The non-native english speaking EFL/ESL teacher's self-image: An international survey

Abstract

The issue of native and non-native speakers of English, relevant to a large number of questions in Applied Linguistics, is mainly important if related to native and non-native English-speaking teachers of English as a second or foreign language. The aim of the study was to place this issue in an international setting, including English teachers from ten countries, in order to verify if the two kinds of teachers perceive differences between their teaching and how this perception influences the teaching behaviour and attitudes of the non-native speaking teachers. A questionnaire was administered to 216 subjects, ESL/EFL teachers in ten countries. The analysed data show that differences perceived by non-native speaking teachers bias their self-image and attitudes to teaching.