(CLIL, NEST/NNEST) Webinar Library
Downgrading NEST: Creating a path for CLIL teacher identity
It is important to highlight that undertaking a CLIL approach depends on a range of situational and contextual variables. Thus, teachers must raise their understanding of CLIL pedagogies needed to successfully teach content and language, while ensuring effective learning. There are still inaccurate misconceptions surrounding the notion that CLIL pedagogy can only be delivered by a Native English-Speaking Teacher (NEST), thereby denying/ignoring the importance of valuable pedagogical preparation that is needed for such CLIL endeavors and merely relying on the value of the language expertise and its “authentic” feel of the conversation. Although linguists have challenged the dichotomy between NEST and NONNEST for the past few decades, there is a growing consensus to move away from associating nativeness with a series of characteristics naturally belonging to a specific group of speakers of a language. Yet CLIL is becoming an excuse to relabel teachers, perpetuating strongly ingrained beliefs—and therefore producing dangerous long-lasting effects on language learning and teaching. The presentation will highlight a possible taxonomy of skills/competencies required for the highly effective CLIL teacher, thereby demystifying the notion of NEST, while providing a clear framework that outlines skills, competences, and characteristics required for successful CLIL delivery.
About Jermaine S. McDougald
Jermaine S. McDougald holds an M.A. in Teaching English as a Foreign Language, a Specialization in Educational Management and a Specialization in University Teaching. He is the Director of Faculty and Research and Editor of the Latin American Journal of Content & Language Integrated Learning, Universidad de La Sabana (Colombia). He actively publishes both nationally and internationally. He is also an Academic Specialist consulting on bilingual projects with the Colombian Ministry of Education and the British Council. His current research interest includes CLIL, ICTs in ELT, Teacher Training and International Education. He is the director of the research group: LALETUS – Language Learning and Teaching Universidad de La Sabana.
