English is taught as a “second” (or third, or fourth, or tenth…) language for many reasons, and in many contexts. It’s taught in the US because, well, it’s been the dominant language here for a while. Especially for school purposes, it’s crucial that students understand English because that’s how every other subject is taught.
When I changed schools in third grade and moved from an almost entirely non-immigrant, upper-middle-class, private school to an extremely diverse public school, I came home that first day with my eyes shining, ears bubbling with the sounds of my classmates’ different accents and languages that were new to me. Of course, class was taught in “Standard” American English, but my school’s student body was home to speakers of 37 other languages. Thirty-seven. Multiple dialects of English, too. I was too young at the time to really appreciate this, but I did love it, in that difficult-to-articulate way that third graders love things. Looking back, I think now: what was their experience of learning content and being a student in what, for me, was the only language I’d ever known – but for them, was entirely new?
Using English as a medium of instruction is standard and expected in the US because it’s been the dominant language here for so many years, but it’s also common in other countries, because of what it’s come to symbolize socio-politically and economically: international competency and success. This has led to many different approaches to teaching English to non-native speakers, and with different “standards” in play.
One way that English is taught is with a huge emphasis on native speakers as the standard, or “native speakerism”.The idea that native English speakers (specifically, native speakers of a “Standard” form of English) are naturally “better” or simply “more qualified” to teach it has been widespread for years. But that’s been called into question: are native speakers better at teaching a language? No, not necessarily.
The arguments are typically that, because native speakers have an “inside perspective” on the language, they inherently understand it better (not a guarantee; for native speakers, their language feels intuitive to them – how do you “explain” an intuition?); they have more “authentic” accents (define “authentic”); and they have a more direct line to the culture (mmm…true sometimes). None of these arguments seem to carry a lot of weight in the real world, where things like teaching skill and knowledge of the source language tend to make a bigger difference.
A better approach, it seems, might often be to specifically employ non-native English speakers, particularly those whose native language is the same as their students’. These people have learned the “target” language (the language being taught) from the same “source” language (the language that the English Language Learners are coming from) as their students, and therefore know the specific ways in which English is similar to or different from this starting point.
Better still, do what JapanesePod 101 (a Japanese learning podcast/system) does: get the best of both worlds with a pair of teachers, one a native speaker of the target language, one a native speaker of the source language! I have experienced firsthand the benefits of this setup: you get the language nuances, cultural insight, and pronunciation strengths of a native Japanese speaker, and the insights into how to explain a concept or term to a native English speaker from a fellow native English speaker. It’s a win-win!
Back to our classroom: to help English Language Learners in the US feel more comfortable, it’s important to make sure they feel welcome, encourage the use of their native language (this in particular seems to actually help them become more proficient in English), and remain warm and open. If students don’t feel at ease, it will be even harder for them to learn the language – and it can have detrimental effects on their sense of confidence in the long run, and how other students perceive and treat them.
IRL
How do you relate to using English, especially if English is not your first language? Do you struggle to feel like you can really “own” it?
If English is not your native language, how did you experience learning it? Would you recommend that system to other students? If not, what would you change?
If you’re a teacher, or anyone in a position to write curriculum or school policies: find out what you can about your students’ experiences with learning English. What has been done well, and what could be done differently? What do they have to say about their experience of self through that process?
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