Differences Between Native and Non-native Chinese Speaking Teachers: Voices from Overseas Students Who Study Chinese in China

Abstract

The majority of Chinese language teachers in China and overseas are Chinese native speakers. These native speaking teachers’ educational and cultural backgrounds are different than non-native Chinese speaking teachers. Studies have shown that teachers’ educational and cultural experiences influence their pedagogical decisions such as teaching beliefs, styles, and approaches. This chapter attempted to identify the teaching models Chinese native teachers use and document the Chinese models in practice by comparing the differences between native and non-native Chinese teachers from the students’ perceptions. A survey with 44 survey items and two open-ended questions regarding students’ perceptions of native and non-native Chinese teachers was used. The survey items with which the majority of the participants agreed or disagreed were presented and discussed. The answers of the open-ended questions were categorized into different themes and were used to further elaborate the participants’ opinions. The results showed that, from the perspectives of the participants, Chinese language teaching has some unique aspects, which can be attributed to traditional Chinese teaching concepts, such as the lecture teaching style and the belief of teachers as authority figures.