The Myth of the Native Speaker as a Model of English Proficiency

Main Article Content

Richard Watson Todd

Abstract

Although academics generally take a neutral position on the pros and cons of native speaker (NS) and non-native speaker (NNS) teachers of English, the general public perceives NS teachers as preferable because they provide a 'better' model of English. Even ignoring the arguments favouring NNS models in English as an International Language, many NS teachers do not provide a truly proficient model of English. Based on an analysis of a corpus of informal NS teacher writing, their English proficiency is dubious. The findings cast doubt on the usefulness of recent proposals to employ more NS teachers in Thai schools.

Article Details

How to Cite
Watson Todd, R. (2006). The Myth of the Native Speaker as a Model of English Proficiency. REFLections, 8, 1–7. https://doi.org/10.61508/refl.v8i0.114302
Section
Research articles