LINGUISTIC ATTITUDES TOWARDS NATIVE AND NON-NATIVE ENGLISH TEACHERS

Interest in the field of the native-speaker factor in English teaching is recent, the starting point being the work by Medgyes (1992). Several studies have explored learner and teacher preferences, although no study has investigated this variable in Galicia (Spain) and, more specifically, at the Bachillerato educational stage (16-18 years). Therefore, this research paper aims to contribute to the existing specific literature by analyzing the attitudes and preferences of students (n=101) and teachers (n=6) towards native and non-native teachers of English in the two Years of Bachillerato and two different secondary schools in Galicia. Data were obtained using a questionnaire (LASAGABASTER; SIERRA, 2005) and two focus groups along with a representative sample of students (n=12) and teachers (n=6), including quantitative and qualitative research methods. The results show a general trend in favor of native teachers of English which becomes more significant as students progress through the educational stages: primary, secondary, and tertiary education. In terms of preference for language category, non-native teachers are preferred for teaching grammar and dealing with assessment issues, while native teachers are preferred for all other categories.