Being Non-NESTsBeing Non-NESTs

Instructor Instructor

Chinfen ChenChinfen Chen

Bad Sides of Being Non-NESTsBad Sides of Being Non-NESTs

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Common difficultiesCommon difficulties

Vocabulary: similar to idioms, slang,and Vocabulary: similar to idioms, slang,and appropriacy, an infinite set with numerous appropriacy, an infinite set with numerous lexical items. Who can master all?lexical items. Who can master all?

Speaking fluency: rate of speech, readiness Speaking fluency: rate of speech, readiness to speak, the ability to speak coherently. to speak, the ability to speak coherently.

Pronunciation: Which one is standard, RP, Pronunciation: Which one is standard, RP, Scotland, Kenya? accent allowed? Scotland, Kenya? accent allowed?

Grammar: article, prepositionsGrammar: article, prepositions

Dilemmas of a Dilemmas of a linguistic-cultural nature linguistic-cultural nature

With scanty information about L2, we still With scanty information about L2, we still appear to be well-informed sources in the appear to be well-informed sources in the classroom. classroom.

By birth, we represent our native language By birth, we represent our native language and culture, by profession we are obliged to and culture, by profession we are obliged to represent a foreign language and culture. represent a foreign language and culture.

Behave like a L2 culture or keep L1 oneBehave like a L2 culture or keep L1 one

Schizophrenia & Schizophrenia & Inferiority ComplexInferiority Complex

Schizophrenia: At a near-native level, we Schizophrenia: At a near-native level, we become so imbued with L2 language and become so imbued with L2 language and culture, losing our native identity, especially culture, losing our native identity, especially students refuse to students refuse to fooling aroundfooling around. .

Inferiority Complex: Not competent enough Inferiority Complex: Not competent enough to lose native identity, glaring defects in our to lose native identity, glaring defects in our L2 knowledge. Good teachers should be good L2 knowledge. Good teachers should be good learners but Non-NESTs hard to find access.learners but Non-NESTs hard to find access.

Teaching AnxietyTeaching Anxiety

Most foreign teachers: feeling overloaded, Most foreign teachers: feeling overloaded, pushed around, exhausted, irritable, little pushed around, exhausted, irritable, little achievement, marked reduction with outside achievement, marked reduction with outside world, unappreciated. (Claxton, 1989). For:world, unappreciated. (Claxton, 1989). For:

People treat teachers more like workers, less like People treat teachers more like workers, less like professionalsprofessionals

The incompatibility duties and wishes, our The incompatibility duties and wishes, our injunctions about personal worth undermined, injunctions about personal worth undermined, lose self-esteemlose self-esteem

Three Alternatives for AnxietyThree Alternatives for Anxiety

To move on to another professionTo move on to another profession To improve our situation - to confrontTo improve our situation - to confront To suffer from constant stress - to avoid, to To suffer from constant stress - to avoid, to

eschew human contact, to blame otherseschew human contact, to blame others

7 Steps to Reduce Stress7 Steps to Reduce Stress

Admit itAdmit it Speak outSpeak out Shift into mastery Shift into mastery

modemode Open the safety Open the safety

valvesvalves

Don’t sweat over Don’t sweat over the small stuffthe small stuff

Enjoy yourself Enjoy yourself Find the right Find the right

balancebalance

Admit itAdmit it

Syndrome for stress: depressed, edgy or Syndrome for stress: depressed, edgy or defensive or abused when mildly criticized defensive or abused when mildly criticized or begin to hurt people for no reasonor begin to hurt people for no reason

We will find comfort that everybody is We will find comfort that everybody is stressed to a greater or less degree. stressed to a greater or less degree.

Speak outSpeak out

Most Non-NEST scare to be exposed in Most Non-NEST scare to be exposed in public, in front of colleagues and advanced public, in front of colleagues and advanced students because of Communication students because of Communication Apprehension, fear of negative social Apprehension, fear of negative social evaluation, test anxiety, and Derogatory evaluation, test anxiety, and Derogatory Cognition.Cognition.

Observing other’s class, discussing with Observing other’s class, discussing with other teachers, no hiding other teachers, no hiding

CA: immature language efficiency for mature ideas),

CA: immature language efficiency for mature ideas), DCDC::their limited

cognitive capacity is so preoccupied with anxiety that they cannot focus on L2 performance .

DCDC::their limited cognitive capacity is so preoccupied with anxiety that they cannot focus on L2 performance .

Shift into Mastery ModeShift into Mastery Mode

Mastery mode: confront challenges, obtain Mastery mode: confront challenges, obtain new information, take exciting adventurenew information, take exciting adventure

Survival Mode: stay safe, search for simple, Survival Mode: stay safe, search for simple, reassuring and stable mode - who lashed out reassuring and stable mode - who lashed out students’ errors, they themselves also afraid students’ errors, they themselves also afraid of making errors --- monitor-overusersof making errors --- monitor-overusers

Open the Safety ValvesOpen the Safety Valves

Conflict between social demands and our Conflict between social demands and our incapability to meet them incapability to meet them

Caring and sharing, being positive, let the Caring and sharing, being positive, let the anger erupt, to have a good laugh, to release anger erupt, to have a good laugh, to release one angry in an appropriate wayone angry in an appropriate way

Don’t Sweat over Small StuffDon’t Sweat over Small Stuff

Language teaching is some kind of humble Language teaching is some kind of humble service to mankind, aware of being a human service to mankind, aware of being a human being, who has natural impatience, fatigue, being, who has natural impatience, fatigue, not endless dynamic and reassuring. not endless dynamic and reassuring.

Allow self to make errors. Allow self to make errors.

Enjoy YourselfEnjoy Yourself

To feel relaxed and confident in the English To feel relaxed and confident in the English classroom, dressed up smartly, or just jeans, classroom, dressed up smartly, or just jeans, returning to hobbyhorse, teaching like a bit returning to hobbyhorse, teaching like a bit like acting, enjoying our professionals, and like acting, enjoying our professionals, and needing relaxation and meditation before needing relaxation and meditation before teaching. It’s our rights to feel good about teaching. It’s our rights to feel good about ourselves, and find pleasure for ourselves. ourselves, and find pleasure for ourselves.

Find the Right BalanceFind the Right Balance

Speak about positive anxiety, which is Speak about positive anxiety, which is stimulating, energizing and focusing. stimulating, energizing and focusing.

Dunham, 1992, increasing demands can Dunham, 1992, increasing demands can raise teachers’ efficiency up to a certain raise teachers’ efficiency up to a certain point (moderate), but beyond that point you point (moderate), but beyond that point you will lead to reduce job effectivenesswill lead to reduce job effectiveness

Scovel, debilitating anxiety and facilitating Scovel, debilitating anxiety and facilitating anxiety (lowering affective filter). anxiety (lowering affective filter).

Find the Right BalanceFind the Right Balance

Claxton found that good teachers were Claxton found that good teachers were more stressed than poorer ones. The better more stressed than poorer ones. The better teachers have professional confidence to teachers have professional confidence to admit openly to the stress they experience.If admit openly to the stress they experience.If we have the guts to admit our weaknesses, we have the guts to admit our weaknesses, we are sure to set out on tight path to we are sure to set out on tight path to overcoming our stress. overcoming our stress.