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An Argument for Non-native speaking English teachers

I saw an article recently about the benefits of non-native speaking teachers in ESL and I had to admit it was quite interesting. One of the more interesting parts was that many of the points raised were ones that I agreed with and had experienced first hand with my job here in Malaysia.  Without any further ado here is a list of 5 benefits for a non-native English teacher.


  1. They understand the difficulties of adapting

    If we look at language in a cultural standpoint there are many conceits and practices in English that don't exactly translate. It is true that it is the teacher's job to guide the students through this but sometimes that added level of personal experience helps the message come through clearer.
  2. They know all the same terms.

    Maybe this isn't a huge deal but I have seen that non-natives usually know all the terminology right off the bat, which is a great resource for learners. They know all about non-defining clauses, subjects, objects, etc. Where did they learn those terms?  Well, from a text book... just like the students!
  3. If they got rid of their accent...

    Funny kind of thing, if you never had an accent can you truly understand how it is to get rid of one? Now, a native English speaker who learned another language can certainly help on theory, however, a non-native English speaker could give some valuable insights on how they personally got rid of their accent for English.
  4. Maybe you know the same language

    I personally consider this a bad thing, generally, but for some low-level English speakers translation is the only way they can communicate. A teacher able to summarize a few key concepts can certainly jump start a students' learning.
  5. They were a student once too!

    Just by sheer definition a non-native teacher HAD to learn the language just like their learners and that lends to some great first hand experience and insights. This alone is a fantastic asset to any classroom.
So there you have it 5 points in favour of. This is not a deep list nor a very technical one, just some thoughts. If you have any opinions feel free to leave me a comment.
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