Status of nonnative English speakers as ESL teachers in the United States

In the last 10 years, a substantial amount of work in TESOL and applied linguistics has focused on the issues of nonnative speakers of English who teach English as a second language in the United States. Recent work in the field questions the legitimacy of using native-speaker as a model for language learning and native-speaking teachers as ideal teachers. However, most of this work is based on anecdotal evidence and assumptions. The purpose of this dissertation is to evaluate a number of these assumptions.; The research presented in the dissertation empirically examines the status of nonnative English speaking teachers in TESOL in the United States from diverse perspectives based on both quantitative and qualitative data. The results of one part of the study, based on a questionnaire survey, show that the number of nonnative teachers teaching ESL in the United States is low. This low number is disproportionate when compared to the high number of graduate students in graduate programs in TESOL, applied linguistics, and language education who are nonnative speakers of the language. The results of a regression study show that this low ratio of nonnative English speaking teachers in ESL programs may be explained by the importance given to ‘native English speakers’ by program administrators. The reason given for a preference for native speakers is that ESL students want to learn English with native English speaking teachers.; The results of a second part of this study further demonstrate that, contrary to program administrators' perceptions, ESL students do not necessarily prefer native speakers to non-native speakers as their teachers. Based on a qualitative analysis of their views on this topic, the results of this part of the study suggest that students' perceptions are complex. Students who participated in this study stated that native and nonnative teachers complement each other and that they would like to study with both.; The results of this study have implications for research methodology, ESL classroom teaching, language teacher education programs, as well as ESL/EFL program administrators.