Week 1  (Jan 13 - 19, 2014)

During the first week of the session, participants will

• join the group online meeting place
• exchange introductions and become familiar with the group environments (Google+ or YG)
• read selected articles on the assigned topic 
• participate in a synchronous and asynchronous online discussion on NNEST TESOL Interest Section and NNEST movement ie contextual opportunities and challenges in NNEST issues

Guest Speaker: Ali Fuad Selvi, Ph.D.

Topic: Myths and Misconception about the NNEST Movement

Live session:  January 14, 2 PM GMT

          How to join the live session: http://nnestevo2014.pbworks.com/w/page/72873587/Elluminate_Blackboard

          Direct URL link to chat session: http://learningtimesevents.org/webheads/

          Time conversion. 2 pm GMT, http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/fixedtime.html?msg=NNEST-EVO+Week+1+Live+Chat&iso=20140114T14&ah=1

          Session Recording is at https://sas.elluminate.com/p.jnlp?psid=2014-01-14.0450.M.7AE801FFB697DA460D4BF25AA8C21B.vcr&sid=75 

Readings:

1. Blog post by TESOL President Deena Boraie - http://blog.tesol.org/native-english-speaking-teachers-and-trainers-still-idealized/
2. Selvi (in press) - Myths and Misconceptions about the NNEST Movement.pdf

ORGANIZATION OF THE ARTICLE FOR EASIER NAVIGATION 

• Introduction (p. 1-3)
• Problematization of the native speaker (NS) construct in ELT/Applied Linguistics - (p. 3-5)
• Reconceptualization of the native speaker-nonnative speaker dichotomy - (p. 5-6)
• The TESOL profession under the influence of NS model - (p. 6-8)
• The NNEST movement - (p. 8-10)
• COMMON MYTHS AND MISCONCEPTIONS
• Myth 1 – NNEST movement is for NNESTs (‘I am a NS, and I do not belong here!’) - (p. 10-12)
• Myth 2 – Native speakers are from Venus, non-native speakers from Mars. (‘We are two different species") - (p. 12-15)
• Myth 3 – NESTs are better teachers than NNESTs (or NNESTs are better teachers than NESTs) - (p. 15-17)
• Myth 4 – Learners prefer NESTs over NNESTs (Supply-demand debate) - (p. 17-19)
• Myth 5 – Why NNEST movement? The field of TESOL is discrimination-free - (p. 19-21)
• Myth 6 - Nevertheless we need ‘NS’ as a benchmark to define our goals in TESOL - (p. 21-24)
• Myth/Reality 7 - As long as NNESTs call themselves “NNESTs,” they will perpetuate their marginalization (The nomenclature debate – What’s in a name?) - (p. 24-26)
• Conclusion (p. 27-29)