As one of the most spoken languages in the world, English is the most sought-after second language with over 600 million non-native speakers worldwide. When looking for an English tutor or teacher, people often naturally gravitate towards native speakers. This is also true institutionally as programs like the JET (Japan Exchange and Teaching Programme) demonstrates. But are such perceptions founded upon facts? Are native speakers better teachers than non-native speakers of English?

 

Let's take a look.

Contrary to popular belief, the American or British accent does not automatically amount to "good English." With over 50 countries that use English as either its official or primary language, there is no one correct pronunciation when it comes to the English language. However, because American English dominates popular film and television, it may be true that more people find it easier to understand the American pronunciation compared to other pronunciations and dialects. And since the purpose of a language is communication, you may want an English teacher that speaks English using a common pronunciation.

 

 

With that said, keep in mind that there are many other ways to supplement practicing English pronunciation. With videos and recordings as well as Skype teachers so easily accessible via the internet, students should find exposure to a variety of voices and pronunciations whether they have a native English teacher or not.

Non-native English speakers may be better at explaining complex ideas and structures to students than native speakers who have never had to dissect their own language. Many native speakers have only spent time learning grammar in their school years and have not had to think about it since. For native speakers of a language, they often don't think about the language in terms of the rules that make up correct grammar but instead, in terms of what "sounds right" which means they can't always explain the rules. Of course, native speaker or not, a good English teacher should be able to explain the language in a way that caters to their students.

 

 

In terms of communication, you might also want to consider a teacher that speaks your native language. While the goal for any English teacher should be to speak as much English in the classroom as possible, it can be helpful to the students in trying to grasp complex structures of the language when they can ask questions and draw parallels in their native language.

Language proficiency is NOT synonymous with being a good teacher. Non-native English teachers tend to have more experience actually teaching than native English speakers abroad. Now it is no secret that it is relatively easier for native English speakers to get English teaching jobs in Asia even if they've had zero experience teaching. However, just because you can speak a language, it doesn't mean you can teach it. When looking for any teacher, experience is a good indicator for determining quality.

 

Non-native English speakers understand what it's like to learn English as a second language because they went through it too. As such, non-native speakers may be able to better empathize and know how to teach difficult parts of the English language in a way that native speakers can't.

 

 

 

Native or non-native, the most important quality of a teacher is their ability to teach. Focusing on whether the teacher is a native or non-native English speaker can take the emphasis away from all the crucial factors like experience, qualifications and personality.

 

At CareFinder, we have both native and non-native English speaking babysitters with many skills, talents and experiences including teaching. You can interview and schedule a trial lesson with a tutor or a teacher to find what is best for your kids. CareFinder is committed to meeting all of your childcare needs whether you are looking for just an evening babysitter, an international babysitter, a hotel babysitter, a weekend babysitter, an overnight babysitter, a great au pair or a language teacher.