Beyond Native-Speakerism

This volume problematizes native-speakerism in language learning and teaching, critically engaging with the issue of native-speakerism as a language-based form of prejudice affecting language teachers. Bringing theoretical discussion together with empirical data, Houghton, Rivers and Hashimoto document past traditions and current perspectives surrounding the native-speaker criterion, and explore native-speakerism across languages and contexts. The authors make the case that the category of "native speaker" is intended to satisfy, maintain and enhance certain agendas and beliefs connected to nation-state affiliation in relation to English language education. Looking specifically at the context of language teaching in Japan, the authors provide a sociohistorical deconstruction of Japan's relationship with the "native speaker" and consider educational policy/practice in the context of native-speakerism. They examine how dominant social representations perpetuate native-speakerism, and argue that individual teacher narratives can shed light on the consequences of native-speakerism. The volume concludes by exploring potential solutions for replacing the concept of the "native speaker" as the ideal for foreign language learners, and considers the role of the foreign language teacher in a post-native-speakerist model. The authors envision possible transformations in the future of language teaching, drawing on conversations with experts in the fields of intercultural communicative competence (ICC), English as a Lingua Franca (ELF) and World Englishes (WE). This book will be relevant to scholars working on teacher development, critical ELT pedagogy, language rights, linguistic diversity, ICC, WE and ELF, as well as Japanese language education.