Many Filipinos believe that the best English teachers are native speakers. However, times have changed and native (monolingual) speakers are now faced with competition in the form of non-native (multilingual) English teachers.
Can non-native English teachers be better than native English speakers?
The answer is a resounding ‘Yes!’ The global market is changing and one of the most significant adjustments is hiring multilingual employees. This makes sense because an employee who can speak more than one language will be more flexible and thereby more useful. A significant article entitled English Next, by David Graddol of The English Company (UK) Ltd talks about this emerging phenomenon:
“…the economic and competitive advantage of English for the UK (and perhaps other native-speaking countries) seems to be ebbing away.”
He says this because as global businesses open their doors to a more international clientele, their people must likewise be able to cater to a more culturally diverse market. Graddol adds,
“At present we are in a transitional phase, in which the rapid growth of English learners around the world is concealing more fundamental changes in the status of English learners’ relationships to it…the ELT (English Language Teaching) will take on more of the characteristics of the Global Phase.”
Why did this change happen?
According to Graddol, native speakers previously had the advantage but since non-native speakers learn fast, also through the help of various forms of media (movies, publications, etc.) native speakers are now more competitive, probably only as far as their authentic accents and colloquial expressions are concerned. However, the core ability to communicate in English is no longer exclusive to them.
“…the language (English) was learned by non-native speakers either as a ‘foreign language’ or, by immigrants as a ‘second language.’ In multicultural (former colonial) countries, English also formed part of a national dynamic. The whole business reinforced the natural superiority of native speakers and native-speaking countries who, in quite complex ways, picked up most of the benefits.”
“…as bilingual and multilingual proficiency becomes more sought after in employees, so it does in teachers; monolingualism becomes second best.
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ACB / ASAP Inc. / www.advancedspeech.net
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