Foreign-Language Teachers Shouldn't Have to be Native Speakers | Gina Elia | TEDxYouth@NBPS

"Native speaker" or "native-level speaker" should not be a qualification for becoming a teacher of a foreign language, since that designation tells very little about an individual's ability to teach the language. NBPS faculty Dr. Gina Elia discusses that beyond a certain high-intermediate level, and depending on the context of the school, foreign language teachers should be hired first and foremost on the basis of their teaching ability and experience, not on their nationality or extent to which they demonstrate "native-level" language ability. Gina Elia is a high school Mandarin and English as a Second Language teacher at North Broward Preparatory School in Coconut Creek, Florida. She is also a freelance writer and translator, and her work has appeared in CommonWealth Magazine, SupChina, and Watching America. She enjoys translating and writing articles that revolve around the humanities, culture, education, China, East Asia, the U.S., and religion, in no particular order. Her current project is a book-length manuscript on how the category of "native speaker" reinforces inequitable relationships worldwide. She was born and raised south of Boston, graduating from Cornell University summa cum laude in 2012 with a Bachelor's Degree in Comparative Literature and the University of Pennsylvania in 2018 with a PhD in Chinese literature. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at www.ted.com/tedx

[@kueian3134]

She's right, a good teacher is by the teaching ability they have, not by their nativity.

[@Regnaild]

wow I have never been so eariler

[@EnglishTeacherRyan]

I'm an English teacher, but I'm also a language learner, and most of the tutor who I choose to learn from are "non-native speakers". From me, language learning experience (not PROFICIENCY, but experience) is a key competency as a language teacher. One pros that non-native speakers have right off the bat is their experience with language learning. Most of them tend to be better teacher than native speakers.

[@smileyd1168]

Kept repeating the same thing, I didn’t learn anything useful past the first minute

[@ktdoty9921]

I agree but don't agree. There are mistakes that we will pretty much always have when we speak a second language,and if a teacher speaks a language very well but isn't a native they can most likely teach beginner to immediate level students in that language rather easily. However, C2 and C1 level students would probably benefit quite as much from a not native level teacher.

[@ginaelia4168]

Just wanted to say that I totally agree, KT! I believe that the required language proficiency a world language teacher should have is definitely context-dependent, based on a number of factors including the level of their students. As a C1/C2-level Mandarin Chinese speaker myself, I would not seek out anyone but a native speaker to tutor/teach me in that language at this point. So yes, definitely depends on level of students.

[@Sol-Amar]

​@@ginaelia4168Hi Ms. Gina Elia. Do you have any other presentations, articles, or a website in which you discuss language learning or your experience as a teacher in this field?

[@jenzie7627]

THIS!

[@ExpatRiot79]

just more woke-ism. Anyone who teaches EFL knows you work hand-in-hand with your NNET. Why do these people keep beating a dead horse?