Teaching behaviour of LETs and NETs in Hong Kong: differences perceived by secondary students

Coming from different linguistic backgrounds, non-native English speaking teachers (NNESTs) and their native counterparts may exhibit different teaching behaviours in classrooms. Having a better understanding of these differences may assist teachers to reflect upon teaching and enable teacher educators to better prepare trainees for their professional life. This paper reports on a study which investigated students' perceptions of the teaching behaviour of local English teachers (LETs) and native English teachers (NETs) in Hong Kong. Data were collected through 196 completed questionnaires and 10 semi-structured group interviews with students. Results show remarkable perceived differences in classroom atmosphere, classroom language use, teacher attitudes towards discipline, teaching approaches, and teaching objectives. Results also show what elements constitute an interesting lesson to students. This paper concludes with recommendations for classroom teaching practices and suggestions for future research.