Status of Native Arabic-Speaking Teachers of English in the Arab Gulf States.

A very large number of teachers of English are nonnative who speak British, Australian, Canadian, Indian, or other varieties of English. Their native speaking-English colleagues and English Language Program administrators often underestimate their strengths as EFL/ ESL teachers. Native English speakers without teaching qualifications are more likely to be employed as EFL/ESL teachers than qualified and experienced nonnative English-speaking teachers (NNESTs), especially in the Arab Gulf States. Much research has been conducted on the status of the NNESTs in the United States. but none has tackled their situation in their home countries, such as the Arab teachers of English in the Arab World, especially in the Arab Gulf States. Annually, universities in these countries graduate thousands of BA, MA and PhD holders in EFL or ESL. These graduates might be jobless in the very near future due to the discrimination in the hiring practices in favor of Native English-speaking teachers (NESTs). The aim of this paper, therefore, is to address this issue, and to suggest a solution to the problem. The paper ends with suggestions for a solution to current chronic situation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]