NATIVESPEAKERISM AND WORLD ENGLISHES: TEACHERS PERCEPTION TOWARDS NON-NATIVE ENGLISH VARIETIES

Ronald Maraden Silalahi

doi:10.30813/jelc.v11i2.2609

Abstract

<p>In the last decade, the development of information technology confirms English as a Lingua Franca used by native English speakers and nonnative English speakers. English in a global context has triggered the emergence of new English variants, resulting from the assimilation of English into a local language known as World Englishes. On the other hand, Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEAFL) in Indonesia is still oriented towards the ideology of nativespeakerism which believes that TEAFL should be done by Native English-Speaking Teachers (NEST) because they are believed to have better linguistic competence and contextual understanding than Nonnative English-Speaking Teachers (NNEST). This article is directed to determine the perceptions of English teachers in Indonesia regarding the world Englishes phenomenon. This research is qualitative research with 20 informants consisting of 10 Nonnative English-Speaking Teachers and 10 Native English-Speaking Teachers. Four Focus Group Discussions (FGDs), each consisting of 5 informants, will be conducted to gather as much information as possible related to teachers’ perceptions. This research is expected to provide an overview of foreign language teaching in Indonesia. The results showed that nativespeakerism has a strong correlation with the world Englishes phenomenon. In the Indonesian context, this is shaped by the stigma that forms in society. This research is expected to enrich teaching studies, specifically in teaching foreign languages.</p>

Highlights

In recent decades, the rapid development of information technology has strengthened English as an international language and the lingua franca (Wu & Ke, 2009; Crystal, 2003)
English in a global context has triggered the emergence of new English variants, resulting from the assimilation of English into a local language known as World Englishes
On the other hand, Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEAFL) in Indonesia is still oriented towards the ideology of nativespeakerism which believes that TEAFL should be done by Native English-Speaking Teachers (NEST) because they are believed to have better linguistic competence and contextual understanding than Nonnative English-Speaking Teachers (NNEST)

Summary

Introduction

The rapid development of information technology has strengthened English as an international language and the lingua franca (Wu & Ke, 2009; Crystal, 2003). Nativespeakerism and World Englishes are two linguistic phenomena that have often been discussed in recent years Both can be seen as ideologies or beliefs related to English and learning English. In teaching English to foreign speakers, the phenomenon of nativespeakerism is a belief that teaching English should be carried out by Native English Speaking Teachers (NEST) better than Nonnative English Speaking Teachers (NNEST) because they are believed to have better language and cultural knowledge. This leads to the question of whether NEST is of better quality than NNEST and what is the basis for the emergence of this ideology

Methods

Results

Conclusion