KEY BREAKING THE "NATIVE SPEAKER" MYTH: NEW STANDARDS FOR GLOBAL ENGLISH PEDAGOGY
Abstract
This article explores the term “ Native speaker” and myth about Native – speakerism. The importance and equality of non – native English speakers and their experiences. Effective teaching is determined by methodology, not nativeness, and that NNESTs play a crucial role in English education, examines the shifting paradigms in English Language Teaching (ELT), specifically addressing the move away from the "Native speaker" concept as the "golden standard." For decades, the field has been dominated by "native-speakerism," which created unattainable phonological goals for learners and led to the marginalization of Non-Native English Speaking Teachers (NNESTs). At a time when English has risen to the level of a global lingua franca, traditional focus on Western native norms should no longer be the primary objective.