Review of Research on EFL Teachers’ Knowledge, Beliefs and Classroom Practices

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 51-65
Author(s):  
Elena Coyle
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Classroom Practices ◽  
Environmental Support ◽  
Knowledge And Beliefs ◽  
Efl Teachers ◽  
English Speaking ◽  
Similarities And Differences ◽  
Native English Speaking ◽  
Native English Speaking Teachers

At the time of globalization, a need for teachers of English is growing. Teachers who teach English without environmental support are called teachers of English as a foreign language, or EFL teachers. EFL teachers are divided into native English-speaking teachers (NESTs) and non-native English-speaking teachers (NNESTs). To gain a greater understanding of NESTs’ of EFL and NNESTs’ of EFL work, I reviewed research on the teachers’ knowledge and beliefs and classroom practices and compared and contrasted those. Such comparing and contrasting showed that there are both similarities and differences between the teachers’ knowledge and beliefs and classroom practices.

scholarly journals Beliefs versus Declared Practices of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) Teachers Regarding Teaching Grammar

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 49
Author(s):  
Merav Badash ◽  
Efrat Harel ◽  
Rivi Carmel ◽  
Tina Waldman
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
Junior High School ◽  
Self Report ◽  
English As Foreign Language ◽  
Efl Teachers ◽  
English Speaking ◽  
Native English Speaking ◽  
Native English Speaking Teachers ◽  
Teaching Grammar

This study investigated English as Foreign Language (EFL) teachers' beliefs, perceptions and declared practices of teaching grammar within a communicative language teaching (CLT) framework. Participants included 221 EFL teachers, who were teaching during the years 2013-2018 in different grades and schools throughout Israel. Participants were graduates of teacher training programs in colleges and universities and included Non-Native English Speaking Teachers (NNEST) and Native English Speaking Teachers (NEST).An on-line, self-report survey designed specifically for this study contained three closed questions and two open-ended questions. One-way ANOVA statistics, and mean scores of all the responses were performed on the quantitative data.  Qualitative data were grouped, analyzed, and coded.Results show a discrepancy between EFL teachers' perceptions and declared practices of teaching grammar in classrooms. Results further reveal significant differences between NEST and NNEST teachers, as well as differences between teachers who teach in different grades (elementary school, junior high school and high school). Moreover, 'vocabulary' and 'speaking' were ranked of highest importance (58% and 55%, respectively), whereas 'writing' and 'grammar' were considered least important (24%). These findings have valuable implications for teachers and teacher education regarding teaching grammar in context and using contextualized activities.

scholarly journals NATIVESPEAKERISM AND WORLD ENGLISHES: TEACHERS PERCEPTION TOWARDS NON-NATIVE ENGLISH VARIETIES

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ronald Maraden Silalahi
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
World Englishes ◽  
English Speakers ◽  
Group Discussions ◽  
Teachers Perceptions ◽  
Contextual Understanding ◽  
The World ◽  
English Speaking ◽  
Native English Speaking ◽  
Native English Speaking Teachers

<p>In the last decade, the development of information technology confirms English as a Lingua Franca used by native English speakers and nonnative English speakers. English in a global context has triggered the emergence of new English variants, resulting from the assimilation of English into a local language known as World Englishes. On the other hand, Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEAFL) in Indonesia is still oriented towards the ideology of nativespeakerism which believes that TEAFL should be done by Native English-Speaking Teachers (NEST) because they are believed to have better linguistic competence and contextual understanding than Nonnative English-Speaking Teachers (NNEST). This article is directed to determine the perceptions of English teachers in Indonesia regarding the world Englishes phenomenon. This research is qualitative research with 20 informants consisting of 10 Nonnative English-Speaking Teachers and 10 Native English-Speaking Teachers. Four Focus Group Discussions (FGDs), each consisting of 5 informants, will be conducted to gather as much information as possible related to teachers’ perceptions. This research is expected to provide an overview of foreign language teaching in Indonesia. The results showed that nativespeakerism has a strong correlation with the world Englishes phenomenon. In the Indonesian context, this is shaped by the stigma that forms in society. This research is expected to enrich teaching studies, specifically in teaching foreign languages.</p>

The Professional Identity of EFL Teachers: The Complexity of Nativeness

2020 ◽  
Vol 35 (2) ◽  
pp. 5-24
Author(s):  
Adina Mannes ◽  
Yaacov J Katz
Keyword(s):  
Professional Identity ◽  
Native English Speakers ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
English Speakers ◽  
Efl Teachers ◽  
Study Support ◽  
English Speaking ◽  
Native English Speaking ◽  
Native English Speaking Teachers ◽  
Linguistic Backgrounds

The current study quantitatively examines the professional identity of 150 EFL teachers in the Israeli educational system. Findings indicate that native English-speaking teachers (“NESTs”) rate themselves higher than non-native English-speaking teachers. Still, fewer differences between the groups were found than predicted. While the results of this study support the idea of considering native English proficiency to be advantageous, the global situation of English use suggests that a different direction should be adopted. Taking advantage of the strengths of each group by embracing cooperation between teachers from different linguistic backgrounds could contribute to a stronger professional identity for language teachers, thus reducing the dichotomy between native English speakers and those who do not speak English natively.

scholarly journals Native vs. non-native EFL teachers: Who are better?

2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 137-147
Author(s):  
Kurniawati Kurniawati ◽  
Dini Rizki
Keyword(s):  
Language Proficiency ◽  
English Language ◽  
Native Speaker ◽  
First Language ◽  
Quality Teachers ◽  
Self Confidence ◽  
Efl Teachers ◽  
English Speaking ◽  
Native English Speaking ◽  
Native English Speaking Teachers

This paper discusses possible advantages of having Non-Native English-Speaking Teachers (NNESTs) to teach English as a Foreign-Language (EFL) especially in Asian countries when they are often regarded as inferior to their Native English-Speaking Teachers (NESTs) counterparts. A native speaker fallacy has emphasized that NESTs are better teachers of EFL and have put NNESTs at a disadvantage. Actually, NNESTs possess advantages that can make them better teachers for teaching English in an EFL/ESL setting connected with their own EFL learning experiences and with sharing the same first language and cultural background with their students. While considered to have lower English language proficiency and lower self-confidence compared to NESTs, NNESTs who have made the effort to become quality teachers can position themselves as ideal English teachers in their own environment.

scholarly journals EFL Students’ and Teachers’ Attitudes toward Foreign Language Speaking Anxiety: A Look at NESTs and Non-NESTs

2016 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 1 ◽  
Author(s):  
Turgay HAN ◽  
Ahmet Serkan Tanriöver ◽  
Özgür Sahan
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Student Attitudes ◽  
English Language ◽  
Speaking Anxiety ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Efl Students ◽  
English Speaking ◽  
Native English Speaking ◽  
Native English Speaking Teachers ◽  
The Impact

<p class="apa">Native English Speaking Teachers (NESTs) have been employed in various English language teaching (ELT) positions and departments at private and state universities in Turkey, particularly over the last three decades. However, undergraduate EFL students’ attitudes toward NESTs and Non-Native English Speaking Teachers (Non-NESTs) remain seriously under-investigated. The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of communication classes given by NESTs and Non-NESTs on students’ foreign language speaking anxiety (FLSA). Forty-eight undergraduate EFL students attending communication classes taught by (American) NESTs and (Turkish) Non-NESTs were given a questionnaire to examine their attitudes toward foreign language speaking anxiety (FLSA). Further, a sub-sample of students was interviewed to investigate their feelings, beliefs and opinions about the relationship between the FLSA they experienced and their communication classes given by NESTs and Non-NESTs. Similarly, the teachers were interviewed to examine their feelings about the FLSA their students experience in their communication classes. Quantitatively, the results showed no significant difference in attitude toward FLSA between the students who attended classes taught by NESTs and Non-NESTs, although a significant difference was observed between the two classes taught by Non-NESTs. Further, female and male students did not differ significantly in terms of attitudes toward FLSA in NESTs’ and Non-NESTs’ classes. The qualitative findings revealed that both teachers and students had positive attitudes toward mistakes made during the oral production of the foreign language (FL). Finally, the correction strategies employed by the teachers in the classroom are believed to have an impact on student attitudes toward FLSA.</p>

scholarly journals Differences Between Native English-Speaking Teachers and Their Non-Native Counterparts When Evaluating Pronunciation

2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 29-41
Author(s):  
Mauricio Arcaya
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
English Teachers ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
English Speaking ◽  
Native English Speaking ◽  
Native English Speaking Teachers ◽  
The Way ◽  
Learning English

This article is a small-scale qualitative study whose objective was to identify differences between the way in which native English teachers and their non-native Chilean counterparts assess pronunciation. To achieve this, teachers from both groups were asked to assess the same material produced by two students of English pedagogy in a Chilean university. The results show that native English teachers rate students higher than their non-native colleagues. This is apparently due not only to differences in training but also the differences in the processes of acquisition. The outcome of this research concerns anyone interested in teaching and learning English as a second/foreign language.

scholarly journals Constructing Professional Identities: Native English-Speaking Teachers in South Korea

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Natalie-Jane Howard
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
South Korea ◽  
Professional Identity ◽  
Thematic Analysis ◽  
Native Speaker ◽  
Professional Identities ◽  
Identity Constructions ◽  
Efl Teachers ◽  
English Speaking ◽  
Native English Speaking Teachers

Responding to globalisation, a ubiquitous obsession with English has pervaded South Korea and led to the employment of tens of thousands of expatriate English teachers. However, native-speaking English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers may be subject to marginalisation and acculturation difficulties as they navigate overseas employment contexts. Moreover, scholars question the legitimacy of their careers and challenge the bias for their native-speaker expertise. Against this contentious backdrop, this study explores how the experiences and beliefs of native-speaking EFL teachers both promote and hinder their professional identity constructions. Adopting a qualitative, interpretivist approach, interviews are mobilised to document the participants’ lived realities. Resultant to a thematic analysis, an original typology of five conceptualisations of professional identity is presented, contributing to contemporary identity discourse by revealing that expatriate teachers find their sojourns characterised by much ambivalence, and whilst limited positive professional identity is attainable, there are salient barriers to its development.

scholarly journals Teacher Written Feedback on English as a Foreign Language Learners’ Writing: Examining Native and Nonnative English-Speaking Teachers’ Practices in Feedback Provision

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaolong Cheng ◽  
Lawrence Jun Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
L2 Writing ◽  
Pedagogical Practices ◽  
Written Feedback ◽  
Global Issues ◽  
Efl Teachers ◽  
Feedback Strategies ◽  
Efl Students ◽  
English Speaking ◽  
Native English Speaking

While previous studies have examined front-line teachers’ written feedback practices in second language (L2) writing classrooms, such studies tend to not take teachers’ language and sociocultural backgrounds into consideration, which may mediate their performance in written feedback provision. Therefore, much remains to be known about how L2 writing teachers with different first languages (L1) enact written feedback. To fill this gap, we designed an exploratory study to examine native English-speaking (NES) and non-native English-speaking (NNES) (i.e., Chinese L1) teachers’ written feedback practices in the Chinese tertiary context. Our study collected 80 English as a foreign language (EFL) students’ writing samples with teacher written feedback and analyzed them from three aspects: Feedback scope, feedback focus, and feedback strategy. The findings of our study revealed that the two groups of teachers shared similar practices regarding feedback scope and feedback strategies. Both NES and NNES EFL teachers used a comprehensive approach to feedback provision, although NNES teachers provided significantly more feedback points than their NES peers and they delivered their feedback directly and indirectly. However, their practices differed greatly with regard to feedback focus. Specifically, when responding to EFL students’ writing, NES teachers showed more concern with global issues (i.e., content and organization), whereas NNES teachers paid more attention to linguistic errors. With a surge in the recruitment of expatriate NES and local NNES English teachers in China and other EFL countries, our study is expected to make a contribution to a better understanding of the two groups of EFL teachers’ pedagogical practices in written feedback provision and generate important implications for their feedback provision.

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