Non-native English Language Teachers Research Articles

EFL teacher burnout and self-assessed language proficiency: exploring possible relationships

Although teacher burnout has drawn the attention of many researchers, there is little empirical evidence for the contribution of non-native English language teachers’ language proficiency level to their experience of burnout. To address this significant gap, the present study examined the relationship between English as a foreign language (EFL) teachers’ self-assessed language proficiency and their experience of burnout. Research has indicated that personal resources of teachers can function as protectors against their experience of burnout. Thus, it was assumed that investigating how EFL teachers’ level of burnout can be reduced through language proficiency as a personal resource can cast a new light on the role of personal resources in reducing teachers’ experience of burnout. To this end, data were collected from 110 Iranian EFL teachers who were teaching in private language institutes through the Maslach Burnout Inventory - Educator Survey and Iranian EFL Teacher Self-Reported Language Proficiency Scale. The correlational analysis revealed that language proficiency had a significant negative relationship with the emotional exhaustion and depersonalization dimensions and a significant positive relationship with the personal accomplishment dimension of burnout. The results of regression analysis also indicated that, except for the reading subskill, all the other proficiency subskills were the best predictors of the different dimensions of burnout. Based on the findings of the current study, some pedagogical implications and research suggestions were also proposed.

Perception of the attitudinal function of intonation in responding to Yes/No questions: A study of non-native English language teachers

This study highlights the importance of intonation and its function for intelligibility in communication, particularly amongst teachers in ESL classrooms. It was carried out to ascertain non-native English language teachers’ awareness of the attitudinal functions that intonation carries in responding to yes/no questions. Thirty Malay English language teachers working in a language centre were taken as the sample. Two different tasks, a listening test and an open-ended questionnaire, were provided to test their knowledge and perception of the attitudinal functions of intonation with regards to the responses given to yes/no questions. The findings from this study suggest that these teachers demonstrated an intermediate level of knowledge about intonation and its attitudinal function. However, they were in agreement about the importance of intonation for communication in classrooms, with students from various cultural and linguistic backgrounds. The implication of this study is that teachers should provide students with sufficient exposure to the proper use of intonation in order to avoid miscommunication. Students must be made aware that correct intonation facilitates correct interpretations.

English Language Learners' Opinions of EFL Native and Nonnative Teachers

This paper aims at finding out the opinions of Kurdish English language learners of their native – nonnative teachers of English as a foreign language; identifying which group of teachers is more useful to them ; native or non-native English language teachers and in which language skills. The study has hypothesized that Kurdish university students show positive beliefs of native English language over nonnative English language teachers.In order to validate the objectives and hypotheses of the study, a questionnaire consisting of (14) items that included (9) general items and ( 5) items on the teaching of each of the following language skills grammar; vocabulary; pronunciation; listening ; reading and speaking was given to one hundred students studying English at four private universities in Kurdistan of Iraq. SPSS V.22 ( Statistical Packages for Social Science ) was used to determine the significant differences between native English language teachers and nonnative English language teachers of English as a foreign language as perceived by students at all levels of language learning skills item by item for all the (14 )items used. The ANOVA 1 test was used to determine the difference and significance of the dimensions of the study. The study has revealed that, in general, students significantly preferred to have native English language teachers more than nonnative English language teachers. However, students significantly preferred nonnative English language teachers to native English language teachers in teaching them grammar. On the other hand, students thought that native English language teachers were better than nonnative English language teachers in teaching them speaking, pronunciation, vocabulary and listening.

Delving into International Students’ Attitudes to NESTs and NNESTs

This study examined the attitudes of international students at university level towards native English-speaking teachers (NESTs) and non-native English speaking teachers (NNESTs) in a Thai context. It also explored how the attitudes held towards these two groups of teachers shaped the participants’ learning practices and motivation to learn English. Two research instruments; the open-ended questionnaire and the semi-structured interview were employed for this study. The questionnaire administered with 31 participants was the primary data collection tool. The subsequent interview conducted with 14 of the participants served as a supplementary data. The findings indicated significantly differing attitudes towards native English-speaking teachers and non-native English speaking teachers in many areas. These domains comprised the teaching methods and styles; the understanding of students’ problems; grading and marking; language proficiency; personality, classroom behaviour and discipline; and the ability to communicate and interact with learners. Some differences were also reported in the way they assigned work and arranged learning activities and their attitudes towards students. Most participants given the choice had a strong favour to study with native English-speaking teachers. There appeared to be a strong positive rapport between studying with native English speaking teachers and the participants’ learning behaviours and eagerness to study English. Implications are made regarding teacher training, particularly for non-native English teachers and language teachers, be it native or non-native, having EFL teaching experience. Keywords: Attitudes; Native English Speaking Teachers; Non-Native English Speaking Teachers ; Learning Behaviours; Motivation

The Profile of Non-native Teacher's Oral Skills: A Study Carried Out in Brasília, the Capital of Brazil

Thorough academic studies and pressing needs to meet professional demands in Brazil were the driving force guiding this work, which catered to map out non-native English teachers regarding to their oral skills. The research, within the context studied, identified the profile of practitioner's (oral skills) teaching primary and secondary levels, within the public and private sectors and an educational cooperative language school, Cooplem Idiomas, in the capital of Brazil. We aimed to find out whether or not the target language (English) circulated in the classrooms observed between 2014 and 2016, and analyzed how the recruitment and selection process worked to identify the teaching oral skills of the non-native English language teachers. The results of the observations pointed out that the same teacher taught in the target language in one educational sector, but taught the target language in the mother tongue (Portuguese) in another sector. It was, also, identified that teaching target language in the mother tongue can be a result of poor oral language skills, lack of awareness to teach English in English and specific school policies. Therefore, we concluded that we would like to see the Brazilian government bringing more investment into education, and assess teachers oral skills before entering into teaching, so proper and effective funding can foster better results for the nation, concerning to language teaching.

Scaffolding Reading Comprehension Skills

The current study investigates whether English language teachers use scaffolding strategies for developing their students’ reading comprehension skills or just for assessing their comprehension. It also tries to demonstrate whether teachers are aware of these strategies or they use them as a matter of habit. A questionnaire as well as structured interviews were basically designed for the purpose of the study. The descriptive qualitative research design was adopted due to suitability for the nature of the study. Results of the study revealed that Non-native English language teachers are not aware of the nature of scaffolding strategies they use; they use such strategies for the purpose of assessing their students’ comprehension rather than scaffolding their comprehension. It is recommended that English language teachers have an adequate orientation of the nature of scaffolding strategies, to what extent to be used (when to begin using these strategies and when to stop using them) and the significance in developing comprehension skills of students in the mainstream schools.

Non-native English Language Teachers⿿ Perceptions of Professional Development: Implications for Career Stages

Abstract This study explored English language teachers⿿ perceptions of professional development and professional development practices. The data were gathered through semi-structured interviews, from six non-native teachers who were in different career stages. Inductive content analysis showed that teachers described professional development as the use of various resources and use of skills and knowledge , while their professional development activities included attending courses and seminars, following professional publications , and collaborating with colleagues . Although both the definitions and practices can be considered as traditional, the results indicated that teachers were aware that they needed to keep up with rapid progress and change in teaching and education.

Comparison of Native and Non-native English Language Teachers’ Evaluation of EFL Learners’ Speaking Skills: Conflicting or Identical Rating Behaviour?

<p>Assessing speaking skills is regarded as a complex and hard process compared with the other language skills. Considering the idiosyncratic characteristics of EFL learners, oral proficiency assessment issue becomes even more important. Keeping this situation in mind, judgements and reliability of raters need to be consistent with each other. This study aims to compare native and non-native English language teachers’ evaluation of EFL learners’ speaking skills. Based on the oral proficiency scores in the final exam conducted at a state university in Turkey, the study analysed the scores given by native and non-native English language teachers to 80 EFL students attending preparatory classes in the 2014-2015 academic year. 3 native and 3 non-native English language teachers participated in the study. Data were collected through an analytic rating scale and analysed with the help of <em>independent samples t-test</em> and <em>Pearson product-moment correlation test</em>. Pearson product-moment correlation test (calculated as 0,763) indicated that the raters had high inter-rater reliability coefficients. T-test results revealed that there is no statistically significant difference in the total scores given by both groups of teachers. The study also investigated the different components of speaking skills such as fluency, pronunciation, accuracy, vocabulary, and communication strategies with regard to the existence of significant difference between the scores. The only component which created a statistically significant difference was found to be pronunciation, which was expected prior to the research. In line with the overall findings of the study, it can be concluded that native and non-native English language teachers display almost identical rating behaviour in assessing EFL students’ oral proficiency.</p>

Language, institutional identity and integration: lived experiences of ESL teachers in Australia

Globalisation and increased patterns of immigration have turned workplace interactions to arenas for intercultural communication entailing negotiation of identity, membership and ‘social capital’. For many newcomer immigrants, this happens in an additional language and culture – English. This paper presents interaction experiences of four non-native English language teachers with other institutional members. It uses a sociocultural perspective of second language to map their approaches to negotiations of professional and institutional identities in and through these interactions. Their discussions highlight the role of language, cultural practices and the emic socio-political factors embedded within institutional interactions in individuals' identity negotiation and integration.

The Native Speaker Mentors: A Qualitative Study on Novice Teachers’ Professional Development

Mentoring is a professional development strategy for helping novice teachers adjust to the challenges of teaching and develop into quality educators. It offers a bridge between teacher preparation and the remainder of an educator's career (Wang and Odell, 2002). In the context of English as a Second Language (ESL), much research has gone into the benefits of mentoring particularly on the novice teachers, the relationship of mentor and the novice teachers as well as the impacts of mentoring on the novice teachers. However, what is lacking is research that examines the influences of pairing native English speakers’ mentors with non- native novice teachers on the novice teachers’ learning experience. This study explores the influences of a mentoring programme, the “Native Speaker Programme” on Malaysian novice ESL teachers’ professional development. The “Native Speaker Programme” aims at enhancing the capacity of non-native English teachers by placing Native English Speaking (NES) mentors to train non-native English Language teachers in primary schools. Employing a multiple case study, the data collection techniques of this study include semi-structured interview, observations and personal document analysis. Drawing on the construct of Furnished Imagination by Kiely and Askham (2012), the findings of the study discuss novice teachers’ professional development through the exploration of the influences of the programme on the novice teachers’ knowledge construction.

Native and Non-Native English Language Teachers

The English language teaching industry in East and Southeast Asia subscribes to an assumption that native English-speaking teachers (NESTs) are the gold standard of spoken and written language, whereas non-native English-speaking teachers (non-NESTs) are inferior educators because they lack this innate linguistic skill. But does this premise correspond with the views of second language learners? This article reports on research carried out with university students in Vietnam and Japan exploring the advantages and disadvantages of learning English from NESTs and non-NESTs. Contrary to the above notion, our research illuminated a number of perceived advantages—and disadvantages—in both types of teachers. Students viewed NESTs as models of pronunciation and correct language use, as well as being repositories of cultural knowledge, but they also found NESTs poor at explaining grammar, and their different cultures created tension. Non-NESTs were perceived as good teachers of grammar, and had the ability to resort to the students’ first language when necessary. Students found classroom interaction with non-NESTs easier because of their shared culture. Non-NESTs’ pronunciation was often deemed inferior to that of NESTs, but also easier to comprehend. Some respondents advocated learning from both types of teachers, depending on learners’ proficiency and the skill being taught.

Non-native Pre-service English Language Teachers Achieving Intelligibility in English: Focus on Lexical and Sentential Stress

The aim of this paper is to discuss the importance of ‘intelligible pronunciation’ Turkish pre-service English language teachers may need to develop as to both lexical and sentential stress patterns in English prior to their professional careers. Turkish language, a syllable-timed language, differs from English, a stress-timed language, and such a difference is likely to cause difficulties for Turkish pre-service teachers of English in mastering intelligible pronunciation in English. Thus pre-service English language teachers may need to receive specific training concerning the placement of lexical and sentential stress in English due to the diverse features of English language pronunciation. This paper therefore attempts to outline the major lexical and sentential stress patterns of English prospective English language teachers are expected to acquire before graduation from English Language Teaching (ELT) departments in the Turkish context.

Translation and Cross-Cultural Adaptation of the Manchester Orofacial Pain Disability Scale

ABSTRACTObjectivesThe purpose of the present study was to translate and perform a cross-cultural adaptation of Manchester Orofacial Pain Disability Scale to the Portuguese language.Material and MethodsA synthesis of two independent translations done by bilingual translators whose mother tongue was the Portuguese language began the process of translation. From the synthesis of the translated version and totally blind to the original version, two different non-native English language teachers without dental knowledge translated the questionnaire back to English. The pre-final version was done by an Expert committee: the researchers, two other non-native English language teachers and one native English language speaker. The new questionnaire was then piloted among 8 patients from the target setting that were interviewed to probe it on their perceived meaning of each question. The Manchester Orofacial Pain Disability Scale (MOPDS) thus translated was called Brasil-MOPDS and was validated in 50 patients with Orofacial pain from TMJ and Occlusion clinic ambulatory of São Paulo University School of Dentistry. The Brasil-MOPDS was administered twice by an interviewer (15 - 20 day interval) and once by a second independent interviewer. The Brazilian version of the short form oral health impact profile (OHIP-14) questionnaire and the visual analogue pain scale (VAS) were applied on the same day.ResultsInternal consistency (Cronbach's α = 0.9), inter-observer (ICC = 0.92) and intra-observer (ICC = 0.98) correlations presented high scores. Validity of Brasil-MOPDS compared to OHIP-14 (r = 0.85) and VAS (r = 0.75) shown high correlations.ConclusionsBrasil-MOPDS was successfully translated and adapted to be applied to Brazilian patients, with satisfactory internal and external reliability.

Psyche Extraction Accuracy of English Texts of Non Native Speakers in Pakistani Universities

The paper, based on Linguistics and Text Mining integrated research, aims to investigate the problem of determining the accuracy of the overall psyche of a text. It examines not only how a particular text can be labeled by a dominant mood, but also handles the complexities of multiple moods in the same context, ranking by scores of extracted psyche categories. The psyche scores are based on occurrences of related keywords and their intensity weightages. A text mining tool ‘Psyche Map’ has been developed for the extraction of words associated with moods from the text and the determination of the text psyche based on the calculation of the weightages attached to these words associated with moods. The tool is tuned to tag local psyche on account of its basis in determination of moods, their synonyms and their respective weightages, which was undertaken locally from non-native English language teachers who teach at undergraduate level. The instruments of the study are the English essays written by the non-native undergraduate university students of English language course and the psyche of their texts have been accurately determined by the tool on the basis of moods interpretation.

Reflection at the Interface of Theory and Practice: an Analysis of Pre-Service English Language Teachers’ Written Reflections

This study was conducted to identify the characteristics of a group of Turkish pre-service English Language teachers’ reflective writing. A mixed method approach was taken in the analysis of their written reflections on a video-recorded microteaching experience at the end of a campus-based methodology course. First, qualitative analysis of the written reflections revealed the modes and themes of reflection. Second, the crosstabulations of the emerging reflective and thematic categories were calculated to investigate how each category interacted. The analyses revealed that while most of the reflection was descriptive and focused on the self, some of the participants engaged in reflection that showed a search for reasons behind and alternatives to their practice. Some also referred to past and hypothetical future experiences. This study contributes to the knowledge base on the reflective writing of non-native pre-service English Language teachers and emphasises the importance of tapping into reflections early on in pre-service teacher education.

THE PRESENT TENSE[IONS] OF ENGLISH IN ONE LOCAL CONTEXT IN JAPAN

Recent and not-so-recent critiques of teaching English as a second or other language (TESOL) have explored the relationship between English language teaching and colonialism. Consequently, native speaker and non-native speaker practitioners have started to question their pedagogies and to re/consider their roles in relation not only to minority languages and local knowledges but also to one another. Adding to this discussion, this article raises a different perspective on teaching English in a postcolonial present, asserting that English is, for some Indigenous peoples and local knowledge holders, a decolonizing agent that “trumps” immediate oppressor languages. To become agents or assistants in decolonizing in contexts such as this, the role for native English speaking (foreigner) language teachers and for many non-native English speaking language teachers (Japanese) may not be to continue developing more critical (and possibly more intrusive) pedagogies but rather to allow themselves to be used to the ends of the Other.

Non-native English-speaking English language teachers: History and research

Although the majority of English language teachers worldwide are non-native English speakers, no research was conducted on these teachers until recently. After the pioneering work of Robert Phillipson in 1992 and Peter Medgyes in 1994, nearly a decade had to elapse for more research to emerge on the issues relating to non-native English teachers. The publication in 1999 of George Braine's bookNonnative educators in English language teachingappears to have encouraged a number of graduate students and scholars to research this issue, with topics ranging from teachers' perceptions of their own identity to students' views and aspects of teacher education. This article compiles, classifies, and examines research conducted in the last two decades on this topic, placing a special emphasis on World Englishes concerns, methods of investigation, and areas in need of further attention.

TEACHING ENGLISH TO THE WORLD: HISTORY, CURRICULUM AND PRACTICE, George Braine (Ed.)

TEACHING ENGLISH TO THE WORLD: HISTORY, CURRICULUM AND PRACTICE.George Braine (Ed.). Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum, 2005. Pp. xx + 169. $22.50 paper.This volume, edited by Braine, has some links to a volume he edited 6 years earlier (Braine, 1999). The major purpose of the earlier work was to provide personal narratives of a number of nonnative English language teachers from various world settings. This volume relies on nonnative teachers to present information on the history of English language teaching and the most prominent curricula for this teaching in their respective countries, followed by their autobiographies. The issue of nonnative teachers of English has gained increasing prominence in recent years, as witnessed by the growing number of conference colloquia, formation of new interest sections within professional associations, and publications devoted to this topic. This volume contributes to that topic and movement but goes even further by adding information on what English language teaching has meant in key countries around the world.

Writing in Two Cultures: Chinese Professors Return from the West

Little is known about nonnative English language teachers who, after having been awarded an MA or PhD in the West, return to their home countries and write academic papers mainly in their first language. This study, based on interview data, reports on the writing and teaching experiences of nine Western-trained Chinese TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) professionals in China. The findings show that the participants were all conscious of their biliterate/bicultural intellectual identity. Although some had different views about what counted as logic and digression in academic discourse, most of the participants were persistent in promoting a direct and linear English approach in their own writing as well as in their teaching of both English and Chinese writing. The study highlights the complexity of bilingual/bicultural intellectual identity and the contribution of Chinese TESOL scholars either toward or against an Anglo-centric globalization of rhetorical development.