University Students' Perceptions of Native and Non-native Speaker Teachers of English

Abstract

A small number of studies have addressed the debate comparing native speaker teachers (NSTs) and non-native speaker teachers (NNSTs). However, they have tended to focus on teachers' rather than students' opinions. Seventy-six undergraduates completed questionnaires seeking their views about NSTs and NNSTs on rating scales relating to language skills, grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, learning strategies, culture and civilisation, attitudes and assessment. The students were asked these views in relation to primary, secondary and tertiary education. They also recorded their subject specialism and whether they had ever been taught by a NST. Their general preference was for NSTs, or for a combination of NSTs and NNSTs. Previous experience of NSTs had little effect on their judgements. Students' subject specialism, perhaps reflecting differences in orientations to learning English, had slightly more effect.