Arabic-L:PEDA:Limiting jobs to native speakers

[Dilworth Parkinson]

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Arabic-L: Tue 22 Jan 2008
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-------------------------Directory------------------------------------

1) Subject:Limiting jobs to native speakers
2) Subject:Limiting jobs to native speakers
3) Subject:Limiting jobs to native speakers
4) Subject:Limiting jobs to native speakers

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1)
Date: 22 Jan 2008
From:Mustafa Mughazy <mustafa.mughazy at wmich.edu>
Subject:Limiting jobs to native speakers

Descrimination against highly qualified non-native speaking language  
teachers is a problem that goes far beyond Arabic. Many TESOL graduate  
programs do not let their own non-native graduate students teach ESL.  
When it comes to Arabic, I take pride in the fact that many of leaders  
in our field are non-native speakers like Kristin Brustad, Karin  
Ryding, Elizabeth Bergman, Dilworth Parkinson, and many many others.

Mustafa Mughazy

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2)
Date: 22 Jan 2008
From:Chris H <kaix04holmanski77 at hotmail.com>
Subject:Limiting jobs to native speakers

Hello everyone,

I just wanted to say that I'm glad that Uri has brought this question  
up in this forum.  Certainly, there is a demand for speakers of Arabic  
that is not easily satisfied in places like the United States where  
Arabic has been, more or less, a LCTL for quite some time.  So, it  
makes some sort of sense that native-speakers of Arabic would be most  
likely to fill teaching positions.  Of course, this is not really  
about whether or not one is a native-speaker of Arabic (it shouldn't  
matter).  There should be something said about anyone who seeks out  
only native-speakers of Arabic, even if it is their prerogative. This  
will continue to become a more urgent issue as programs in the U.S.  
and the world turn out qualified instructors who are non-native  
speakers of Arabic.  On a side note, I imagine that this issue is not  
unique to Arabic either.  Perhaps we could ask our colleagues in other  
languages how they have dealt with this or similar issues?

This also raises another question to me, as a non-native speaking  
instructor of Arabic.  In addition to sending a message to FSI (et  
al.), should we address the role of the non-native speaker in an  
Arabic teaching program?  In my experience, my students have  
appreciated that I know where they are coming from because I was once  
in their position.  In short, while a non-native speaker cannot bring  
important elements like culture and dialect to the table the same way  
native-speakers can--beyond personal anecdotes and experiences abroad  
that is--non-native speakers do have a lot to contribute to the  
thinking that goes into the instruction, curriculum, and other  
elements of a program.  Programs that are devoid of non-native  
speakers are, in my opinion, missing an important link between their  
program and their students.  I can only speak from personal  
experience, but I have had several instructors who could not (or would  
not) attempt to see things from 'our' point of view as students and  
this usually resulted in a lack of progress in the classroom.  There  
is always the push and pull between the instructor and his or her  
students, but surely the incorporation of non-native speaking  
instructors in any language program would help to ameliorate  
situations like I have briefly described here.

Which brings me to...

...Uri's question (thanks again Uri), about Arabic language  
instruction in general and how there seems to be a lack of a unifying  
set of factors across the institutional spectrum.  Each program is and  
should be unique, but perhaps Uri's and other questions that are not  
being asked often enough can lead us to a more pressing discussion on  
where 'we' should be heading as Arabic continues to push itself onto  
the MCTL (More-Commonly-Taught Languages) scene.

Forgive me for neglecting anything in this commentary, for I am merely  
reeling off some thoughts from the top of my head.  I'm not making a  
pointed criticism as much as I am wondering what our thoughts are (or  
have been) on these matters.  Anyone willing to enlighten me, in the  
event that I have missed a lot of the discussion on these issues,  
would be greatly appreciated.  : )

Thanks,

Chris Holman
University of Oregon
chrish at uoregon.edu

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3)
Date: 22 Jan 2008
From:"Tressy Arts" <tressy.arts at gmail.com>
Subject:Limiting jobs to native speakers

I agree with Uri Horesh in saying that being a native speaker does not
necessarily make one a good teacher. There are even some disadvantages  
to
being a native speaker; for example, that one does not know the rules of
one's own language, as they are intuitive rather than learned. But
when teaching someone else, this student will need language rules and  
will
ask questions about *why* something is so-and-so, and deserve a better
answer than "that is just the way it is". I teach my own language to
foreigners as well as Arabic to Dutch people, and I can say that the  
former
is often more difficult for me.
Also, not all people make good teachers. Knowing a lot about a subject  
does
not mean that you are good at explaining it to other people. I once was
hired by a native speaker of Arabic to teach his wife and children  
Arabic.
He knew Arabic very well, but was aware that he was not a good teacher  
and
his children were better off with a non-native professional teacher.

Regards,

Tressy Arts
the Netherlands

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4)
Date: 22 Jan 2008
From:"Schub, Michael B." <Michael.Schub at trincoll.edu>
Subject:Limiting jobs to native speakers

mirabile dictu:  there is not, nor ever was, a 'native speaker' of  
Modern Standard Arabic (better:  Modern Written Arabic).
                                                                      
Mike Schub


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End of Arabic-L:  22 Jan 2008