This week's reading delves into an issue about which i have always developed and nurtured quite a lot of thoughts: Who makes a better English teacher, Native English-speaking teachers (NESTs) or non-native English-speaking teachers (non-NESTs)?
As i read the first part of Peter Medgyes's essay in the Apple book, i was filled with a feeling of inferiority and a lack of self-confidence. The reason is clear: as a non-NEST, i would hardly be able to reach a language proficiency level of that of a NEST colleague who was born and grew up with the English language. And it was even tougher when the author emphasizes "In no areas of English language proficiency can they (non-NESTs) emulate NESTs" and "... very few non-NESTs are able to catch up with their colleagues" regarding language ability. However, as i read on to the part which discusses the bright side of being non-NESTs, security and self-confidence began to return to me. Since as the book stated, both NESTs and non-NESTs have a lot to offer their students and each group possesses some uniques values that the other does not.
Also, with regards to the differences in teaching behaviors between NESTs and non-NESTs, though i agree with most of the teaching characteristics of non-NESTs indicated in the book, i strongly think that in today's teaching context, besides maintaining their teaching styles, more and more non-NESTs are turning toward their NEST colleagues and adapt some teaching behaviors which focus more on fluency, meaning and oral skills; and vice versa, a considerably large number of NESTs who come to teach English in a foreign context learn some teaching tips from their non-NESTs. This shift, in my opinion, helps minimize the dichotomy between the two groups, since whether the teachers are native or non-native speakers of English, they both head toward the same goal of producing generations of students who can communicate well in English.
As the chapter came to the end, i was able to meet with a preferable answer to the question i previously have, that there is no fixed rules on which the concept of an ideal teacher is built, and both NESTs and non-NESTs are capable of being good English teachers based on their language ability, pedagogical skills and teaching experience. These statements very much strengthen by self-confidence as a future non-NEST.
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Perhaps the question shouldn't be "Who makes a better teacher, NESTS or Non-NESTS?" Perhaps the question should be "What are the unique strengths or NESTS and non-NESTS and how can we learn and apply them to our own teaching lives?" We can't change who we are, but we can certainly learn from others.
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