I also disagree with the statement.
As the lingua franca, English is spoken by millions of non-native speakers and - in my opinion - when teaching for communication purposes, there is no use in exposing learners to English spoken only by native speakers.
Linguistic input that comes from a variety of “sources” offers a realistic view of the language used outside the classroom environment and prepares learners to comprehend and produce English in a better way. It can also be quite motivating.
However, I agree with Margarita on her point that English spoken by native speakers serves as a point of reference.
I agree Andreas. What's interesting to me personally is how far we've come in a short space of time. I've asked this question a couple of times over the years and the first time I asked it people thought very differently.
ReplyDeleteThe focus on non-native teachers of English is a fairly new development.
ReplyDeleteWell said, my friend. Totally agree.
ReplyDelete