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.