Native English speaking teachers and non-native English speaking teachers in İstanbul : a perception analysis

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the differences between the career perceptions of native English speaking teachers (NESTs) and non-native English speaking teachers (NNESTs) working at universities in Istanbul, and the two groups’ perceptions of the strengths and weaknesses of NESTs and NNESTs. This study was conducted with 172 participants working in 10 different institutions in İstanbul. Data was collected through a questionnaire consisting of four parts. The questionnaire contained multiple-choice items, open-ended questions, and Likert-scale items. In addition, 15 participants were interviewed. Quantitative data analysis techniques were used to analyze the data from the questionnaires. To analyze the data, frequencies, percentages, means, correlations, and ttests were calculated. The data from the interviews was analyzed using qualitative data analysis techniques. The results reveal that a great majority of the respondents view English language teaching (ELT) as a career or profession. When the two groups were compared, the percentage of the NNESTs who view ELT as a career or profession is higher than that of NESTs. While indicating similar viewpoints between NESTs and NNESTs regarding their views of ELT, the study found differences in the perceptions of the important qualifications of teachers, and the strengths and weaknesses of NESTs and NNESTs. Overall, the findings suggest that the ‘native speaker fallacy’ may still have validity even though both groups of participants refrained from publicly accepting it.