The benefits and drawbacks of native and non-native speakers of English

Автор: Бочкарева Полина Владимировна

Организация: Школа английского языка English Class

Населенный пункт: г. Екатеринбург

We live in a globalized world where one culture might assimilate another, and a world where national might turn into international. Hence, we are pushing back the frontiers of our vision of what a speaker of a language is. Thus, native and non – native speakers are expected to be considered as speakers of the English language.

The boundaries have been blurred because both candidates can put themselves in pole position. Undoubtedly, the perfect pronunciation is the key benefit for native speakers as they have an ace up their sleeves, they speak naturally and unconsciously, so they do not need to pronounce authentic vowels correctly, or push themselves to do tricks with their mouths to demonstrate their linguistic success. Belonging to the group of non-native speakers, I’ve always wondered about the tricky English words such as ‘circumstances’, ’itinerary’ and others. Isn’t it possible to develop slurred speech while pronouncing those words? I believe that if we are willing to go the extra mile, we are bound to succeed in the pronunciation of English words just as well as native speakers.

As a teacher, I agree with the idea that ESL teachers are at an advantage in teaching English in the sense that personal experience might be transferred to their students. I remember myself cramming the rules of the numerous tenses of the English language, and how tedious it was. To make matters worse, afterwards, I could not figure out most of the tenses while studying at school. Today, being a teacher, I try to achieve a happy medium by taking lessons with a native speaker and that greatly helps me to feel more confident in the way I teach and can pass on my hands-on experience to my students. Native speakers know the ropes. I mean, they use a ‘living’ language that allows us to get an immersive experience.

 To sum up, any drawbacks of both candidates can be transformed into benefits if you are, indeed, in pursuit of your goals and dreams.

Опубликовано: 24.12.2021