Know- It- All (haha)

You can blab all you want. Why do you have to hate non- native teachers soooooooo much? I really don't know what gets your goat? Is it because you think you are an excellent EFL teacher? Let me give you a reality check... Your students think you are a good teacher because your a white-y... Thats justs o pathetic. There are only two white teachers I respect and I am very very certain you are not even as half as nice and as EDUCATED as them.

After all, what makes a good English teacher? From my own experience and observation and from students' feedback, I gather that students' perceptions of a good English teacher are often affected by two factors: (a) the quality of help students get from the teacher and (b) their relationship with the teacher.

These factors boil down to (a) the teacher's expertise, which includes knowledge and training as well as teaching techniques, and (b) the teacher's personality, which directly influences the teacher-student relationship.

Given these two factors, why should a NNS teacher be in a less advantageous position than a NS teacher is? Do NS teachers necessarily possess better expertise than NNS teachers do? Or do NS teachers have more pleasant personalities or personalities that are more suited to teaching? For instance, a mythical belief holds that NSs are by nature more humorous and therefore are better able to establish good relationships with students.

In the process of reflecting, I could not convince myself that I was necessarily less eligible to teach ESL than my NS counterparts were. On the other hand, my Iranian student's sentence started me thinking about what advantages NNS teachers possess over NS teachers as far as teaching ESL is concerned. Because NNS teachers themselves have learned English as a second language (L2) or foreign language, they understand the needs and experience of ESL students better. As L2 or foreign language learners themselves, they have probably spent a great deal of time and effort trying to master the language. How they learned grammar, how they attempted to expand their vocabulary, and how they overcame the problems they faced during learning are all precious experiences that they can share with students. Their determination to succeed, and the fact that they did succeed, provide an excellent example for ESL students. In fact, NNS teachers themselves are good role models for ESL students. The presence of NNS teachers brings home the message that mastering English as an L2 is an achievable goal. More important, their presence can help dismantle the false dichotomy between NSs and NNSs. Once an ESL student asked me, "How can I write like a NS? After all, what is NS competence?" It is a fuzzy and unreal concept. Unfortunately, an ESL field dominated by NS teachers will only perpetuate the false ideal of NS competence that is so deeply rooted in ESL students.

As a NNS teacher, however, I do not mean to elevate NNS teachers and denigrate my NS colleagues. I firmly believe that what makes us good English teachers has nothing to do with our nationality or our accent. Rather, it is the drive, the motivation, and the zeal within us to help our students and make a difference in our teaching that make us bette

After all, what makes a good English teacher? From my own experience and observation and from students' feedback, I gather that students' perceptions of a good English teacher are often affected by two factors: (a) the quality of help students get from the teacher and (b) their relationship with the teacher.

These factors boil down to (a) the teacher's expertise, which includes knowledge and training as well as teaching techniques, and (b) the teacher's personality, which directly influences the teacher-student relationship.

Given these two factors, why should a NNS teacher be in a less advantageous position than a NS teacher is? Do NS teachers necessarily possess better expertise than NNS teachers do? Or do NS teachers have more pleasant personalities or personalities that are more suited to teaching? For instance, a mythical belief holds that NSs are by nature more humorous and therefore are better able to establish good relationships with students.

In the process of reflecting, I could not convince myself that I was necessarily less eligible to teach ESL than my NS counterparts were. NNS teachers themselves have learned English as a second language (L2) or foreign language, they understand the needs and experience of ESL students better. As L2 or foreign language learners themselves, they have probably spent a great deal of time and effort trying to master the language. How they learned grammar, how they attempted to expand their vocabulary, and how they overcame the problems they faced during learning are all precious experiences that they can share with students. Their determination to succeed, and the fact that they did succeed, provide an excellent example for ESL students. In fact, NNS teachers themselves are good role models for ESL students. The presence of NNS teachers brings home the message that mastering English as an L2 is an achievable goal. More important, their presence can help dismantle the false dichotomy between NSs and NNSs. Once an ESL student asked me, "How can I write like a NS? After all, what is NS competence?" It is a fuzzy and unreal concept. Unfortunately, an ESL field dominated by NS teachers will only perpetuate the false ideal of NS competence that is so deeply rooted in ESL students.

As a NNS teacher, however, I do not mean to elevate NNS teachers and denigrate my NS colleagues. I firmly believe that what makes us good English teachers has nothing to do with our nationality or our accent. Rather, it is the drive, the motivation, and the zeal within us to help our students and make a difference in our teaching that make us better.

I have been through a lot and earned my degree from schools you can't even afford, Jackson. So there is nobody who could make me think that my NNS status makes me not as good a teacher.