Criticality, Teacher Identity, and (In)equity in English Language Teaching by Bedrettin Yazan & Nathanael Rudolph

Author:Bedrettin Yazan & Nathanael Rudolph
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Springer International Publishing, Cham

2.

dream (.) in english to me (0.7) to me i feel like i’m a native speaker

3.

T5:

yeah

4.

T6:

basically and [i think you feel the same T5

5.

I:

      [you are

6.

T5:

      [yeah i think so (1.0) yeah i do

7.

I:

well you’re all native speakers [aren’t you

8.

T6:

             [yes (0.7) yes     (05.12.12)

When attempting to define a native speaker, the participants suggest that one aspect to define one is the language that they dream in. This leads T6 in l.2 to assert that she ‘feels like a native speaker,’ rather than saying she is a native speaker. Also, T5 in l.6, states she thinks she is, before affirming that she is native speaker. Both of these participants were born in the UK, but nevertheless there appears to be some ambiguity about being NES. For T6 and T5 this is perhaps related to others positioning them as a NNES because of their ethnicity, and perhaps highlights ‘tension’ between iconization and fractal recursivity among some participants. They are aware of not being idealised representations of a NES because of their ethnicity, but they also have self-belief in their own knowledge and ability in the English language. It requires me, as the moderator, to position both of them as NES for them to firmly acknowledge that they are. My positioning of the participants as NES stems partly from my own beliefs about native speakerism, and also as a discourse strategy in the interviews and focus groups to challenge the participants’ beliefs and encourage them to elaborate on their beliefs.

The teachers’ views of NES are consistent in how they define one and how they associate NES with British English, accent and RP. In doing so, many of the participants disassociate themselves from a NES status, and instead position themselves as NNES. In many respects the participants are asserting an ideology that semantically links NES with countries in Kachru’s (1986) inner circle, even though those not born in the UK are clearly inner circle speakers as well, having “functional nativeness” (Kachru 2004). Although Kachru did not explicitly make a connection between inner circle speakers and NES in his original conception of the concentric circles, there is an implied link. Kachru’s (2004) more recent interpretation suggests that it possible to be an inner circle speaker but not be a NES.

In the attitudes and beliefs about NES and NNES the teachers enact language ideologies related to native speakerism. They identify specific NES from certain countries and certain social groups within those countries as being iconic representations on NES. They also enact erasure by positioning themselves as NNES, and outside of the ‘NES community.’ And finally, they enact fractal recursivity by equating the NES with British English and asserting that this is ‘good’ English, and also that they are ‘better’ or ‘closer’ to a representation of NES than students.

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