Page 28 - ELG2301 Jan Issue 483

FEATURE .

Native

speakerism:

hiding behind

privilege

It’s time discrimination was shown the door,

says English teacher Meri Maroutian

he Italian Ministry of Education official website. What is clear from all these
claims that English as a mother examples is that nationality plays a huge part
tongue can only be claimed by a in qualifying and that ultimately a passport is
Tperson who has completed secondary deemed far more valuable than education in
education in an English-speaking country, and these ‘teacher’ programmes. have achieved a degree in English literature,
this is a requirement that many public and To give yet another blatant example, the language or linguistics. The result is that under
private schools adopt when hiring an English British Council itself has an English Assistants skills and qualifications on a job application,
teacher to join their institution. programme, all set up and ready, where all you we often find the term ‘native speaker’. If
This goes against EU laws, specifically would need to do is self-assess your English you don’t take my word for it, you can browse
Article 21 of its Charter of Fundamental productive and receptive skills to a C2 on the through some public CVs on LinkedIn. The
Rights, which states that, “Any discrimination CEFR. The ad for this programme is clearly one positive thing about the British Council
based on any ground such as sex, race, colour, directed towards 18-year-old undergraduates Language Assistants scheme is that it does not
ethnic or social origin, genetic features, with UK passports who are willing to travel discriminate on grounds of ethnicity.
language, religion or belief, political or any overseas to gain life experience and discover their Because not all native speakers are equal –
other opinion, membership of a national career paths. The only other criteria remotely in East Asia, job adverts for language teachers
minority, property, birth, disability, age or related to an actual teaching programme would often state ‘Caucasians only’, directing our
sexual orientation shall be prohibited.” be to “hold the minimum academic standard of attention to how race is perceived in ELT.
There is no other occupation that sees a UK A-level or equivalent”. Language schools consider white teachers
Ministry of Education favour the location ‘more native’ than, say, a black candidate
of a course of studies, such as a high-school Under skills and from the US, and this is the same reason why
diploma from the UK or the US, rather than teacher candidates are often asked impertinent
a completed course of studies, ie, a BA or qualifications on a job questions such as, “Where are you really
an MA, or experience as a teacher who has application, we often find from?”, or “Where are you originally from?”,
perfected and honed their skill with costly, as though we were still looking at nationalities
structured and externally assessed Cambridge the term native speaker through the lens of colour. The topic of racial
exams, such as a DELTA. discrimination, alongside other forms of
The issue of native speakerism perpetuated Basically this is a paid holiday which is discrimination within the ELT industry, is a
by governments is often swept under the promoted with a rather worrying nod to an broad one and one which I will not and cannot
rug and not just in Italy. The South Korean unrelated field. For instance, this paraphrased attempt to cover in this space in its entirety.
Language Assistant scheme acknowledges statement is a good example: “You can use your There’s a lot to reflect on when addressing
native speakers only; while in Spain, holders time abroad to start a small business and even native speakerism. It is still unclear why the
of a Spanish passport are not eligible. As make an appearance on TV”. What is even field of education is still lagging in terms of,
stated on the British Council website, “UK more mind boggling is the idea that becoming well, educating. Is there a catch?
undergraduates required to take a year a TV star is just as easy as becoming a language Do private language schools and
abroad as part of their studies are prioritised assistant. What this explicitly says is that international schools really benefit from
for posts”. native speakers can get teaching jobs without a looking for native speakers who are so small
Similar examples such as these are the Japan teaching qualification or even a degree. a minority that they cannot satisfy the high
Exchange and Teaching Programme (JET), This programme has been running for demand for English teachers?
which explicitly states that having language over a century and is the epitome of the Is the ELT industry still benefitting from the
teaching experience and qualifications are not privileged status that some, definitely not all, courses and certificates it provides the non-
part of the eligibility criteria, and the majority native speakers still hide behind when they native counterpart, with the illusion that they
of participants are assistant language teachers advertise themselves as skilled professionals will be given extra credit for working so hard?
from the US, the UK, Australia, New Zealand of the language they have been speaking since The situation as of now is that we witness
and Canada, as can be seen by the statistics childhood and therefore consider themselves unequal salaries among colleagues in Southeast
that have been generously made public on the better at than anyone, including those who Asia with those who have Anglo-Saxon
28 January 2023