On May 20th a post that I wrote for the TEFL Equity Advocates blog was published. In the article, I looked at the ways that non-native English speaker teachers (NNEST) have advantages over their native English speaking teacher (NEST) counterparts and argued against the continuing prejudice against the employment of NNEST’s by certain employers in certain countries.

The idea behind the post was not to suggest that NNEST’s are better than NEST’s, merely that there are some areas of language teaching where they have an advantage. I wanted to remind NNEST’s of these strengths and encourage them to assert themselves and feel more confident in both their teaching and when applying for jobs.

I also wasn’t trying to suggest that NEST’s can’t do anything about these issues as I think they can. There are lots of things that NEST’s can do, like learning the language of the country where they live or learning any other language, but that wasn’t the point of the post. NEST’s don’t need that article as much as NNEST’s needed one about their strengths, I felt. NEST’s are the ones who can go to virtually any country in the world and be guaranteed some kind of job. This article was not for them.

The response to the post was pretty overwhelming, as for many native and non-native teachers alike it provoked strong reactions, predominantly in support I’m pleased to say. Thanks to Marek for asking me to write it, and thanks to everyone who commented on the blog, Twitter and Facebook, and who shared it with their networks. I was delighted that it caused such a reaction, as this is an issue that we should feel outraged about, and as with any form of prejudice, it will take many people getting organised, getting together and doing something about it. I hope this is an early step in encouraging this process.

This situation won’t change overnight, but every small push by every one of us will eventually make a huge difference. If you want to find out what you can do next, check below for a list of possible next actions that I’ve written. I hope it will encourage you to do what you can to contribute.

If You’re A NNEST…

If you’ve been turned down for jobs because of your nationality, don’t give up. Make sure potential employers know the qualities you have, and if they still don’t want to employ you, then you probably don’t want to work for them anyway.

Get organised. Form a group with other local teachers and put pressure on employers. Speak to your local association (see below) and ask for their support.

If you’re in the EU, remind the employer that advertising that includes native only restrictions is illegal (more information here).

If you’re a success story, share your story. Tell everyone about how you managed to do the thing you love and contact Marek and Katalin so they can put it on their website.

If You’re A NEST…

Speak to your management if you know they have a NEST only policy and try to make them rethink it. If you’ve profited from a policy based on a prejudice, then you have a responsibility to try and stop it.

If You’re A Student…

Trust the people who organise the lessons and teach them – don’t ask for a native English teacher. And if they only employ natives, you could tell them that English is an international language and you would like to hear a variety of accents, as well as have a great role model. If you do this you may well help some wonderful local teachers in the process.

If You’re An Association Member or Organiser…

Take a stand, just as TESOL France has. Earlier this year, they refused to accept any more job adverts that insisted on NESTs only. Why can’t your association do something similar?

If You’re An Employer…

You are the person that we’re trying to persuade. Decide what kind of school you want to run, one that wishes to offer the best quality lessons for its students and to play a positive role in the local community, or a short term profit machine. Employ the best people based on the qualifications and experience, regardless of their birthplace, whether that’s thousands of kilometres away or around the corner

Speak to your students. You might claim that they only want NESTs, but what is this based on? What I’ve found is that they aren’t really that fussed and that they know the truth, which is that the only thing they need is a great teacher. If you believe it too, everyone will be better off.

And everyone can contribute by…

…challenging this prejudice head on. Send them these blog posts so they can see examples of how their thinking is becoming outdated.