Uncovering Ideology in English Language Teaching: Identifying the 'Native Speaker' Frame

The "native speaker frame" in ELT views the linguistic and cultural norms of the anglophone West as normative, while non-Western countries are seen as deficient. This book investigates how this framing influenced a Japanese university EFL program, even though explicit expressions of native-speakerism were absent. It found that implicitly native-speakerist assumptions were based on stereotyping of Japanese students and the Japanese education system.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 190 pages
Publication date: 03 July 2021
Publisher: Springer Nature Switzerland AG

This comprehensive book delves into the concept of the 'native speaker frame,' a perceptual filter prevalent in English Language Teaching (ELT) that perpetuates the notion that the linguistic and cultural norms of the anglophone West are inherently normative, while those of non-Western countries are deemed deficient. Drawing upon a wealth of ethnographic data, the author employs a frame analysis approach to investigate the profound influence of this 'native-speaker framing' on the establishment and operation of a Japanese university English Language Teaching (EFL) program. Despite the program's apparent absence of explicit expressions of native-speakerism, such as discrimination against teachers, this study reveals that underlying implicitly native-speakerist assumptions are rooted in stereotyping Japanese students and the Japanese education system. By offering a fresh perspective on ongoing debates surrounding native-speakerism, the book underscores the enduring impact of dominant framing on programs, even in cases where overt signs of native-speakerism appear to be absent.

This comprehensive book delves into the concept of the 'native speaker frame,' a perceptual filter prevalent in English Language Teaching (ELT) that perpetuates the notion that the linguistic and cultural norms of the anglophone West are inherently normative, while those of non-Western countries are deemed deficient. Drawing upon a wealth of ethnographic data, the author employs a frame analysis approach to investigate the profound influence of this 'native-speaker framing' on the establishment and operation of a Japanese university English Language Teaching (EFL) program. Despite the program's apparent absence of explicit expressions of native-speakerism, such as discrimination against teachers, this study reveals that underlying implicitly native-speakerist assumptions are rooted in stereotyping Japanese students and the Japanese education system. By offering a fresh perspective on ongoing debates surrounding native-speakerism, the book underscores the enduring impact of dominant framing on programs, even in cases where overt signs of native-speakerism appear to be absent.

Weight: 332g
Dimension: 235 x 155 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9783030462338
Edition number: 1st ed. 2020