Native-speaking English Teachers Research Articles

A critical discourse analysis of social and structural inequalities that exist between NET and NNETs in South Korea's English Hiring Market

English has become a crucial aspect of South Koreans' lives, and there exists a transnational linguistic market where English is a highly prized commodity. Private and public academic institutions, as well as national English programs, make significant financial investments to find Native-speaking English Teachers (NETs) to work in South Korea. Previous studies have revealed employment decisions for EFL teachers in Asia are frequently influenced by a candidate's “nativeness” as opposed to their professional accomplishments, such as their teaching experience and academic credentials. The NETNNET dichotomy in the EFL area is very problematic as it fosters discriminatory practices, yet little is known is known how these tensions play out in the South Korean context. By employing Norman Fairclough’s three-dimensional CDA framework, this paper seeks to critically examine the discourses surrounding the native and non-native English language teachers are constructed in the Korean English market. This paper identifies how relations of inequalities, power, and domination are reproduced or produced in discourse. Data include analysis of the texts in hiring advertisements for English language teachers in South Korea. Through CDA, I sought to reveal and confront dominant ideologies and discourses reflected in the texts. This paper concludes with suggestions on how to challenge the inequitable practices and policies widely present in the South Korean English market.

Photo-narrative frames: Using visuals with narrative research in applied linguistics

A narrative frame is a data collection instrument comprising a series of sentence prompts that facilitate the elicitation of participant narratives by scaffolding the writing process. Narrative frames allow multiple respondents to compose narratives that are comparable in length, form, and substance, thus allowing the researcher to focus on more precise research aims than are generally possible with more open-ended types of narrative data. In this article, we discuss the rationale for narrative frames and their use in recent research, revisiting their strengths and limitations as research instruments. Following this, we use data from a project investigating the professional identities of expatriate native-speaking English teachers to illustrate the use of photo-narrative frames, an innovation that supplements written stories with photographs from participants' professional experiences. As narratives provide a means of understanding the experiences of others, visual data, such as photographs, can amplify the context, further connecting participant narratives to insights about the complexity of their lives and behaviors. The study details the procedures, from designing and piloting the frames to data collection and analysis. We show how visual-textual layering and integration occurs in a participant's stories and how the images help the participant convey their professional narratives to others. We conclude by considering the ethical issues with collecting and disseminating photographs from participants before making suggestions for future research, focusing on further innovations that can blend visual methods with narrative research, for example, by taking advantage of social media platforms and on-line survey software.

Native-English speaking teachers’ experiences in East-Asian language programs

This article examines the experiences of transnational teachers of English in government-funded English language teaching programs, each of which recruits, trains, and administers native speakers of English: Hong Kong’s Native-speaking English Teachers scheme (NET), the Japan Exchange and Teaching program (JET), the English Program in Korea (EPIK), and Teach and Learn in Korea (TaLK). It focuses on the relationship between the participation and experiences of native-English speaking teachers and the programs’ different policies and institutional structures. The findings demonstrate that these different policies and institutional structures—such as the program aims, eligibility requirements, policies on salary and benefits—have significant implications for the participation of native-English speaking teachers in these programs. This research, with its focus on the experiences of these teachers, extends our understanding of their involvement in English language teaching in Asia. It urges us to locate transnationalism and the global spread of English within a much more complex field of social power relations, calling for more insightful approaches to English language teaching.

An ethical analysis of native-speaking English teachers’ identity construction in a mainland China university

ABSTRACT Informed by Foucault’s (1988) notion of ethics and the four axes of ethical self-formation (Clark 2009. ‘The Ethico-politics of Teacher Identity’. Educational Philosophy and Theory 41 (2): 185–200), this study explores how native-speaking English teachers (NETs) constructed their identities in relation to their lived experiences and practices at a university in mainland China. A multiple case study approach was employed using interviews with focal participants and reflective journals to understand their teaching experiences and practices as well as their meaning-making processes. Findings from the four cases suggest that participants constructed multiple and changing identities composed of various language teaching beliefs and practices. Whilst participants were influenced by dominant discourses which challenged their legitimacy as university teachers, the way individual teachers understood their professional experiences and interpreted the sociocultural constraints also played a critical role. Teacher identity self-practices and technologies of self were found to be important for helping NETs to negotiate favourable identities and liberate themselves from impositions. The article concludes with implications for NETs, host community and policy makers.

Native speaker dichotomy: Stakeholders’ preferences and perceptions of native and non-native speaking English language teachers

Addressing the perceptions and the preferences of the upper-secondary school students, teachers, parents and administrators of the native speaking (NS) and non-native speaking (NNS) English teachers as well as investigating the variables affecting these preferences and perceptions, this study explores whether or not the native speaker myth is still prevalent. Contrary to common assumptions with regard to student and parent preferences being in favour of NS English teachers, this study purports that English as a foreign language (EFL) students who have participated in this study which is conducted in the Turkish Cypriot context favour the English teachers with good teaching skills, regardless of their NS/NNS status. The students’ perceptions and preferences are compared with those of their parents, teachers and administrators. The data are collected from 185 students, 86 parents, 18 teachers and two administrators, and analysed adopting a mixed-methods research design, being predominantly quantitative. Overall, mother tongue and grade are found to be the two variables that influence the participants’ perceptions and preferences with regard to the NS and NNS English teachers. Significant differences are found between student and teacher responses and between parents’ and teachers’ perceptions and preferences. Keywords : administrators; English as a foreign language (EFL); native speaker dichotomy; parents; teacher preference

Towards a Model of Teacher Leadership in ELT: Authentic Leadership in Classroom Practice

This study investigates how the model of Authentic Leadership applies to language teaching and its implications for future directions in teacher education programmes. Data was collected from 56 native-speaking English teachers through an online survey consisting of specific open-ended and short answer type questions. The results of the study suggest that currently the concept of classroom leadership is not at the forefront of teachers’ conscious thought, but is, to some extent, embedded in various teaching practices and characteristics. This could be attributed to the absence of explicit discussion of teacher leadership in teacher education programmes despite principles of leadership being strongly connected to the act of teaching itself. It is argued that a clear model of leadership would better help teachers face the unique challenges of EFL teaching and the model of Authentic Leadership provides an excellent framework for this context as the principles of self-awareness, relational transparency, balanced processing, and internalized moral/ethical perspective have direct links to core concepts in ELT. This article contends that by applying the principles of Authentic Leadership in classroom practice, both novice and experienced teachers will be better able to manage the challenges of language teaching, enhance and enrich their skillsets, and achieve greater professional success.

English language teaching research in South Korea: A review of recent studies (2009–2014)

This article reviews recent studies on English language teaching (ELT) in South Korea, where a great deal of research has been produced in recent years in local journals. In this article we review 95 studies from a pool of some 1,200 published between 2009 and 2014 on English language teaching and learning, focusing on research within the public school context. Using themes from the national curriculum as an organizing principle, the review covers selected studies in the following areas: (1) second language teacher education, (2) communicative language teaching, (3) language use and interaction in classrooms, (4) co-teaching with native-speaking English teachers, (5) curriculum and materials analysis, (6) treatments of teaching methods, and (7) assessment, testing and washback. We include commentary on the research undertaken in each area and conclude by discussing the limitations of the review and summarizing ideas for future research directions, perhaps the most important of which is questioning whether or not there is enough research of reasonable quality being produced to sustain roughly 60 journals publishing articles on English education in South Korea.

The Impact of Native-Speaking English Teachers on English Learning among Korean Students

The Impact of Native-Speaking English Teachers on English Learning among Korean Students

The Discursive Positioning of Teachers: Native‐Speaking English Teachers and Educational Discourse in Hong Kong

This article reports on a qualitative study that explored the discursive positioning of native‐speaking English teachers (NETs) in schools in Hong Kong. It draws on insights from discourse theory to examine NETs’ self‐positioning, and their positioning by other stakeholders, as part of a dynamic process of identity formation. The participants were eight teachers who were employed in primary and secondary schools under the Hong Kong Government's Native English Teacher scheme. The author conducted in‐depth interviews with each participant to gain an understanding of how the teachers discursively positioned themselves, and how they believed they were positioned by others, within their schools. The findings suggest that NETs perceive challenges to their self‐positioning as professional language teachers from some local English teachers and school managers who seem to question the value of their teaching experiences and practices in the context of English language classrooms in Hong Kong. The article explores NETs’ responses to the antagonism between the different subject positions that they consider are available to them in Hong Kong schools and discusses implications for changes to existing systems and culture within schools as well as for future research.

영어 원어민 교사의 수업 행동과 교육적 지식

This study examined native-speaking English teachers’ pedagogical knowledge through the analysis of transcriptions of videotaped lessons and...

Cross‐cultural adjustment of Native‐speaking English Teachers (NETs) in Hong Kong: a factor in attrition and retention

This paper argues that, despite government support in financial and contractual matters, ongoing problems of retention of Native‐speaking English Teachers (NETs) in Hong Kong stem, in part, from problems of cross‐cultural adjustment. The paper reports a small‐scale qualitative investigation into the experiences of NETS in Hong Kong and finds problems of cross‐cultural adjustment of the NETs themselves, the host schools and the government’s induction practices. The paper reports a diversity of problems in cross‐cultural adjustment and a variety of ways in which NETs handled them. The argument is made for increased and differentiated attention to be given to the cross‐cultural adjustment of NETs, for greater social networking and for reducing the isolation and cross‐cultural stresses that they experience. It is suggested that this might attenuate the problem of high NET turnover in Hong Kong.

English teacher preference: the case of China's non‐English‐major students

ABSTRACT: In an era when English has become the uncontested world language, this study explores who Chinese non‐English majors prefer as their English teachers: English teachers from China (ETCs) or so‐called native‐speaking English teachers (NETs). This issue has been keenly debated in the Chinese press in recent years. However, it is not a debate in which the voices of the learners and teachers of English have been sufficiently reported through empirical studies. The study draws comprehensive data from 984 college students and their teachers at four universities in different parts of China. On the basis of three cross‐validated research methods (questionnaire survey, matched‐guise technique, and focused interview), it is argued that, where possible, college English classes should be taught by both ETCs and NETs, since students can benefit from the strengths of both types of teachers. In addition, ETCs should be given opportunities to train in English‐speaking countries in order to improve their own English proficiency levels and that only qualified NETs should be recruited to teach college English in China.

Haunting Native Speakerism? Students’ Perceptions toward Native Speaking English Teachers

This paper intends to explore how Taiwanese university students perceive their native-speaking English teachers (NESTs). Mutual expectations between the NESTs and students are also investigated. Collected data include questionnaires from 107 students and interviews with three NESTs and 19 students who have filled out the questionnaire. The result shows that students expect more encouragement and interaction with the NESTs, and more relaxed activities with less assignment and test. A third of the students expect NEST with a standard accent, while a quarter do not care about accent at all. The NESTs reveal their dissatisfaction toward the students’ passiveness and irresponsiveness. While students expect their NESTs to be interactive, they themselves seem to give the NESTs an impression of an unwillingness to participate. The discussion centers on this dilemma and offer some suggestions for English teachers.

Language teaching

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Effective Team Teaching between Local and Native-speaking English Teachers

This paper focuses on collaboration between native-speaking English teachers (NETs) and local English teachers (LETs) in Hong Kong secondary schools. It examines some of the strengths and weaknesses of NETs and LETs documented in the international literature. It reviews, in various contexts, schemes where team teaching has been carried out. Using case studies of selected effective practitioners augmented by recent published research, we discuss how native and non-native teachers worked together and how their collaboration impacted on themselves and their students. Our analysis elaborates on some inter- and intra-personal factors facilitating the team teaching, balanced by some of the dilemmas particularly with respect to educational philosophies. The paper concludes by arguing for relationships between particular features of the collaborations and theorised conditions for second language acquisition.

Hiring native-speaking English teachers in East Asian countries

ENGLISH is the most commonly used language in the world. As it has become the language that provides access to higher education and job opportunities, and has become almost exclusively the language of diplomatic discussion and business negotiation (cf. English APEC Strategic Plan, 2004), there has been a growing interest in hiring native-speaking English Teachers (NSETs) in Asian countries. The aim of this paper is to report policies and practices that invite NSETs to Asian countries, including China and Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, and South Korea, with emphasis on public education sectors. Through surveying both similar policies and the implementation of policies in several Asian countries, we seek to find practical suggestions for hiring NSETs. We survey policy goals, recruitment procedures, and the qualifications of NSETs. The analysis will be based on the premise that ‘language planning cannot be understood without reference to its social contexts’ (Cooper, 1989:3).

Collaborative EFL teaching in primary schools

This paper discusses an innovative programme of collaborative EFL teaching in Hong Kong primary schools, involving team-teaching shared between imported native-speaking English teachers and their local counterparts. First it analyses the way in which the scheme has evolved from previous experiences. The paper then draws on an open-ended questionnaire survey, email and face to face interviews, and classroom observations of teamteaching in action. It focuses on findings related to the three main objectives of the scheme: impact on pupils, innovative teaching, and professional development. More positive outcomes were reported for the first issue than the other two. Some implications for collaboration and the deployment of native-speaking English teachers are discussed.

Jet and Net: A Comparison of Native-speaking English Teachers Schemes in Japan and Hong Kong

Both Japan and Hong Kong seek to enhance the English standard of their secondary school students by implementing a native-speaking English teachers scheme, named the JET (Japan Exchange and Teaching) Programme in Japan and the NET (Native-speaking English Teachers) Scheme in Hong Kong. However, the implications of these programmes seem to be sociopolitical more than educational. As for Japan, JET is a consequence of an explicit political strategy to promote international relationships. The Japanese Government is keen to bring up a generation that is able to understand other countries yet retain Japanese national consciousness. On the surface, the Hong Kong NET Scheme seems to be a more straightforward language improvement programme. However, the Japanese experience suggests another level of analysis. The Hong Kong Government is never as explicit as Japan as to what it wants to achieve through the NET Scheme. Though NET is claimed to be a language improvement scheme, there is no evidence to show how effectively this kind of programme can work in local Hong Kong secondary schools. With a special interest in the ideologies behind the two language improvement programmes, this paper attempts to explore their sociopolitical and cultural meanings beyond their educational surface.