believed to contribute effectively to English Language Teaching ELT field for having their own experiences as both English language learners and teachers.
2. Non-NESTs can teach language-learning strategies more effectively
Learning strategies are one of many factors that have a big contribution in picking up a language effectively. According to Wenden and Rubin 1987, learning strategies are
specific actions that can facilitate the learners to be proficient in the particular language. This facilitation does not only ease the process of learning, but also make the process goes
faster and more enjoyable, and more transferrable to any situations Oxford, 1990c. Everyone has their own way of learning; the learning strategies which are effective to be
utilized by one person might not be effective for another. However, Medyges 1992 asserts that Non-NESTs as successful second language
learners should be aware of learning strategies which are effective or not for them to utilize. Therefore, they should know how to share that learning strategies to the students.
Lagabaster and Sierra 2005 also share the same belief as Medyges‟ 1992. They state that NNESTs were seen by students to be very good at sharing effective learning strategies. In
addition to that, some students in Mahboob‟s 2004 study also mentioned about the quality of NNESTs which contributes to their preference
– NNESTs are believed to hold the ability to teach in the most effective and efficient way as they have experienced being a
learner too. In conclusion, they can be a better informant than their NEST colleagues in assisting their learners to effective learning strategies.
3. Non-NESTs can provide more information about the English Language
In their teaching behavior, Non-NESTs are proven to be more insightful than the NESTs Medyges, 1992. This is due to the different process of learning English that they
have gone through. As NESTs acquire their language unconsciously, they might not understand the internal mechanism of the language use Reves and Medyges, 1994.
According to Arva and Medgyes 2000 study, “Nonnative teachers had a far superior meta cognitive knowledge of English grammar.” Their idea has also supported Medyges‟ 1992
idea that Non-NESTs can give the learners more relevant information about the language. Non-NESTs have richer knowledge of the language, which they got during their learning
process. Hence, they can tell the learners of what is easy and difficult in the learning process as well as the way to anticipate it.
4. Non-NESTs are better at anticipating and preventing language difficulties
For the Non-NESTs who have the same background as the students, who learn English as a second language, Non-NESTs are more intrinsically aware of language
difficulties in learning the language. It will require them little time and energy to spot the difficulties that can emerge from learning the language. According to Medyges 1992,
most Non-NESTs and those who have been in the job for a long time will already have the ability to predict what might go wrong, with fair accuracy, before the students ask them
questions. The students in Cheung and Braine‟s 2007 study also believed that Non- NESTs understood their difficulty in learning the language.
NESTs can actually be a good anticipator for language difficulties as well. However, there is a condition required for them to be one. NESTs who have been staying in
one place for a long time are the ones who are more likely to be aware of the language problems of their students than those who move from place to place. Unfortunately,
however good and well-informed NESTs can be in linguistic problems that students might encounter, Non-NESTs, especially those who teach in a monolingual class has the more
knowledge to anticipate and prevent both the linguistic problems and the cross-cultural difficulties that can happen during the learning process Medyges, 1992.
5. Non-NESTs can be more empathetic to the learners’ needs and problems
