E66 - "Being a native speaker isn’t a qualification" (with Meri Maroutian)
Description
In this episode, we dive into the pervasive issue of native speakerism in English Language Teaching with educator and advocate Meri Maroutian.
Meri shares her journey into the profession, the biases she’s faced, and the reflective, practical tools she now offers to help others tackle this issue—like her three-part masterclass designed to dismantle accent bias and outdated teaching models.
We also hear from listeners about how native speakerism has impacted them, and reflect on how all of us—whether classroom teachers, trainers, or administrators—can work toward a more equitable profession.
💡 Reflect with us:
How do your materials, practices, or hiring processes reinforce or challenge native speaker bias? What steps can you take to prioritize qualifications and intelligibility over perceived nativeness?
🎧 Related Resources:
Episode 18 – Book Review: Race, Empire, and English Language Teaching
E46 - Challenging inequities toward multilingual teachers (with Alex Tang & Carine Saucillo)
Connect with Meri:
🎙 This episode is sponsored by Ellii
Use code THINKALOUD for 15% off your first membership term.
Admins can also reach out for a two-month free trial!
#NativeSpeakerism #ELTEquity #MultilingualTeachers #GlobalEnglishes #PronunciationMatters #LanguageEducation #ReflectiveTeaching #TeacherThinkAloud
United States
