TeachingEnglish
NEST or Non-NEST? Who should teach us?
Submitted by Victoria Kamchatka on 25 January, 2012 - 16:53
Who should teach us native speakers or non-native speakers? I feel that it doesn't matter who teaches you English NEST or non-NEST, both of them will resort or lead to English as International (EIL). The aim is identical both for NEST or non-NEST to use EIL as a tool for cross-cultural communication on a global scale. That's why it's been said that English is no longer connected to the culture of Inner Circle countries. Also I argue for Canagarajah (2009) "People construct English as suits their purposes in a given context at a given time". EIL has a dynamic cycle, the more it is used and learned, the more it is spread and shaped. Let's shape it, shall we?
Who taught you NEST's or Non-NEST's? What variant of English do you teach?
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Comments
I was taught by non-native speaker but a very efficient teacher. I think that the most important thing is whether the teacher is competent or not, experienced or not, etc. In the USSR there were teachers of English, French, German who didn't have a chance or opportunity to travel or communicate with native speakers, but those teachers spoke foreign languages perfectly. I also met some native speakers who teach English but they are not teachers, they don't know methodology at all. So in every case it's different.
As for EIL, we use only authentic textbooks in which English is taught as a tool for communication. But that's a good question to what extent we can shape it and shall we do that?
I think everyone shapes his English as to his needs and purposes. I was taught by the soviet school, then I had to brush it myself, definitely, if the teacher knows methodology is a big plus to the learning process.