Нова українська школа: методика навчання англійської мови у 3-4 класах закладів загальної середньої освіти на засадах компетентнісного підходу - Крістіна Карпюк 2020

1.4. Who speaks/learns/teaches English?
1. Mini-Encyclopaedia

There were times when English was mostly spoken only in the area of England but even then there were some outsiders who were willing to learn it in order to socialise with the native speakers of English. By virtue of numerous conquests, there were many different colonies made by the English which are now independent countries with people who also fully or partially speak English, using their own accents (USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the West Indies and so on).

This famous language is learnt at schools, colleges and universities as part of the curriculum by children and youth or at private institutes by people who have made their own choice to study it for some certain reasons like travelling or work.

English is taught in various countries all over the world to people who are from 3-4 years old to those who are at a rather old age. Their teachers are folks who help them acquire knowledge and skills in this language. These educators can be native as well as non-native English speakers. There is a common belief that a person whose first language is English can teach it better than a foreigner. As a result, there are situations when native speakers get jobs as English teachers just because it is their mother tongue, although they can be completely unqualified in this sphere. However, knowing a language and being able to teach it are two different things. That is why there is another opinion about this situation - a nonnative speaker can describe, explain and teach English better than a native one, since he/she ’knows’ what it is like when English is a foreign language to you.

Today we have different English teaching and learning programmes in English-speaking countries and many foreigners start studying this language at a very young age which makes them speak it just as fluently and nicely as native speakers do.