners are not allowed to teach full time or even part
time in Japanese secondary and elementary schools
otherwise). While superficially welcomed, Foreign
English teachers in Japan must inevitably confront
institutional and popular Japanese racism.
Q.3What skill are you poor at
teaching most?
1. listening skill
2. reading skill
3. grammar skill
4. writing skill
5. speaking skill
8%
8%
5%
19%
36%
Q.4Can you speak to native English teachers in front of your students
without being nervous?
• 1. I can’t answer. 8%
• 2. No, I can’t speak without being
nervous.56%
• 3. Yes, I can without being nervous.12%
Q.5Do you think your Japanese colleagues have confidence about their
English?
1. I can’t answer.32%
2. No, I don’t think so.36%
3. Yes, I think so.8%
Q.6Do you think your Japanese colleagues can talk to native English teachers
in front of their students without being nervous?
1. I can’t answer.
2. No, I don’t so.
3. Yes, I think so.
36%
32%
8%
Q.7Does your teaching method match with the stated goal or objectives (aiming at
communicative competence) in the curriculum?
1. I can’t answer.
2. No, I don’t think so.
3. Yes, I think so.
28%
24%
24%
Q.8Do you think Japanese have inferiority complex toward native
speakers of English?
1. I can’t answer.
2. No, I don’t so.
3. Yes, I think so.
16%
34%
57%
Q.9Do you think native English teachers who have low Japanese language proficiency
can teach well?
1. I can’t answer.
2. No, I don’t so.
3. Yes, I so.
20%
28%
28%
Q.10. What skill can you teach better than native English teachers?
listening skill
reading skill
grammar skill
writing skill
speaking skill
45%
48%
24%
0%
0%
“Give me chocolate generation” to
“”Barbie doll syndrome “