How important are native speakers of English?

Rachel Davies, Sydney, Australia

There is considerable evidence now that learning English is a significant business in Indonesia. Across Jakarta numerous language schools offer their services and their number only seems to increase with time.

In Indonesian primary and high schools too the extent of English learning and use is increasingly being seen (rightly or wrongly) as a determinant of quality and educational progressiveness. It is easy to surmise, then, that learning English is important and this is appropriate, as the learning of the current international language is logically important.

But closer inspection of these numerous schools offering English will reveal another typical feature which is often used to attract potential students and thus market the school. This is the often-heralded promotion of the provision of native speakers of the language. And it does seem that this is an attraction for many.

Again, there is some logic to this conclusion -- it is, after all, reasonable to suppose that learning from people whose first language is the language you are aiming for will help. However, where schools do offer native speakers it is worth exercising some caution to determine quite what the student will be getting from such an offer.

It is not sufficient to assume that a native speaker is necessarily going to be a good or helpful instructor or be able to help the learner learn and overcome their mistakes.

One director of studies at a language school spoke recently about his aim to have all of his teachers be native speakers because, as he put it, "they are the best examples for the students, so they can learn right." But this statement is questionable on at least two levels.

First, an all native speaker teaching staff may not be able to accommodate beginners very well and secondly, it is possible to observe that native speakers may in fact not always be the best of examples and may even, indeed, be amongst the worst examples of the language.

It has to be realized that some students will come to study with little or no prior knowledge of the language. In these instances it is reasonable and far less time consuming to have the teacher help them by using the first language (i.e. Bahasa Indonesian) to begin their appreciation and knowledge of the second language.

Even if some native speakers of English do possess some knowledge of Bahasa Indonesian they will not have the same learning experiences and exposure as the students. In these kinds of instances a local teacher of English is quite likely to prove more successful and efficient. Therefore it could be concluded that in these circumstances a local teacher would be better than a native speaker.

This, regrettably, could also be the case when we consider the teacher as an example or model for the students. One of the primary reasons for favoring native speakers over local teachers would be that they give a real example of how the language is used. In particular they provide a listening and speaking example that permits the students to gain exposure to how the language is pronounced, in reality as it were. It is an observable and sad fact, though, that sometimes native speakers do not provide the best of examples for pronunciation purposes.

Take this example of a person working in a language school in Jakarta. Born and raised in London, this person would be described as a native speaker and therefore be expected to provide a good model of the language. However, a problem exists because this person speaks English of a very distinct dialect.

A dialect from London which, with London being the capital of England and that being the birthplace of English, one might assume to be appropriate. But the problem arises because this dialect is unfamiliar. It is a local dialect that has its own grammar, pronunciation and even own vocabulary that can make it difficult for people to understand, if not unintelligible.

Any example or model that does not provide reasonably understandable input has to be considered as bad, even though it may be current and real usage where the speaker comes from. This is not to say that this speaker's dialect is unworthy or wrong, but where learners are concerned clarity and accuracy are important aspects of the language that should be being attained through exposure to a native speaker.

The native speaker should be extending and improving the students not, potentially, perplexing and confusing them. Just as students of English recognize the need for grammar to guide language usage, they should also recognize that there may be certain rules or ways to follow in pronunciation that are important.

A failure to appreciate pronunciation could have serious consequences, as pronunciation can have a very distinct influence over the message conveyed. Bad pronunciation can render communications ineffective.

Native speakers can have a vital role in providing a model of the language for students but dialects should be avoided as they may confuse and will not conform to any accepted norm of international English. Where dialects are used colloquialisms and idiomatic expressions can cloud meaning and even accents can prove challenging.

One student of English signed up to study with one Jakarta- based franchise school on the promise of native speakers. He found that an Australian teacher met his hopes and expectations but also found that his study time included an Indian teacher. This presented a problem because even though the Indian possessed a full knowledge of the language, his accent obstructed and made learning more difficult.

Though there may be some justification for exposure to a variety of accents and even dialects, it has to be remembered that certain standards should really be targeted for learners. This means that native speakers should, for the most part, conform to a standard and intelligible model of the language. If this kind of criteria is not met then the value of native speakers could be drawn into doubt and it could even be proposed that local teachers would be more efficient and so better.

The writer (rachdavies@hotmail.com) is Education Consultant.