Today’s ‘native’ English speaker typically hails from Great Britain but
present day English evolved from a mix of languages like Latin, French and
German. Typically, ‘native speakers’ of English come from both Great Britain
and the United States of America, hence the internationally recognized
divisions of the English language into ‘British English’ (BE) and American
English (AmE).
It is also no mystery too, how an Asian, Sir Vidhadhar S. Naipaul who was born, educated and spent his early years in Trinidad or an African,
Nigeria’s Professor Wole Soyinka, who had all his basic education in his own country, could become Nobel Literature Prize Laureates, thrilling
and captivating every audience both in writing and in speech. The rules of
correct English grammar, spelling and syntax have been seared into their consciousness right
from childhood. When creativity and imagination is added to this, it becomes an
irresistible mix.
Ibiyemi Ogunlana, BA (Ife); MILD
(Lagos)
It is a widely held belief that the ‘non native’ speaker of English is
from any other country even if he was born in the aforementioned countries and
knows no other language.
The international proof reader who is a non native speaker of the English
Language is sometimes faced with the challenge of being regarded as less
competent than the native speaker but this is a perception that can often be
changed by providing practical evidence of his language proficiency.
Due to colonial influence and in recognition of its spread, the English
Language has become the official language of several countries, especially in
post colonial Africa and India where it is the main language of instruction in
educational institutions. You therefore have other climes where the English
language is officially the second language but it actually plays a primary role in
foundational education.
School pupils in these countries are usually carefully taught the basic rules of English grammar,
syntax and punctuation which they also apply orally, unlike in today’s ‘native’
English environments where the language has become diluted with so much slang
and the only people who actually speak ‘Queen’s English’ are British television
newscasters and the Queen of Britain herself!
A look at the spellings and grammar in any online ‘English’ forum of
native speakers will reveal the actual extent to which the average 'native' speaker is skilled
in the use of the language.
On the other hand however, the ‘non native’ speaker usually takes the
pains to really apply the principles of the language as he has been taught. It
is no wonder then that foreign students,
in the arts especially,(who had their early basic education in their native
countries) studying in British and American institutions of higher learning,
often produce brilliant and correctly worded essays in the course of their
studies - they have firmly grounded language skills.
The non native speaker does not ‘own’ the English language so to speak,
but when he learns to take the ‘threads’ and ‘pieces’ of the language and weave
them into beautiful literary works of art or even gains sufficient proficiency
to become a teacher of the language in an English institution of higher
learning, he becomes a ‘master’ and ‘wordsmith’ of his adopted language.
The one who seeks a proof reader would thus do well to remember that a
person can become a ‘native’ and expert user/critic of a language through study
and self application, regardless of his origins or where he acquired his basic
education.
