Chapter 2: Where Do I Fit In? The Effects of Native-Speakerism on Teacher Identity Formation by Tiina Matikainen
Abstract
In the Japanese ELT context, the flawed concept of native-speakerism is still prevalent. This ideology has greatly influenced and shaped the author’s identity as a language teacher, both in positive and negative ways. This chapter examines how, over the course of the author's 20-year teaching career, she has developed and negotiated a legitimate professional identity in Japan as a 'non-native' English speaker. It contains valuable insights regarding how a teacher who does not perfectly fit into either the ‘native-speaker’ or the ‘non-native speaker’ category (e.g., being White but not a ‘native speaker’) has navigated this pernicious dichotomy throughout her teaching experiences in Japan as an ELT professional.
About the Contributor
Tiina Matikainen, Ed.D., is an associate professor at Tamagawa University, Tokyo, Japan. She earned her M.A. in TESOL from St. Michael’s College and her Ed.D. in TESOL from Temple University. She has been teaching English and language acquisition undergraduate and graduate courses in Japan for the past 20 years. Her research interests include L2 lexicon, academic English language programs, English as a Lingua Franca, and teacher development.
Citation
Matikainen, T. (2022). Where Do I Fit In? The effects of native speakerism on teacher identity formation. In G.P. Glasgow (Ed.), Multiculturalism, language, and race in English education in Japan: Agency, pedagogy, and reckoning (pp. 81–96). Candlin & Mynard ePublishing. https://doi.org/10.47908/26/2
In the Japanese ELT context, the flawed concept of native-speakerism is still prevalent. This ideology has greatly influenced and shaped the author’s identity as a language teacher, both in positive and negative ways. This chapter examines how, over the course of the author's 20-year teaching career, she has developed and negotiated a legitimate professional identity in Japan as a 'non-native' English speaker. It contains valuable insights regarding how a teacher who does not perfectly fit into either the ‘native-speaker’ or the ‘non-native speaker’ category (e.g., being White but not a ‘native speaker’) has navigated this pernicious dichotomy throughout her teaching experiences in Japan as an ELT professional.
About the Contributor
Tiina Matikainen, Ed.D., is an associate professor at Tamagawa University, Tokyo, Japan. She earned her M.A. in TESOL from St. Michael’s College and her Ed.D. in TESOL from Temple University. She has been teaching English and language acquisition undergraduate and graduate courses in Japan for the past 20 years. Her research interests include L2 lexicon, academic English language programs, English as a Lingua Franca, and teacher development.
Citation
Matikainen, T. (2022). Where Do I Fit In? The effects of native speakerism on teacher identity formation. In G.P. Glasgow (Ed.), Multiculturalism, language, and race in English education in Japan: Agency, pedagogy, and reckoning (pp. 81–96). Candlin & Mynard ePublishing. https://doi.org/10.47908/26/2
Information About the Book
Title: Multiculturalism, Language, and Race in English Education in Japan: Agency, Pedagogy, and Reckoning
Editor: Gregory Paul Glasgow
Publication date: March 2023
Read more...
Title: Multiculturalism, Language, and Race in English Education in Japan: Agency, Pedagogy, and Reckoning
Editor: Gregory Paul Glasgow
Publication date: March 2023
Read more...