Dismantling the Native Speaker Construct in English Language Teaching

This edited volume provides a set of cutting-edge research on native-speakerism and how the concept of the native speaker is still present in the teaching of English as a global language.

The chapters each take a critical stance on the concept of ‘native speaker’ and thus deconstruct it so that the reader can construct their own vision of language use, language acquisition, and language teaching in an unbiased way, detached from myths and fallacies that have permeated in language education up until today. Though this book is contextualized within the teaching of English as an International Language, its contributions and argumentations are also illuminating for any other language teaching context. Research included in this volume is empirical, thus providing rich data to support critical argumentation, and ensuring a global overview of studies conducted in Asia, Europe, and the Americas.

A unique reference for students, scholars, and practitioners interested in the native speaker construct and its effect on language teachers’ identities, general language teaching practices, and advancing the field of Applied Linguistics.

Chapter 1 of this book is freely available as a downloadable Open Access PDF at http://www.taylorfrancis.com under a Creative Commons [Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives (CC-BY-NC-ND)] 4.0 license.

Enric Llurda is a Professor of Applied Linguistics at Universitat de Lleida in Catalonia (Spain). His interests include native-speakerism, global Englishes, internationalization, language attitudes, and ideologies. He is the editor of the 2005 volume Non-native Language Teachers: Perceptions, Challenges and Contributions to the Profession, and has published extensively in journals and edited volumes on native-speakerism, non-native teachers, and language teacher identity.