SGS Hosts First International Virtual Lecture on Native Speakerism in ELT Featuring Language Expert from UH Mānoa

In partnership with the Internationalization Office, led by its director, Dr. Wendell Glenn P. Cagape, the School of Graduate Studies (SGS), led by Dean Dr. Patricia D. Bahian, conducted a virtual lecture titled “Resisting Native Speakerism in ELT: ELF and Decolonial Possibilities for Philippine English” on June 11, 2025, via Zoom. The event was facilitated by JHCSC Associate Professor IV, Mr. Carlo Rule, and attended by graduate studies students.

“It is with great passion that we embark on another chapter of scholarly engagement,” said Dr. Bahian in her welcome remarks. She emphasized that the activity marks the beginning of collaborative academic endeavors and expressed hope that it would inspire more partnerships with universities across the globe.

The lecture’s distinguished speaker was Prof. Jayson Parba, a Filipino Assistant Professor in the Department of Indo-Pacific Languages and Literatures at the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa. He also serves as the Coordinator and Academic Advisor of the Filipino Language & Culture Program. Dr. Parba earned his PhD in Second Language Studies from UH Mānoa. He has published in several international journals, including TESOL Quarterly, Critical Inquiry in Language Studies, and Linguistics and Education. In 2023, he received UH Mānoa’s Presidential Citation for Meritorious Teaching.

Prof. Parba’s presentation explored core topics such as contextualizing Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL), talking about some assumptions in English Language Teaching (ELT), exposing native speakerism and unequal Englishes, and reframing English as a Foreign Language (EFL). He emphasized that the field of TESOL is composed mainly of non-native English-speaking educators who can serve as powerful role models for students. He stressed that the most crucial thing in English as a Lingua Franca today is intelligibility, encouraging future educators to embrace their accents rather than change them.

He also addressed the idea of linguistic insecurity—often rooted in unrealistic expectations of monolingual, “perfect” English. “We often imagine language as something fixed, with perfect grammar and sounding like a white, middle-class speaker, shaped by colonial standards. These ideas, he argued, distort perceptions of language competence and hinder confidence among educators and learners.

Quoting Kubota (2019), Prof. Parba concluded his presentation by saying, “Teachers are encouraged to make informed judgments by constantly questioning assumptions, understanding contextual meanings, and reflecting on their own biases.”

The open forum that followed saw active participation from Graduate Studies students, who raised thoughtful questions. Prof. Parba appreciated their active engagement, and his insights encouraged future educators to see themselves as competent professionals in the field of language education.

To further inspire the participants, he shared his personal journey of learning English. He recalled struggling with grammar during his early college years. Rather than be discouraged, he turned the experience into motivation, spending time in the library, reading, and applying the “Noticing Hypothesis” in second language acquisition: notice the input, then practice it.

“I hope you were inspired, and I hope you continue the mission of language teaching in the Philippines,” Prof. Parba said in closing, thanking the participants for their active engagement and JHCSC for the invitation.

This event marks a historic first for JHCSC, as it invited an international language expert from the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa—an important milestone in its internationalization efforts and strengthening academic linkages abroad as part of its journey toward universityhood.