Critical Review of Cook,  V. (1999). Going Beyond the Native Speaker in Language Teaching

Critical Review 1 Review shit,V. (1999). sledding beyond the inborn utterer in verbiage teaching. TESOL Quarterly, 33(2), 185. In his article, circumvent argues that the emphasis or dependence of aborigine speaker determine(NSM) in language teaching is non necessary. It is time to adopt non-native models two for language reading and teaching, and he provides some possible teaching methods. Firstly, take in defines the native speaker and L2 users.Then he discusses the slight but salient differences between monolingual native speakers and multilingual native speakers in terms of multicompetence so that there is no stable NSM. He also argues NSM is implicit and L2 users are actually utilize L2 incompatiblely instead of deficiently from monolingual bias perspective, which means native-speaker level is not a must, even impractical, to most of L2 users because they do not need to extol their identity element through the L2 and only few L2 users nonplus achieved native-spea ker proficiency.After this series of arguments, take a shit proposes some practical suggestions of successful L2 user as models and applying L1 for teaching methods. Cook concludes that more emphasis should be added on the skillful L2 users and on utilize L1, and teaching language is not to imitate native speakers but to helper learners so that L2 learners are successful in terms of multicompetent. In ecumenical this article is refreshing, especially 14 years ago. I absolutely couple with Cook that successful L2 learners are successful multicompetent speakers, not failed native speakers (p. 04). In non- communicatory countries like China where English is neither an official language nor a lingua franca, a simple English native speaker, without teaching vexs or educational professional background, stack be admired as a language specialist or an English authority only because he speaks so-called pure English. It is the time, 14 years later afterward this article has been publi shed, to establish a positive image of nonnative-speaker teachers for the sake of both themselves and their students and for the fanatics of NSM to wake up.While in other places where English is adopted as a lingua franca, the reduction of NSM is more meaningful in the way of world equal, due to the speakers various lingual preferences and cultural backgrounds. Actually, nine years originally this article, Rampton (1990) had called on the professionals to label native speakers as language experts in enunciate to shift the emphasis from who you are to what you know (p. 99). So in this sense, Cook affords L2 users agency on learning to use L2 instead of to transform their identity into native speakers. However, uncertainties still remain.First, although the author offers the definition of L2 users and even place it from L2 learners, he does not make it specific what kind of languages one uses can be considered L2s in his statement. For example, languages learned at what age or for what reason can be ones L2? Or can one who learns L2 as an adult in order to stay alive in English-speaking countries be the same as one who simply uses L2 to serve foreigners in his own country? Second, the author observes that students may feel overwhelmed by native-speaker teachers who have achieved a perfection that is out of the students reach. (p. 00) I think the author approximately overstates the students fear of native speakers. The author himself admits that some L2 users could pass for native speakers, so why should all L2 learners be taken as not extraordinary(p) in the first place? Also, the NS teachers do not only epitomise fluent target-language speakers, but also a bridge that connects two different cultures, which is cherished by students as well. Furthermore, according to Derrida (1998), language itself is essentially autocratic, thus both native speaker and L2 users are oppressed by language and nonnative-speaker teachers could also be overwhelming to the st udents.Third, since research supports the idea that teachers unravel to teach the way they learn (Stitt-Gohdes, 2001), the nonnative-speaker teachers can be a distinguished example of successful L2 user, because such teachers are not only weakly as Cook states or presents a more achievable model (p. 200) but also they can share or deliver their knowledge, experience and strategies of becoming a successful L2 user. Fourth, the author mentions successful L2 users several time but does not give a definition or amount of it.Thus it makes me confused because is a successful L2 user one who is infinitely rigorous to the native speakers? 733 words Reference Derrida, J. (1998). Monolingualism of the other or, the prosthesis of origins. Standford, CA Stanford University Press. Rampton,M. (1990). Displacing the native speaker Expertise, affiliation, and inheritance. ELT Journal, 44(2), 97-101. Stitt-Gohdes,W. (2001). Business education students preferred learning styles and their teacher s preferred instructional styles Do they match? Delta Pi Epsilon Journal, 43(3), 137-151.