Self-perceived Non-nativeness in Prospective English Teachers' Self-images

Abstract: The native speaker fallacy has been identified as one of the most prevailing and harmful language ideologies to affect non-native speaker teachers (NNSTs) around the world. By examining how participants' self-perceived non-nativeness shape their self-images as prospective English teachers in Colombia, this mix-method study seeks to contribute to expand this body of research in the Latin American context. Findings in this study revealed a dichotomy in participants' self-perceptions: though they do not regard their non-nativeness as a potential problem in their future careers because of their ongoing education and their advantages as NNSTs, they see themselves in an unfavorable position compared to native speaker teachers concerning their "non-ideal language ability and cultural knowledge."