EUROPEAN COUNTRIES / AGILITYPR.NEWS / May 21, 2025 / To mark World Day for Cultural Diversity (21 May), the British Council, the UK’s international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities, shares a clear message: in a multilingual and globalised world, judging an English teacher’s ability based on where they were born is not only inaccurate but also biased.

For decades, the idea of native speakerism -the belief that only those who acquired a language naturally from early childhood are truly qualified to teach it- has shaped how English is taught, influencing both hiring practices and the expectations of students and parents. But this belief is increasingly being challenged by experts, research, and the British Council’s own experience, which supports a more inclusive model of education, grounded in today’s global and diverse reality.

'English doesn’t belong to any one country or group. It’s a global communication tool, a living language that is constantly evolving and enriched by every person who uses it, no matter their accent', says Andrew McMullen, Teaching Excellence Project Manager at the British Council.

This approach is backed by the report The Future of English: Global Perspectives, which explores how traditional “native speaker” norms are becoming less relevant in a world where English is mainly used as a lingua franca among people from varied linguistic and cultural backgrounds.

What makes a good English teacher?

In some European countries, the myth still lingers that so-called 'native' teachers offer a superior learning experience. But the evidence -and experience- suggests otherwise: what truly makes a difference is a teacher’s training, expertise, empathy, and pedagogical skills. 'Many teachers who have learned English as an additional language are better able to understand the challenges their students face and bring more effective strategies to help them overcome those challenges'', McMullen explains.

A recent internal survey conducted by the British Council among more than 350 education professionals reveals strong consensus: including teachers regardless of their mother tongue improves the quality of education and reflects the diversity of English as it is spoken around the world.

'Accent should never be a reason to exclude someone. Preparing students to communicate effectively in English means exposing them to a range of accents, registers and real-world contexts. This variety mirrors the situations they’ll face in their professional and personal lives, where English is used in many ways depending on the speaker and the context', says Deni Savvidou, Director of Studies at the British Council in Madrid. 'In fact, even within the UK itself, accents vary widely. Only a small minority of speakers use so-called Received Pronunciation (RP), which prompts us to question what we mean by ‘standard accent’. Rather than promoting imitation of a single model, our goal is to teach a clear, accurate and internationally intelligible form of English', she adds.

'In this context, intelligibility -not the imitation of a particular accent- should be the key. This approach responds to the real communication needs of our learners in a globalised world and supports a more inclusive vision of English as an international language', Savvidou adds.

English language teaching must reflect the linguistic and cultural reality of an increasingly interconnected world. That’s why the British Council promotes a model that values teachers’ actual skills and invites us to rethink the outdated categories of 'native' and 'non-native' in favour of a broader and more inclusive understanding of language knowledge.

The British Council has led global initiatives to challenge stereotypes in English language teaching. From reviewing its own recruitment policies to publishing key research, such as the article Native speakerism: what is it and why does it matter?, the organisation is committed to driving structural change across the sector.

'World Day for Cultural Diversity is the perfect moment to remember that, like culture, language is a shared human asset. Promoting inclusion in English teaching is not only an act of fairness; it’s an investment in quality, representation and the future', McMullen concludes.