As a globally used language, there is a massive demand for fluent English speakers in all manners of communication and commerce. This is why learning English is a priority for many people who don’t have it as their primary language.
When applying for jobs, chances are you’ve encountered the term “native English speaker” many times. But who is a native English speaker? And does being one matter?
Native English Speakers
A native English speaker is someone whose mother tongue is English. It is the language they have learned and used since childhood.
It does not mean that English is their only language. It does, however, indicate that it is and has been their primary means of communication.
Linguist Braj Kachru, through his three concentric circles model, identifies native English speakers as those who have grown up in the “Inner Circle”—the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.
Non-native English Speakers
Non-native English speakers are people whose mother tongue is any language that isn’t English. These are people who have learned it as a secondary or foreign language. A non-native speaker who is extremely proficient in English is sometimes called a near-native speaker.
Most who are classified in this category come from the “Outer Circle”—post-colonial countries where English, while not their mother tongue, is a significant element in their governance, education, and day-to-day living. These countries include the Philippines, India, Pakistan, South Africa, and Singapore.
Then there’s also the “Expanding Circle”—countries where English is spoken and studied but does not necessarily have any colonial history or status as an official language. This includes nations like Japan, China, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt.
Native Vs Non-native English Speakers
Things get controversial between these two terms for many reasons, especially in this current era where remote work is becoming a norm. People from different parts of the world can now easily collaborate over the internet, making expertise in a shared language a valuable skill.
1. What does native mean?
Technically, a person who has lived their whole life in Japan but grew up with English as their mother tongue is a native English speaker. However, when employers use the term, they really mean that they’re looking for someone from the Inner Circle.
But then you have cases of people who are born and live in English-speaking countries but aren’t native speakers. For example, English is a minority language in Quebec, with French as its top language. The rest of Canada, however, are largely English speakers.
2. English varieties
People worldwide speak different forms of English, which vary in pronunciation, spelling, vocabulary, and grammar. So a native speaker of Australian English can’t be automatically considered fluent in American English.
Even neighboring communities can have distinct forms of English. Someone from New York may have a different way of speaking compared to someone in New Jersey, even though they both speak American English.
With all these variations, who should we consider “native”? Or should we all consider them native despite their many inconsistencies when compared to one another?
3. Nativeness doesn’t necessarily equate to mastery.
When employers look for native English speakers, what they expect is a mastery of the language in its formal and informal aspects.
Native speakers, due to their exposure to English from birth, have a natural grasp of its informal elements, such as colloquialisms, idiomatic expressions, and jargon. This makes them conversational and fluid at speaking the language but it doesn’t mean they are experts at the technical aspects of it, such as grammar and pronunciation.
4. Teaching English
Have you ever wondered why a lot of non-native speakers tend to speak simple or formal English? It’s due to how they learn English. While native speakers mostly learn through their environment, non-native speakers go through courses that analyze English from a more technical standpoint.
There’s an emphasis on grammar, spelling, punctuation, etc. Informal elements are introduced later on.
Interestingly, there’s also evidence that when a native speaker joins a conversation between non-natives, understanding goes down. Mostly because they can’t do what non-natives can: speak English in a more accessible way through simplified vocabulary. Communication consultant Heather Hansen says that this “bad English” might be more globally understandable.
Knowing this, non-native English teachers might be more suited to teaching English, especially when the majority of English learners are non-natives themselves. They’ve undergone the same learning process, encountered the same problems, and can explain English concepts using their students’ native languages.
Learning English
The binary concept of being a native or non-native English speaker has created a hierarchy in the English-speaking world. Those from the Inner Circle are automatically labeled experts in the language, while those outside are considered poor to non-speakers.
In positioning one as superior and authentic, the other is automatically inferior and fake. This affects preconceptions and biases towards certain people, which is reflected in the opportunities they receive, the wages they earn, the resources and efforts allotted to them, and how they are treated.
We might even be going at it the wrong way. When the goal is to communicate with one another, does the nativeness of a person in a specific language matter? The terms “native” and “non-native” are simply an easy way to categorize the complexity of language usage.
A better method could be viewing “good” English as a result of education, language proficiency, experience, and a willingness to improve rather than race, culture, and geography. It is more complex but can result in a more accurate picture of the English language.
What do you think about the importance of nativeness in learning English? Share them in the comments below!
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Cole is a blog writer and aspiring novelist. He has a degree in Communications and is an advocate of media and information literacy and responsible media practices. Aside from his interest in technology, crafts, and food, he’s also your typical science fiction and fantasy junkie, spending most of his free time reading through an ever-growing to-be-read list. It’s either that or procrastinating over actually writing his book. Wish him luck!
