Differences between native english-speaking teachers and their non-native counterparts when evaluating pronunciation

Abstract

This article is a small-scale qualitative study whose objective was to identify differences between the way in which native English teachers and their non-native Chilean counterparts assess pronunciation. To achieve this, teachers from both groups were asked to assess the same material produced by two students of English pedagogy in a Chilean university. The results show that native English teachers rate students higher than their non-native colleagues. This is apparently due not only to differences in training but also the differences in the processes of acquisition. The outcome of this research concerns anyone interested in teaching and learning English as a second/foreign language.