Takeshi SATORyoko UNO

Tokyo University of Agriculture & Technology, Japan

Presentation for Asian EFL International Conference3rd of December, 2011

・What does our native speaker fallacy come from?

・How the native speaker fallacy manifest on their discourse?

Phillipson (1992) designates ‘native speaker fallacy’ as follows:

“[T]he ideal teacher is a native speaker, somebody with native speaker proficiency in English who can serve as a model for pupils.” (p.193)

The notion that the centre variants of English should be the norm for the periphery countries… (Canagarajah 1999).

More opportunities for NNSs to speak English have been increasing with NNSs . (Jenkins 2000).

The ownership of English no longer belongs to NSs (Widdowson 1994)

Native Speakers

Fallacyage

gender

status of English in

their countries Length of

studying English

Previous experience of

staying Anglophone

countries

But, how do we examine their inner thoughts or beliefs?

No statistical relationship between NNSs’ native speaker fallacy and their external

factors

→ their internal factors such as their thoughts or beliefs might be influenced.

Four interviews were conducted

They are

▪ from Sri-Lanka(EOL), Japan(EFL) (without NSF)

▪ and from Italy(EFL) and Hong Kong(EOL) (with NSF)

Obtained 4,549 words

Found metaphorical expressions as to (learning) English based on conceptual metaphor theory (Lakoff & Johnson 1980)

“Metaphor is a device for seeing something in terms of something else.”

(Burke, 1945 from Cameron 2010. p. 3)

• travelers

• obstacles

• destination

source domain:

journey

• lovers

• difficulties

• goal

target domain:

love

Mapping

Ex. We can't turn back now.

What kinds of metaphors do NNSs use?

What kind of belief toward English is reflected in their metaphors?

4 types of the metaphorical expressions were found from the data of those with native speaker fallacy.

...not everybody has high standard of proficiency, so…

I still need something that I need more vocabulary…

I still do not understand the way, it's quite long for me to achieve…include Standard of English.

...you can move upwards in the society. It is not a kind of lingua franca in Hong Kong.

NNSs need more skills

Native speaker competence

as a goal / skill / certificate

Long journey to achieve

• certificate

• skill

• status

• journey

Source domain

• (Learning) English

Target domain

ICM

NNSs with native speakers fallacy have ICM(Lakoff, 1987)

Native Speaker Fallacy may come not so much from external factors as from the thought or belief toward English or Native speakers

This might give us some implications of our instruction.

Cameron, L., & Maslen, R. (2010) Metaphor Analysis: research practice in applied linguistics, social sciences and the humanities. London: Equinox Publishing.

Canagarajah, S. (1999) Interrogating the ‘Native Speaker Fallacy’: Non-Linguistic Roots, Non-Pedagogical Results. In Braine, G.(ed.) Non-Native Educators in English Language Teaching. London: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Ellis, R. (2008) Learner Beliefs and Language Learning. Asian EFL Journal,10(4). p.7-25

Jenkins, J. (2000) The phonology of English as an International Language. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Lakoff, G. (1987) Woman, fire and dangerous thing. Chicago: Chicago University Press.

Lakoff, G. & Johnson, M. (1980) Metaphor we live by. Chicago: Chicago University Press.

Quirk, R. (1990) Language varieties and standard language. English Today 21. Sato, T., & Suzuki, A. (2007) Diagnosing Factors of the Preference for Center

Variants of English in English as a Lingua Franca Settings. The Journal of English as an International Language. 2. p.50-64.

Widdowson,H,G. (1994) The Ownership of English. TESOL Quarterly 28(2), 377-389.