Native-Speakerism and Trans-Speakerism: Entering a New Era

By: Takaaki Hiratsuka

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Synopsis: Native-speakerism is a deeply embedded prejudice that perpetuates unequal power dynamics in language education. By introducing the liberating concept of trans-speakerism, this innovative book dismantles prevalent biases and reshapes the discourse in the field. It proposes inclusive designations such as global speaker of English (GSE), global teacher of English (GTE), and global Englishes researcher (GER), and urges a shift away from labels that maintain marginalization. By systematically reviewing previous studies, it challenges native-speakerism, and seeks to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion for all language speakers, teachers and researchers – transcending the limitations imposed by speakerhood statuses. The volume features the voices of non-native English-speaking (NNES) secondary school teachers, graduate students, and university professors in Japan, highlighting the strengths, interests, and uniqueness of language practitioners and researchers – both intellectually and emotionally. It ultimately encourages all language educators, researchers, and policymakers to oppose biases, welcome linguistic diversity, and develop inclusive language education environments.