From their own voices: Nonnative English speaker students' opportunities for practical teaching experience in an MA TESOL program

This study centers on exploring NNS students' perceptions of their experience in an MA TESOL program. In particular, the study addresses the issue of perceived inequity between NS and NNS students in terms of their access to the practical part of the program, i.e., their opportunities to have guided practice teaching experience while studying in the program. Through the combined use of surveys and focus groups, the study captures NNS students' voices, which have rarely been heard before, as they talk about the problems they confronted as NNS TESOL students, render their opinions on the issue of NS-NNS dichotomy and discuss the nature of such problems. The findings unveil the complexity of issues--conceptual, contextual and political--surrounding NS-NNS dichotomy and NNS students' access to teaching in the MA TESOL program. Several suggestions are made to foster a supportive environment in which NNS students can develop and refine their strengths and potentials together with their NS peers as legitimate members of the program.

Name thesis:degree_name

M.A.

Level thesis:degree_level

Thesis

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Teaching English as a Second Language

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2001

Author dc:creator

• Ahn, Jeehae

Contributors dc:contributor

• Noffke, Susan

• Teaching English as Second Language

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright by Jeehae Ahn, 2001

Language dc:language

eng

Handle dc:identifier

https://hdl.handle.net/2142/125863

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/125863