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NEWS

When two teachers are better than one

By Gillian Ragsdale the other two classes, one was led
by an NNEST teacher, the other WIKIMEDIA
The Native speaker debate drones by a NEST, with the second
on. Some argue for Native English teacher acting as a teaching
Speaker Teachers, known as assistant in each case.
NESTs, others are in favour of After 32 weeks, the two co-
Non-Native English Speaker taught classes improved significantly.
Teachers, dubbed NNESTs. But The other two classes barely made
one study in China has found that any progress, and there was no
students made most progress when significant difference in outcomes
the two types of teachers between the class led by the NNEST Chinese research shows that co-teaching with a NEST and an
collaborate to co-teach a class. and the one led by the NEST. NNEST improves outcomes
This research compared classes Within the design of this study,
led by either an NNEST or NEST the authors addressed two of the class) and station teaching (where address and compare both English
working with a teaching assistant, major obstacles to co-teaching: teachers lead different tasks in and Chinese cultural issues. They
with classes co-taught equally by both teachers received training in different locations). The two co- also appreciated the complementary
the two teachers. They wanted to co-teaching methods, and they teaching classes were merged – so teaching styles: NESTs were more
investigate whether one kind of were given two hours per week to that teaching hours for each focussed on communication and
teacher would have a greater plan their co-taught lessons teacher were not increased. fluency while NNEST’s tended to
impact than the other – and together. This is probably why the Planning time addressed another be sticklers for detail and accuracy.
whether the co-teaching results of this small study are so major obstacle to team-teaching:
combination would be better or positive, compared to the mixed their roles were clearly defined. REFERENCE
worse than a single teacher. results of previous studies; training Like many of us, I have been in n Rao, Z. and Yu, H. (2019)
The researchers recruited four, and preparation time are luxuries ‘teams’ with co-teachers I never ‘Enhancing students’ English
first-year Chinese university many teachers can only dream of. met and have been unsure who proficiency by co-teaching between
English classes of 30 students, with Co-teaching is not a trivial skill, was supposed to be doing what. native and non-native teachers in
no significant differences in their and there are several methods to Student interviews showed very an EFL context’, Language
language proficiency scores. consider. In this study, the teachers positive feedback on the co- Teaching Research.
Two of the classes were then practised team teaching (where teaching experience. Students https://doi.org/10.1177/136216881
allocated to co-teaching. As for they take turns presenting to the reported that teachers were able to 9873937

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