A Letter to Dave Sperling - Owner of Dave's ESL Cafe

Wikipedia contributors estimate that out of the 914 million English speakers in the world, a good 583 Million are speakers of English as an additional language. This implies that the world looks up to a great number of ESL/EFL teachers in the teaching of English as a Second/Foreign Language as compared to their counter parts – native speakers.
It is the quite disturbing to note that websites like Dave’s ESL Café, – “The Internet’s Meeting place for ESL + EFL teachers + students from around the World!”, would post job advertisements that require native speakers of English. If this website, for example, was indeed a true reflection of what the ESL/EFL field currently looks like, there wouldn’t be space for advertisements that promote the idea of Native speakers as “better” teachers of English. Canagarajah (1999) points out that being a native speaker of a language does not mean that you can be a good teacher of that language. She points out that:
“Language teaching is an art, a science, and a skill that requires complex pedagogical preparation and practice.” p. 80.

Thus suggesting that it’s not everyone who speaks a particular language can teach that language. This raises questions on Mr. Sperling standing as a promoter of ESL/EFL and someone who is involved in this field. In an interview Mr. Sperling mentioned the importance of being at least bilingual when you are an ELT especially an ESL/EFL teacher. From the job advertisements (that require Native Speakers of English only) that he posts on his website one can deduce that he cares less about the status quo of the TESOL field and cares more about the money that he gets out of advertising these jobs. Instead of marginalizing the vast number of NNEST in the TESOL field, he should be promoting the idea of an allied working relationship between NEST and NNEST. This will promote better teaching and learning of English since NNEST have advantages as English teachers (Medgyes, 1992). “Only non-NESTs can serve as imitable models of the successful learner of English” p.346.

It then goes without saying that as an ESOL teacher, one finds it disturbing that most ESL/EFL jobs “require” native speakers of English. In a fight to raise awareness of the important role played by NNEST in ESL/EFL and/or TESOL fields, popular media i.e. Dave’s ESL Café should take the initiative and support both NEST and NNEST. Hopefully we could bridge the gap and not view one group as superior to the other (Cook, 1999).