The Importance Of Teaching English As A Foreign Language

Since the main objective of English language teaching in non-English speaking countries is students’ proficiency in target language, the background of teachers as native or non-native English speakers is one of major concerns. There is always a heated debate whether a native or a non-native English speaking teacher is the ideal one in teaching the target language. According to Medyes (2001 cited in Yeh and Wang, 2009, p. 94-95), a Native English Speaking Teachers (NEST) is an English teacher who speaks the language as a mother tongue, while a non-native English speaking teacher (non-NEST) refers to an English teacher who speaks the language as a second or foreign language.

Moreover, some researches revealed a dichotomous distinction between

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