Research and Trends in the Studies of Native & Non-native Speaker Teachers of Languages: A Review on Selected Researches and Theses

Abstract

Recruiting and employing native speaker teachers of English Language (NST) in
non-native speakers’ context are widely practised in countries which learn and
use the target language taught by the native speaker teachers (NST) as either as
a second or a foreign language. This paper reviews selected journals and thesis
on the issues of Native and Non-native Speaker Teachers (NST & NNST). It covers
on students’, as well as the Native and Non-Native Speaker Teachers’ (NNST)
self-perceptions and attitudes. This review discovers almost the same pattern of
students’ attitudes and perceptions towards native speaker teachers. Most
studies reviewed indicate that most of the non-native learners of the target
language have positive attitude towards native speaker teachers. They view
native speaker teachers as the model of the target language learnt and believe
that the native speaker teachers could provide a great example in learning
pronunciation and speaking skill. In addition, this review also identifies that
learners believe that their non-native teachers are compatible in teaching the
language as they have experienced in being second language learners. As such,
they are more empathic and are able to apply the suitable teaching approaches
for the learners in learning the language. In contrast, the learners view their
non-native speaker teachers are weak in teaching oral communication skills as
they believe that in order to learn communication skills, native speaker models
are required. However, the learners still prefer the collaborative teaching of
native and non-native speaker teachers of the language when learning the target
language. This is because they take the native speaker teachers as their model
to learn the language and the non-native speaker teachers as their interpreter.

Nonetheless, this review also finds that learners value both native and non-
native teachers of the language.