Research on “native” and “non-native” English-speaking teachers: Past developments, current status, and future directions

Abstract

Recently, we have been witnessing the emergence of scholarly interest and professional advocacy efforts centering on systemic, intersectional, fluid, and contextualized inequalities and dynamic hierarchies constructed by essentialized and idealized (non)native speakerhood (speakerism/speakering) and its personal and professional implications for English language teaching (ELT) profession(als). This critical literature review aims to portray, examine, and guide the existing scholarship focusing on a myriad of issues related to ELT professionals traditionally conceptualized as “native” and “non-native” English-speaking teachers. We come to a working conclusion that (non)native speaker/teacherhood is an epistemologically hegemonic, historically colonial, contextually enacted (perceived and/or ascribed), and dynamically experienced socio-professional phenomenon intersecting with other categories of identity (e.g., race, ethnicity, country of origin, gender, religion, sexuality/sexual orientation, social class, schooling, passport/visa status, and physical appearance, among others) in making a priori connections and assertions about individuals as language users and teachers and thereby forming discourses and practices of (in)equity, privilege, marginalization, and discrimination in ELT.

English as a medium of instruction and intellectual capital creation in Omani higher education: unravelling the dilemma

“…This does not only preserves the Arabic identity in the academic context but also facilitates the creation and sustainability of IC (Hopkyns and Elyas, 2022). Bilingual education is suggested as a way for HEIs to retain their local identities, engage with the global context, and enhance human capital participation in education and the workplace (Selvi and Yazan, 2017;Belhiah and Elhami, 2015). To achieve this balance, adequate attention should be given to the field of translation alongside English as a foreign language (EFL).…”

“…Regardless of their knowledge, skills or competences, Omanis cannot be recruited unless they fulfil the language requirement. This makes recruiting Native English Speaking Teachers (NESTs) a sign of quality that replaces academic qualification (Selvi and Yazan, 2017;Al-Muqarshi et al, 2020). Hence, instead of fulfilling its responsibility towards achieving Oman 2040's objective of empowering Omanis (Ministry of Finance, 2019), the HE sector remains rather resistant to the optimisation of the local capacity (Waxin and Bateman, 2016).…”

Teacher well-being matters: The case of students’ motivation on their own perceptions of native and non-native English speaker teachers

“…Conversely, the notion of "non-native speaker" implies negative connotations such as minority status, marginalization, and stigma. Nevertheless, some researchers argue that the NNEST label is a double-edged sword (Brady, 2009;Selvi, 2014;Selvi et al, 2023). Despite potential negative implications, such as belittling and othering NNESTs and referring to an untrue benchmark (i.e., native-speakerism), there are also advantages.…”

Intersectionality in transnational English teaching: Exploring the dynamics of privilege and disadvantage in Korean ELT

“…In recent years, the eld of ELT has seen a growing body of research focused on complex intersectional inequalities and hierarchies affecting (non)native English-speaking teachers' experiences (e.g., Comprendio & Savski, 2020;Rudolph, 2019;Soe, 2023). Researchers have highlighted that being a (non)native speaker teacher is a multifaceted socio-professional phenomenon with historical colonial roots, epistemological implications, and contextual dimensions intersecting with other identity categories, including race, nationality, and visa status, to engender various degrees of privilege and disadvantage for ELT professionals (Selvi, Yazan, & Mahboob, 2023). However, despite the growing body of literature addressing the (non)native speaker dichotomy, there remains a noticeable gap in research concerning the lives and experiences of individuals who teach English while navigating systemic barriers related to their non-native status.…”