Beyond and within the NS/NNS discourses: English teaching in the Saudi PYPs

Abstract

In the field of TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages), the emergence of studies and scholarly publications questioning the dichotomy between Native English-Speaking Teachers (NESTs) and Non-Native English-Speaking Teachers (NNESTs) has been gradually gaining momentum over the last 25 years. Tensions resulting from this dichotomy have contributed to the “NNEST movement” which seeks to problematise the contested categories of “NS” and “NNS” and to advocate for non-discriminatory practices in the TESOL profession. With the purpose of advancing the movement’s research agenda and responding to the call for research into post-recruitment, context-specific situated experiences, this qualitative case study explores how the NEST/NNEST division plays out in the Preparatory Year Programs (PYP) in two KSA (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia) universities. A central part of this study is an investigation of the lived experiences of three groups of English teachers working side by side in these programs: NESTs, Saudi NNESTs and NNESTs from overseas, the latter in particular representing a largely under-researched group in the literature. Although this research does align with previous work within the NNEST movement, it goes beyond it in that English teachers, both NESTs and NNESTs, are negatively influenced by the discourses of native-speakerism, and they are not necessarily the ones to blame for this impact; they cannot be perceived as opponents and, most importantly, they cannot be restricted to the NEST/NNEST identities.This study draws on data from three sources: 25 online advertisements, 18 demographic profiles and face-to-face semi-structured interviews with 18 practicing teachers (six from each group). The analysis, interpretation and in-depth discussion of these data are articulated around three themes, each presented in a core chapter. First, Becoming focuses on recruitment strategies in the PYPs; second, Being centres on the participants’ positioning within English teaching in the Saudi PYPs and the third and final chapter focuses on Reflecting and present teacher-participants’ views on speakerhood.With respect to how job recruitment takes place in these programs, analysis of the data reveals discourses of inequity underpin many descriptions of job requirements in the Saudi PYP context. Ninety-two percent of the job advertisements analysed used speakerhood status or nationality as essential requirements, which indicates “unjustified” professional hierarchies. The most required qualification in these PYP job advertisements was CELTA (Certificate in English Language Teaching to Adults). According to the analysis of the participants’ opinions, CELTA appeared to replace the NS status requirement; that is to say, employers seemed to use this qualification rather than speakerhood in their hiring practices. However, CELTA does not escape criticism as an English teaching qualification and it will be argued that it acts as a colonialist tool in the ELT profession. The interview data analysis revealed other recruitment categories relevant to the experiences of English teachers in the Saudi PYP context: for instance, direct-hires versus agency-hires. Although these categories might not be directly related to the NS fallacy, there was some evidence of its impact on them.In terms of teachers’ positioning, participants’ interview data indicate that teachers from various linguistic, cultural and national backgrounds negotiate multiple identities based on their personal and professional experiences within their given context. The representations of the teachers’ identities illustrate the complex process of identity formation and thereby the oversimplified nature of the NS/NNS categories. The teachers negotiate multiple identities when positioning themselves in the PYPs; they select their identities strategically to position themselves as opposed to other key stakeholders such as employers and other teachers in the program. Some of these categories are contextually identified and some are widely used; some are considered powerful or privileged and some are marginalised. The study also indicates two factors which can contribute to the teachers’ self-empowerment and self-representation. These are participation in professional development training and the enhancement of cooperation among teachers.Finally, upon explicit reflection on issues of speakerhood, all the teacher-participants, regardless of their NS status, explicitly rejected the NS fallacy but held on to the NS/NNS categories, attaching different qualities to them. These categories influence participants’ discourses and the ways in which they construct their identities. However, the division into NS/ NNS - despite being difficult to avoid - failed to account for or explain all differential practices in the KSA PYPs. Particularly, there were different categories that were not based on speakerhood (i.e. the NNESTs from outside the KSA and the NSs from the least desired English countries).To sum up, the present study shows that overt discrimination based on speakerhood status dominates job advertisements and recruitment practices in KSA PYP English programs. These practices influenced some of the participants’ lived experiences. Once recruited, however, teachers rely on categories other than NS/NNS to describe themselves and their professional identity. Despite all the arguments they made against the NS fallacy, the participants seemed to be inclined to use the NEST/NNEST labels. Ultimately, although these labels appear to be inescapable, they do not account for everything participants experienced. Thus, these categories and labels should not be used as a way of stigmatising and essentialising both groups of teachers. Rather, they should be merely used as a way to help them work on their different potential linguistic and professional needs which are not necessarily fixed and accurate and might be context-specific. The thesis concludes with suggestions and implications for TESOL practitioners to establish their professional identity in their teaching practices. It also offers suggestions for stakeholders to be aware of the discourses at play and their impact on the TESOL profession and educators. This study encourages further research on this issue to enrich the literature with different perspectives to empower English teachers in different contexts around the world and to educate the sector about the impact of NS/NNS categorisation on teachers’ identity and on their recruitment.