Heterosexism in ESL: Examining Our Attitudes

Cynthia Nelson

This article is Cynthia Nelson is describing a speech that was delivered at the 26th annual TESOL convention. The first attitude talks about how gay teachers are also teachers too, and asks what the big deal is. The author goes in to the issues of firing teachers for being gay, hate crimes, and the lack of civil rights that gays have. These issues still affect gay teachers when they walk into a classroom, the author says, they are not able to leaves these issues at the door. This is what some gay and lesbian teachers do though, they walk into a classroom or office and try to hide who they are. The second attitude is that being a gay teacher should never come up in the classroom. The author discusses the questions that arise in the classroom about marriage, and the fact that all the students want to know about their teachers lives. She talks about how she does not reveal her identity as a lesbian to her students, and when her class once had a discussion about lesbians, even then she did not say anything. Attitude three discusses that students from countries that do not have many gay people could not handle discussing homosexuality. The author discusses that in other countries gay people have even less rights that in America, and are sometimes killed for being gay. Although this is true, she says that there are gay people in every country. She talks about how her students have talked about gay people in class and have even written about them, she says that they are aware. In attitude four the subject is that they are making an issue out of nothing, and that there are many gay men in ESL. Nelson says here that we are not making an issue out of nothing, but that she as a lesbian, has felt very isolated and this issue needs to be addressed. In attitude five the issue is about not talking about gays. She talks about how she has never heard a straight colleague talk about a gay issue first, she brings it up. She says that heterosexuals should talk about these issues, they have to become involved in the struggle for rights too. Attitude six discusses gay students. She talks about the issue of gay students feeling safe in the classroom, if the subject matter is something they would feel comfortable talking about, and so on. Nelson says that we need to give all students a good education. Attitude seven says that "Only gay people can address gay issues." (Nelson 149) She talks about gay people needing help in their struggle for equal rights. They need the people of authority, heterosexuals, to start caring about the issues.

The chapter in book discusses the identity of a man or woman who is gay. This makes me think of a friend of mine in South Korea. He was also a teacher at the same chain of schools I worked for, we had the same recruiter, and he actually trained me. He was openly gay to his fellow teachers, our recruiter, but none of the heads of the school. On the weekends he also worked at a gay bar. He never told the owner of the school or the head of his particular branch. He would actually go out with the owner of the school with women. He took this so far that he actually married a lesbian to disguise being gay to the owner. I feel that this changed his identity in some ways. He is still certain that if he tells the owner they will fire him. He has worked at the school for five or six years now and believes the prejudice is so strong they will still fire him. The parents will not want their students being taught by him and so on. He still has this secret and is not ready to tell them because he is certain he will be sent home. This is an issue that we need to discuss. Nelson is right when she says that heterosexuals need to be active in gay rights. Heterosexuals can help the cause in a very positive way.

Week 12

"Reexamining English Only in the ESL Classroom"

Elsa Roberts Auerbach

This is a very good article. I was not surprised to learn that rules were put in place in the United States for an English only movement. Also, that English was associated with being an American, is something I had heard before. In the 1920's when Goldberger introduced survival English, the classes were strictly English only. I think this reflects the other article for this week, "The Hidden Curriculum of Survival ESL", and can be questioned as a valid way to teach English. I do not think it is fair that only citizens were able to be teachers of ESL. Teachers from other countries are just as easily qualified. I think all of this is what the author is trying to say about how the idea of an English only classroom came to be. The idea that English will be more effective with total immersion is a valid idea, but I think some things can be more easily taught with the help of the L1.

The author explores the use of L1 through beginning levels, and shows how students are more likely to participate and take a language course if they can use their L1. This is very important for immigrants coming to America, or other countries, in order to learn a language I think you have to be comfortable in the learning environment. If this means being able to speak your L1, if you absolutely have to, then so be it. The author then goes on to talk about the use of the L1 after the first stages of language learning. She talks about how writing first in the students L1 and then translating the writing into the L2 could be beneficial. In cases where this was studied there were little differences in this writing style compared to completely in L1. The author also talks about the teaching of adults and through the use of their L1 they can tell the teacher exactly what their goals are in learning the language. Again this is similar to the other article for the week in the critical thinking aspect. It is important to respect adult students and know what it is they want to learn, not treat them like children. The author also mentions that most studies on the use of L1 in the classroom are based in other countries, not America. This points to the beginning argument of English only in the classroom and the American way. As a whole she says that this is a political issue.

The next issue the author addresses is who should teach and what qualifies a teacher. The idea is brought back from last week that a native speaker is the best teacher. The question is asked though, should we know the language of our students? The author suggests that a non native speaker may be a better teacher, since they share the experience of coming to a new country and learning the same things.

I think the authors entire point is very valid. We need to explore what resources we could use as ESL teachers and what makes a qualified teacher. We need to change with the times and let go of the old stand bys. This is a very good point and could potentially help many teachers learn from how they are teaching and explore new ways in the classroom.

Week 11

“From the Periphery to the Center: One Teacher’s Journey”

By George Braine

This chapter is very powerful in that it shares the author’s journey from the bottom of teaching to the top. It follows the author’s journey from working in Periphery countries to working in Center countries. He began his teaching in a third world country where he had no resources except for government provided textbooks. The children were very poor and had not eaten in most cases. He then received a job in Philadelphia where he was the victim of prejudice for being a non-native speaker. He talks about how ironic it is that people do not hire non-native speakers because of the multicultural background they can bring to the classroom. He discusses the publishing done by non-native speakers and how it is very hard for them to have their work published. However, there are journals starting in Asian countries to cater to the non-native teacher.

“Going Beyond the Native Speaker in Language Teaching”

By Vivian Cook

In this article Cook defines the native speaker. She cites Stern saying that native speakers have knowledge, grasp, ability, and range of skills, creativity, and other qualities that make them better English teachers. She says how this is a false assumption however. The use of the comparative fallacy is defined here. This is the relation of the L2 learner to the native speaker. This is a fallacy that is too surface oriented. She goes on to show how the L2 learner is constantly compared to a native speaker and this cannot be the way to judge the knowledge and abilities of L2 learners. We must look past the native speaker when we are talking about L2 learners and not compare them. We must look at what they have to offer and how they can use the language. She talks about how the minds of L2 users are different from L1 users, in that they process things differently. In other countries they are highly revered for their ability to show an interest in cultures and language. The idea of groups being compared to one another is also stressed. This should not be how we judge people; we should not compare them to another group because they are different people. They have their own norms and standards that are different from another group, which is why they are not the same. Cook goes on to talk about how L2 speakers can be made to feel ashamed because of their accent or culture. This in turn affects their identity. This is a big part of this process. The person identity can be changed through these judgments.

Week 10

"Revisiting the Colonial in the Postcolonial: Critical Praxis for Nonnative-English-Speaking Teachers in a TESOL Program"

Janina Brutt-Griffler and Keiko K. Samimy

This article begins by describing how colonial methods and pedagogy have spread to the postcolonial. The authors refer to Pennycook's definitions of the colonial period and how the "other" was defined then. This image is one that has moved through the evolution of TESOL into the postcolonial. Also, the controversy of native versus non-native is an idea that has not been determined and has also transcended into the postcolonial. The authors go on the talk about what a non-native speaker is compared to a native speaker. There is a great deal of difficulty defining a native speaker. There is no definite definition of this term and so far scholars cannot come to a conclusion of what it means. The belief by most, though, is that a native speaker is the best teacher; that no one can teach better than a native speaker because they know all. This was a belief put in place in the colonial period, and for most, it is still the belief today.

Here, though, the authors argue that this is not the case. There are many instances where a non-native speaker is just as qualified as a native speaker, and in some cases better qualified. In some cases it is believed that the White native speakers are the best, but this is not true by any means. The authors say that we need to construct a new identity for these teachers. They need to have a new title, we no longer should put teachers into the native and non-native categories. The authors reference an empowerment class in which the students wrote about their experiences as non-native teachers and how this influenced their teaching abilities. In this class they were able to overcome the obstacles they faced in their teaching careers. In some cases the teachers came to believe and understand that they were in a better position to teach than most native speakers. With a background in the culture in which they are teaching they are more ideal to teach the students than someone coming from another country.

I think it is very important for a teacher to form their own teaching identity. To do this we should not first put ourselves into the categories of native speaker and non-native speaker. We need to first look at our teaching abilities and where we are teaching. These are things that must drive us to become better teachers. In the article, the authors say that non-native speakers must be constantly reconstructing themselves and their identities. I think this is very important for all teachers. We must grow with our experiences, and we must find a way to move away from being judged as native and non-native speakers.

"Proud to be a Nonnative English Speaker"

Paul Kei Matsuda

In this article, Matsuda hits the nail on the head when he says the name NNEST is a group that is "defined by what it is not". Matsuda argues that the term non-native does not need to change in meaning, rather maybe native needs to change. Native should not be looked on as a positive thing and non-native should not be the negative. He said that he uses his non-native English speaker title as a part of his "professional identity". I think this article shows how the non-native title can be used in a good way. Rather than what the author calls the negative and positive.

Week 9

"A Sociolinguistically Based, Empirically Researched Pronunciation Syllabus for English as an International Language"
Jennifer Jenkins

In this article, Jenkins talks about how teachers, and learners, try to have the student achieve an accent identical to that of a native speaker. But in EIL she says, teaching and speaking is based on a global scale, so the learner will speak with their own accent, not the one assigned to them. There is a fear that the language, since it is so widely used by non-native speakers, may break up into dialects that are unintelligible to others. This issue is caused by the teaching of the phonics. Jenkins gives five examples of this miscommunications she has taken from her field study. She shows the different phonological sounds made by different L2 learners from many different countries. Jenkins states that when non native speakers talk they focus on what the other is saying and the sounds, not necessarily asking what they mean. The example is given of the two NNS using cards in an exercise. Even though they have been doing this exercise for weeks, there is still a breakdown in the R and L sounds. They are too focused on choosing the right words and trying to understand the other that they are still miscommunicating. In another study, there was evidence of consonant deletion. These examples show how the breakdown of the language can occur, and why there is a fear of English being spoken everywhere but not understood.
Jenkins then talks about the issue of having the same L1 learners in the classroom. This could result in a shared mispronunciation. This may not be a bad thing she notes, they will share a common accent, and the only other accent they will hear will be from their teacher. She explores the idea that the best teacher in this case would be a bilingual who shares the students first language. This way the teacher will know the accent of the learners and how to teach them properly.
I think the idea of having a non native speaker teach an English class with people from their own culture is a good idea. I think this would improve on their ability to learn, but at the same time, things they have learned that are not correct will be passed down to their students. When this happens it is hard for other teachers, a native English speaker for example, to fix this problem. The students may then believe, because they were taught by someone from their own culture, that the wrong way is correct. The fear of the accent changes is also an issue. If more people became fluent and have different accents this could pose a serious problem with the spread of English. If these people became teachers and taught with the accent, their students may try to copy it, and assume it was correct. There are many problems with this issue that could drastically hurt the English language, leaving it, possibly, unrecognizable.

Week 7

Japanese Culture Constructed by Discourses: Implications for Applied Linguistics Research and ELT

Ryuko Kubota

This article examines many ideas of how culture plays a role in learning and in the world. Kubota begins by giving examples of how culture is used in the classroom. Whether a student should bring their culture with them into the classroom and how this is treated by the teachers and schools. As a Japanese woman Kubota, is trying to just lay out the idea of culture, I do not think she is trying to take a side.
She talks about the idea that Japanese culture does not include self-expression in the classroom. This is later shown to be false in some ways. In elementary schools and preschools self-expression is used regularly. This is not the case in Japanese secondary schools, where memorization is key educational tool. while this is not the case, the students to have many activities after school that do us self-expression. Also, Kubota talks about the group goals of Japanese culture. That all their activities are group oriented and not for the individual, and that the West all activities are for the individual. This shows that Western culture is about self interest, we do things to better ourselves not the group.
Kubota states that the way we learn our first language is reflected in how we approach our second language learning. In this case the teacher should teach or at least try to teach for towards what the students expect in their culture. They should recognize how they behave and use this as a teaching tool. At the same time, she says that we must realize not all people are the same in their culture, even in the same cultures. So one Japanese person may have a different view of culture from another.
The idea of Othering comes into this article also. The example of women as others is also explored here. Western authority says that they are one thing and we are the other. The phrase Extending Knowledge is presented here as a Western idea that in the west we are constantly reconstructing our knowledge and coming up with new things in our culture. But in the East they have Conserving Knowledge where their knowledge of things are preserved and they do not use new ideas in their culture.
More ideas of Japanese culture are then described and the research of how self-expression is presented here. She shows how they are a free thinking culture and they do come up with new knowledge. Also, she describes how Westernization is taking Japanese identity but they are now forming new identities.
I think this article explored some ideas I had not thought of before. For instance how Westernization was taking their identity away. I knew that Westernization was, in my opinion, not a great thing, but I never thought about it in those terms. I think we need to teach towards cultures in our classrooms. I think we need to find a common ground between our students and ourselves and try to use that to become better teachers. The students will benefit greatly if they can bring parts of themselves and their cultures to the classroom. They will have a much better learning experience, in my opinion.

Week 6

Borrowing Others' Words: Text, Ownership, Memory, and Plagiarism
Alastair Pennycook

In this article Pennycook lays out the idea of plagiarism and how words are borrowed. This idea of an author is also placed here. In the first section he describes his own experience in China. He states that when he asked his students to write a paper about someone they knew well, someone wrote about Abraham Lincoln. This struck him as strange and he then found out that it was almost word for word from a text book. He had a hard time with this because some of this other students had memorized this as well. This made him wonder how important memory was and when does a non native speaker form their own ideas of the language, when do they become creative?
He goes on to talk about the Western idea of creativity and constructing an author. He tries to explain what qualifies and author and how can we use the authors words when we write. He says this is a Western idea of creativity and the previous words the author has written. He uses the examples of the presidents who have said famous lines, but these lines were actually taken from former people in history. He then talks about the word of God, and how this is relevant.
Pennycook goes on to talk about hunting the borrowed words. He says "Western literary practices centre around the notion of the individual creator and yet constantly echo the lines of others, academic work also stresses the individual, creative thinker, and writer and yet constantly emphasizes a fixed cannon of disciplinary knowledge"(213). So this is a problem that has to constantly be dealt with. There is no straight line of right and wrong here. Some people view it as strait out stealing and some as borrowing.
Pennycook then describes the changes in writing that are taking place to avoid the entire idea of plagiarism. He talks about taking away I in our work. Instead of stating our own opinions we now use a reference to something instead of ourselves. The idea of self-plagiarism is also produced.
The issue with East and West is then addressed by Pennycook. He says that he is not making it West against East or vice versa. He is simply telling us how it is different in his experiences in China and Hong Kong. The rules do not seem to be so black and white here. One student told him that she was not taught the rules of plagiarism in secondary school and this is why she did not know them. He concludes by saying that we must be more open minded as teachers and realize what our students have been taught and what their culture has taught them. Also, I think the rules of plagiarism must be shown to the student in specific terms.
The article was very informative overall. From the beginning I thought of the notion of non native speakers. I think that maybe we are quicker to judge them when they are writing and maybe look for plagiarism specifically. Pennycook makes it clear here that we must not do this, we must become familiar with their learning processes. If they memorize to learn, they may not understand the guidelines of plagiarism. We as teachers must make this clear to our students from day one of class. We must present our idea of what plagiarism is and steer the students away from this. Especially with zero tolerance being put in place at the university level.