(1725) THE VOCABULARY ADVANTAGE: HOW YOUNG UNTRAINED NATIVE SPEAKERS CAN CONTRIBUTE TO ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHING

摘要

Globalization and the rapid spread of global English have brought about changes in the ways in whichnative (NS) and non-native speaker (NNS) teachers of English are deployed. For example, theemergence of well-qualified NNS teachers who undertake the bulk of English teaching in their owncountries has been accompanied by a reduction in the numbers of NS teachers imported fromoverseas. This new balance has meant that NS and NNS teachers may have clearly-definedcomplementary roles within the same education system, with the NS teachers often regarded astemporary members of the local teaching force. While the international demand for experienced, wellqualifiedNS teachers may have dropped, interest in employing fresh native-speaker graduates hasincreased. For example, the Japanese JET scheme now employs over 4000 young native speakers.The paper explores the potential contributions of young native speaker teachers of English (YNETs)when they work alongside local English teachers. While YNETs may lack expertise in teaching andfamiliarity with the local school curriculum, they possess much larger English vocabularies than mostof their local colleagues. It is proposed that a YNET's extensive vocabulary can serve as a valuableteaching resource, particularly in relation to providing learners with rich spoken input. The researchliterature on language learning confirms that input is an essential element in the second languageacquisition process. The importance of exposure in second language learning should not be underestimated,particularly in relation to vocabulary acquisition, where learners need to have repeatedencounters with new words before they are acquired. Yet few schools are able to provide anappropriate level of systematic exposure to target vocabulary items. However, a YNET/local teacherpartnership can help to enrich vocabulary exposure provided both types of teacher base their teachingon an agreed vocabulary curriculum.