Journal entry #9

Journal Entry 9: How Are Nonnative-English-Speaking Teachers Perceived by Young Learners? How Are Nonnative-English-Speaking Teachers Perceived by Young Learners?
The article written by Butler (2007) entitled “ How Are Nonnative-English-Speaking Teachers Perceived by Young Learners?” and published in the TESOL Quarterly presented a closer examination of the role of accents in the general listening comprehension of Korean students; as well as the students’ attitudes towards teachers with “ American-accented English (a native speaker model) and Korean-accented English (a nonnative speaker model)” ( p. 731). The author initially differentiated between native and nonnative English speakers (NNES) with the context of teaching English as a second language. It was disclosed that the paramount model for language acquisition would be epitomized from native English speakers (NES). There were apparent manifested differences in behavior from NES and NNES, categorized into four major divisions, to wit: individual use of English; general attitudes toward teaching; attitudes toward teaching the language; and attitudes toward teaching culture (Butler, 2007, p. 736). The study was thereby conducted utilizing 312 Korean students from Grade 6, who were enrolled in two public schools. Through a comprehension test and completion of attitudinal and background questionnaires, the findings revealed that Korean students expressed preferences for teachers who manifest the following qualities, regardless of accents: pronunciation, confidence, empathy, and ability to explain the differences between English and Korean (Butler, 2007, p. 749).
One strongly believes that the information and results revealed from the article are highly beneficial for teachers within the ESL learning environment. Inasmuch as accent was the main focus for the study and the students’ attitudes towards NNES and NES, the findings the give credence to the teachers’ qualities provided crucial details on the important role of teaching style and the ability to discern the needs of the students, as a whole, particularly in identifying the role of accents in the general listening comprehension of students with diverse cultural orientations.
Reference
Butler, Y. (2007). How Are Nonnative-English-Speaking Teachers Perceived by Young Learners? TESOL Quarterly, Vol. 41, No. 4, 731-755.