Native and Non-Native Speaker English Teacher in Darul Hikam

International School:
Satria Aji
Abstract
From year to year, the school has had so many graduates. Each graduate
attended a three years of school programs and one of them is the Intensive
English Program, which contains three parts: Conversation, Writing and
Grammar, but the only subject that uses the native speaker English teacher is
Conversation, so the rest do not use the native speaker English teacher. This
research is purposed and aimed to measure students satisfaction among native
speaker English teacher (NSET) and non-native speaker English teachers (non-
NSETs) skill and the effectiveness of how they teach, because in some
developing countries it is assumed that native speaker English Teacher are the
best standard of teaching written and spoken language, but in the fields, some of
them are having difficulties in adapting with the culture so their effectiveness in
teaching is sometimes doubted. Deep analysis result of students satisfaction
about native speaker English teacher skill and their effectiveness way of
teaching through the questionnaire shows that there is a significant difference
between the native speaker English teacher and non-native speaker English
teacher.

Introduction
The stereotype that native language correctly and
speaker is better from the non- appropriately to accomplish
native speaker in teaching English communication goals. (p. 243).
is still become a warm From the statement implied,
controversial issue among nowadays the fundamental
teachers and students, especially mission of learning or teaching
in Indonesia. Many people think English is to make the students
non-native speaker English become proficient in English, and
teachers are apparently not cannot simply conclude that
proficient in English, and native native speaker or non-native
speaker English teachers is speaker is better or not.
clearly proficient because they
We live in the country
have more skills and experiences
where English is a foreign
in teaching English. This
language (EFL). It means
stereotype is should not become
students, wherever they are, need
something that is easily believed
to struggle to be able to speak
because we need to see it from
English. We can see that EFL
different point of view, as Omar
learners obviously have limited
(2013) wrote, Nowadays
interactional opportunities so
language teaching is based on the
whenever the students have the
idea that the goal of language
opportunity to practice the
acquisition is communicative
language, the conversation is
competence: the ability to use the
often filled with errors. It is also
related to the nations culture
where native speaker needs to
adapt with the culture so they can
fit with the students
characteristics, while non-native
speakers do not have to adapt,
and this becomes the advantage
for them because they come from
the same mother tongue with the
students. Another thing to think
about is the fluency. Although
native and non-native speaker
may have fluent in English, there
is still a chance that they cannot
teach more about the structure of
the language itself. In the name of
being honest, still, an objective
and balanced view is needed to
decide which one is better.
On the other hand, students
in Darul Hikam International
School has some serious
problems in English. The
environment is quite challenging
because all components of the
school have not been aware of
the importance of using English in
relation with the schools vision
and mission. From researchers
point of view there are only 20-
30% of the students who are
fluent in English. So native
speaker or non-native speaker are
need to be able to handle the
students, understand each of
their characteristics so the
teachers are allowed to plan on
how to trigger the accurate
method of teaching. The
effectiveness of teaching is
seriously needed here, as the
studies in Tennessee and Texas
produced strikingly great findings:
Highly effective teachers are able
to produce much greater gains in
student achievement.
The purpose of the Study
There are so many studies
that investigate about the
dichotomy between native
speaker English teacher and non-
native speaker English teacher.
Widely believed among students,
learning with native speaker is
more fun because they prioritize
to learn with practice and
somehow it is become more
effective for the students to learn.
While the non-native speaker is
also more effective because they
are good in translating English.
This study is intended to know
how much satisfied the students
are with the native or non-native
speaker in learning English, and
to examine how skill and the way
of teaching between non-native
and native speaker affect the
students confidence in using
English and how their skills are
improving.
Significance of the Study
The findings of this study
will explain how the students are
satisfied by the native speaker
English teachers skills and their
effectiveness of teaching.
Students also have different
opinions on native speaker and
non-native speaker skills and
effectiveness of teaching. By
knowing the result, it is important
for native speaker or non-native
speaker to always improve their
skills and effectiveness of
teaching, and understand their
flaws from students point of view.
Thus, the result will be important
for the school because they will
know how the teachers
performance in teaching and it is
useful for the schools evaluation.
Reviewed Literature
The reviewed literature
shows that the native speaker
English teacher is more preferable
from the non-native speakers for
some reasons. However, from all
of the studies that has been
investigated, it is known that we
cannot easily judge that the non-
native speakers are not good in
teaching English. Meanwhile, it is
strongly confessed that more
effective the teachers are, the
stronger and wider impact will be
felt by the students.
There is a study, done by
Medgyes (1992) attempt to
differentiate native speakers and
non-native speakers, arguing that
non-native speakers can never
achieve a native speakers
competence because they can
never be as creative and original
as those whom they have learnt
to copy (pp. 342- 343). Besides
that, Luk (2001) reported on a
study she carried out in two
secondary schools in Hong Kong
on the Native English Teacher
Scheme by collecting the
information on the project from
the students. Her findings showed
that the NESTs were viewed as a
valuable thing to the students.
Native-speaker teachers were
welcomed because of the
linguistic model and interaction
opportunities they provided. The
majority of the subjects in her
study felt that being taught by
NESTs can gain their linguistic
knowledge and experience.
While Marek (2014), said
that It is a myth that only NESTs
can provide a good language
model. What I find troubling is
that many in the profession
assume language proficiency to
be tantamount to being a good
teacher, trivializing many other
important factors such as
experience, qualifications and
personality. That means the
important thing for the teacher,
no matter they are native speaker
or not, the only thing that is
needed by the students is
experience of the teachers and
also good personality. David
(2014) said All sorts of people
are fluent, but only a tiny
proportion of them are sufficiently
aware of the structure of the
language that they know how to
teach it.' This also means that the
grammatical knowledge of each
teacher is must be considered
and even a native speaker whose
fluent in English may have
problem in teaching structure of
the language.
Pamela (2005) stated on the
book, Effective teachers are able
to envision instructional goals for
their students, then draw upon
their knowledge and training to
help students achieve success.
Having a highly qualified teacher
would be a good starting point,
but obviously the highly effective
teachers are more preferable by
the parents, because their effort
will be more valuable.
Methodology
The current study draws on
qualitative short-response
questionnaire data because
researcher wished to explore 3. Berikan pendapat anda
certain classrooms terhadap kemampuan yang
representative beliefs. dimiliki tenaga pengajar asing /
Questionnaire will not become non asing dalam mengajar
rigid than the interview if we ask Bahasa Inggris?
their own answer on the
4. Apakah kemampuan yang
questionnaire.
dimiliki oleh tenaga pengajar
Participants asing / non asing dapat
membantu anda dalam
Nine participants from five
meningkatkan kemampuan
different classrooms, ranged from
Bahasa Inggris anda?
Secondary 1 until Secondary 5
were involved on this study. The 5. Apakah kemampuan yang
main focus is to know whether dimiliki oleh tenaga pengajar
they are satisfied or not with the asing / non asing dapat
native speaker or non-native membantu anda dalam
speaker and to know their opinion meningkatkan kepercayaan diri
about the performance done by anda dalam menggunakan
the teachers and to compare each Bahasa Inggris?
performances. They are also
B. Keefektifan dalam mengajar
needed to differentiate which one
is more effective. 1. Apakah anda puas dengan
keefektifan tenaga pengajar asing
Data Collecting Instrument
/ non asing dalam mengajar
The instrument for data Bahasa Inggris? (Puas / Tidak
collection was an anonymous self- Puas)*
report questionnaire. Accurate
2. Dalam skala 0 sampai 10,
data can be gained from the
seberapa puas anda dengan
questionnaire because of it is
keefektifan tenaga pengajar asing
aimed questions. Respondents
/ non asing / non asing dalam
are needed to write a brief
mengajar Bahasa Inggris?
descriptive answer to each of the
following questions: 3. Berikan pendapat anda
terhadap keefektifan tenaga
A. Kemampuan
pengajar asing / non asing / non
1. Apakah anda puas dengan asing dalam mengajar Bahasa
kemampuan yang dimiliki oleh Inggris?
Tenaga pengajar asing / non asing
4. Apakah keefektifan yang
dalam mengajar Bahasa Inggris?
dimiliki oleh tenaga pengajar
(Puas / Tidak Puas)*
asing / non asing / non asing
2. Dalam skala 0 sampai 10, dalam mengajar Bahasa Inggris
seberapa puas anda terhadap dapat membantu anda
kemampuan yang dimiliki oleh meningkatkan kemampuan
tenaga pengajar asing / non asing berbahasa inggris anda?
dalam mengajar Bahasa inggris?
5. Apakah keefektifan tenaga satisfied with the effectiveness.
pengajar asing / non asing / non While the rate is very good on
asing dalam mengajar Bahasa NSETs skills, but it is quite
Inggris dapat membantu anda normal on the effectiveness.
meningkatkan kepercayaan diri
anda dalam berbahasa inggris?
Procedure
The questionnaires were written
and responded in English.
Students were volunteered to
participate and invited to
complete the questionnaire,
which took 15 to 20 minutes to
complete. Questionnaires were
anonymous and no other
identifying data were collected. Meanwhile, native speaker
The data is directly processed in English teachers skills can
spreadsheet and charts. certainly boost students
Findings and Discussions confidence in using English, but it
cannot guarantee that native
Students Satisfaction NSET speakers skill can improve the
Total Score / Number of students skill.
participants = result
Skills 71.5/9 = 7.9 out of
10
Efficiency 66.5/9 = 7.4 out of
10

The students satisfaction

percentage shows that the
non-native speaker English
teachers skill and
effectiveness are equal.

As we can see the result,

students are fully satisfied with
the native speaker english
teachers skills, and they also
The effectiveness of how NSET
teach can boost students
confidence more than 80% while
students skills can only boost up
no more than 66%
Students Satisfaction NNSET
Skills 63/9 = 7 out of 10
Efficiency 67.5/9 = 7.5 out of
10
The students satisfaction rate
Non-native speakers skill can
shows that the non-native
certainly boost students skill,
speaker english teachers skills do
while their skill can boost
not make the students satisfied
students confidence more
enough, but the satisfaction rate
than 75%
of the effectiveness is higher than
the native speaker english
teacher.
The results show that the non-
native speakers effectiveness
way of teaching can improve
students skill more than 85%
but can only boost students
confidence no more than 80%.
Compared to the native
speaker, non-native speaker is
better on improving students
skill, but the native speaker is
better on improving students