Native-Speakerism Perceived by “Non-native-speaking” Teachers of Japanese in Hong Kong

Native-speakerism is defined as forms of prejudice and discrimination typically against (but possibly in favor of) non-native-speaking teachers (NNSTs). This qualitative case study explored native-speakerism perceived by two non-native-speaking teachers of Japanese in Hong Kong. The data were obtained from semi-structured interviews. Our main findings are twofold. First, native-speakerism is largely context-dependent, and researchers should pay heed to small culture inherent in each setting. The data indicate that the inequalities between native-speaking teachers (NSTs) and NNSTs can be imperceptible in one context, but obvious forms of prejudice or discrimination in favor of NSTs may be observable in other contexts. Second, despite individual differences, each participant as a learner of Japanese wishes to attain native-level proficiency and ultimately pass for a native speaker. That is, the two participants internalize a linear continuum of proficiency ranging between zero beginners and native speakers. This is a form of implicit native-speakerism in favor of native speakers, because non-native speakers are excluded from models for language learners. This paper thus problematizes the paucity of non-native-speaker models in Japanese language teaching, with native-speaker models being taken for granted.