RETHINKING THE CONCEPT OF A NATIVE SPEAKER

Abstract

For language teaching, the exchange of experience both at the regional and international levels is a prerequisite for the development of this professional and academic field. The concept of a native speaker is one of the key concepts of linguodidactic discourse. The preferred foreign language teaching strategy by the professional community depends on what meanings and values are contained in this concept. The term ‘native speaker’ is considered formed, established and unproblematic for intercultural communication, although the definitional analysis of Russian and English dictionary entries has revealed that there is a difference in the understanding of these terms. The article discusses the English and Russian concepts behind the term and describes the modern structure, content and features of the functioning of these concepts in discourse in a comparative aspect. The analysis shows that the English-language and Russian-language concepts have more differences than similarities, which is reflected in the role of a native speaker in teaching foreign languages.