Fluent by Experience: Why Non-Native Language Coaches Understand Learners Best

When learning a foreign language, it’s tempting to assume that the best language coaches are native speakers. After all, they’ve grown up speaking the language, so presumably have the most astute manipulation of idioms and the most authentic of accents. 

Whilst a native-speaking language coach will undoubtedly provide you with the correct sayings and pronunciations, they lack a quality that only a non-native language coach possesses: lived experience. 

Non-native teachers have been through the same pitfalls and have grappled with the same difficulties as their students when they first started learning English. They are uniquely attuned to the idiosyncrasies of English grammar and are best placed to explain them in a clear and insightful way. Most will have garnered personal tips and tricks over the years for remembering spellings and English sayings, which they can share to boost your own learning. 

Studies have shown a marked increase in English being taught all over the world by noticeably more non-native teachers, establishing it as a lingua franca (a language that is adopted as a common language between foreign speakers). Close to 80% of the 15 million English teachers worldwide are non-native speakers (Floris, F. D., & Renandya, W. A., 2020). With this increase in multilingualism and worldwide integration of English comes a more ambiguous division between native and non-native English speakers. The concept of a “native English speaker” is losing importance as the EFL (English as a Foreign Language) community recognises that more teachers are multilingual today, with each of their spoken languages affecting their respective accents (Moussu, L., & Llurda, E., 2008).  

Yet even in English, there is no “correct” native accent. “Received Pronunciation” (RP) is still seen as the standard English accent (similar to The King’s English), but there are many other English accents. Not only American and Australian English, but also regional accents like Scouse, Northern Irish and Scottish. When learning RP English to begin with, learners will still have to eventually get to grips with the complexities of other accents when putting their skills into practice in real-life situations. It’s important to understand that English can be spoken with many different accents and comprises various dialects to attain a deeper understanding of the language and culture.

When considering the age-old argument of accent mastery, of course, a native-English teacher will be best suited to provide the most accurate of models. That being said, beginning your language learning journey with the support of a non-native speaker can facilitate the physical challenges of adopting a new accent. Breaking down tongue positions when uttering difficult sounds and explaining the subtle differences between long and short vowels can all be trickier feats for a native speaker to accomplish, as these are habits that are ingrained since birth.

It can also feel reassuring to have a teacher who has experienced the same difficulties arising from learning a foreign language: the lack of confidence when your progress plateaus, the frustration when your pronunciation hinders your self-expression, to cite a few. They understand personally how demoralising these inevitable hurdles can feel, and can boost your confidence when you need it most. Empathetic and strategically identifying points of weakness, they are keen to improve your language skills with the same strategies that took their language learning to the next level. 

So if you’re intent on improving your English, consider the benefits of a non-native English coach. They will help you surmount the trials and tribulations of the English language with a fresh perspective, offering living and relatable proof that language mastery is possible.

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Referenced Sources:

Floris, F. D., & Renandya, W. A. (2020). Promoting the value of non-native English-speaking teachers. PASAA: Journal of Language Teaching and Learning in Thailand, 59, 1-19.

Moussu, L., & Llurda, E. (2008). Non-native English-speaking English language teachers: History and research. Language teaching, 41(3), 315-348.