NATIVE OR NON-NATIVE – what can we learn from each other?

There has been a heated discussion recently about the subject of being a native speaker vs being a non-native speaker and teaching English.

Some claim that you absolutely and unarguably have to be a native speaker to teach English and there is no question about it. Others are willing to admit that non-native speakers possess advanced bilingual skills based on rigorous training and personal experience as language learners.

I wouldn’t be very original if I said that the truth lies somewhere in the middle. I am not here to make a judgement but to make a mere observation.

Oscar Wilde wisely said “The truth is rarely pure and never simple”.

The words ‘never simple’ resonated with me immediately.

As a passionate learner and teacher of English, I understand what a complex endeavour learning another language presents.

During my long learning journey, I have met numerous teachers and lecturers on my way, both native and non-native.

And you know what?

Some were brilliant and some were just plain rubbish regardless of whether English was their first language or not.

I have learnt different aspects of the language from different teachers, because each of these individuals was an expert in their field.

Again – regardless of being a native or not.

And all of these experiences put together made me an English speaker I am today. An all-round experience made of little pieces along the way.

I think that (and I may not be very popular for saying it out loud but…) it is time to stop creating divisions between language teachers.

YOU EITHER ARE A GOOD TEACHER OR YOU ARE NOT. FULL STOP.

We all come from different backgrounds and bring such a wealth of experience to our students that it is safe to say that we complement each other enormously.

We all possess unique skills that allow our students to collect little pieces along their language journey to put together and form one amazing experience.

And we do it collectively, as a large team of professionals.

It is highly offensive and ridiculously discriminating to hire qualified teachers based purely on their race or nationality.