Fitting In and Fighting Out

Urmee Chakma

doi:10.31273/eirj.v8i1.602

Abstract

This study explores and problematises the various challenges six non-native English-Speaking Teachers (NNESTs) faced in the ESL teaching profession. The purpose of this study was to increase an in-depth understanding of non-native English speaking teachers in terms of their perceived and actual employability, students’ perceptions of them, and the discriminatory practices they are often reported to be subjected to in the ESL industry in Australia. The number of international students studying ESL at Australian language centres has increased significantly in recent years and a concurrent increase in trained NNESTs seeking employment in these centres necessitates this study. The findings revealed that the participants still face challenges to some extent in the ESL teaching profession in Melbourne and their teaching approaches are impacted by their linguistic and educational experiences. The study also found that, contrary to popular belief, NNESTs do not use the so-called ‘traditional’ teaching approaches while teaching, despite their own learning of English through such approaches. As well, far from seeing it as a disadvantage, these teachers often utilise their non-native status as a positive source of inspiration to encourage ‘non-native’ students in the classroom. As data in the study indicates, the participants’ pedagogical approaches have been influenced by their past linguistic, educational, and cultural experiences, this understanding will help these programs become better attuned to teachers’ experiences and backgrounds and encourage NNES future teachers to examine their varied experiences in relation to theories of language acquisition, language teaching and curriculum design.

Highlights

Due to globalisation and attendant forces such as transnational migration, especially to the English-speaking West, the demand for English language learning and English language teaching in both second and foreign language contexts has increased tremendously
This study addresses the following questions: What challenges do non-native English-speaking teachers (NNESTs) experience in order to fit into the English language teaching (ELT) industry in Australia? What are their self-perceptions as NNESTS? What expectations do students have of them? And, are there barriers and obstacles on their way to employment?
The first theme is that the participants faced challenges in the three main areas that they related to their NNEST status: in securing employment, receiving negative attitude from students and feeling professionally insecure

Summary

Introduction

Due to globalisation and attendant forces such as transnational migration, especially to the English-speaking West, the demand for English language learning and English language teaching in both second and foreign language contexts has increased tremendously. English has become the lingua franca of the world, to the extent that even as early as in 1997 Graddol declared that the number of second and foreign language speakers of English far exceeded the number of first language speakers of English (Graddol, 1997) This means that the English language is no longer ‘the privilege of native speakers’ (Medgyes, 2001: 429) and that native speakers have long lost the prerogative to control its standardisation. It was widely accepted that 'native-speaker' teachers represented a 'Western culture' from which spring the ideals both of the English language and of English language teaching methodology (Holliday, 2006). This resulted in a worldwide discrimination against English teachers whose first language was not English. Little has changed, as old beliefs about native speakerism persist, and this has serious implications on the employment and general acceptance of non-native English-speaking teachers (NNESTs) especially in countries with high number of immigrants, such as Australia

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Conclusion