The Perceptions of Instructors and Students on Native Speakerism in Terms of English Language Teaching, English Variations, and Culture

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.24853/elif.6.2.113-128

Keywords:

Native Speaker, Language Variations, English Language Teaching, Culture

Abstract

This study aimed to explore the views of both preparatory school instructors and students concerning native speakerism within the context of English Language Teaching (ELT), English language variations, and culture. The research involved 171 preparatory students and 70 instructors affiliated with a non-profit university in Istanbul, Turkey. Employing a mixed methods approach, this study sought to comprehend the perspectives of these participants. Quantitative data were gathered through surveys adapted from Liu (2018), while qualitative insights were obtained via semi-structured interviews with instructors. The collected data underwent analysis using SPSS and content analysis techniques. The analysis of student perceptions, categorized by gender and proficiency levels, revealed no significant disparities in their views on ELT and culture. Nonetheless, differences surfaced among A1 and A2 level students concerning English variations. In contrast, instructors' perceptions, factoring in their years of experience and academic qualifications, exhibited no variations in relation to ELT, English variations, and culture. Qualitative findings indicated that instructors had positive attitudes toward teaching diverse cultures and English language varieties. Moreover, instructors expressed the belief that discrimination between native and non-native instructors should cease.

Author Biographies

Seçil Cengiz, Kadir Has University

Seçil Cengiz is a PhD candidate at the English Language Teaching Department (ELT), Bahçeşehir University, Istanbul, Turkey. She is a lecturer at Kadir Has University School of Foreign Languages, Istanbul, Turkey. Her Professional interests are teaching foreign languages, sociocultural theory, English as Lingua Franca and teacher identity

Enisa Mede, Bahçeşehir University

Enisa Mede (Ph.D. in Foreign Language Education) is an Associate Professor and the Head of the English Language Teaching (ELT) Department of Bahçeşehir University (BAU), Istanbul. She has authored numerous articles in indexed journals and published many chapters in national and international books. Her research interests lie in the areas of program design and evaluation, bilingual education, teacher education, and language development in young learners. 

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Published

2024-02-22

Issue

Vol. 6 No. 2 (2024): English Language in Focus (ELIF)

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Articles

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