Who Is Better for Low English Proficiency Learners, Native or Non-native English-Speaking Teachers?

This paper attempts to investigate the opinions of English learners whose English is in the beginner level toward native and non-native English-speaking teachers. 698 university students in a local area of Korea responded to a questionnaire that is composed of two different kinds of questions. The results of an analysis for closed questions reveal that the students prefer the classes of Korean instructors to those of native English-speaking instructors regarding comprehensibility of class, learning achievement, and classroom management. A content analysis of open-ended question shows that 60.5% of the students chose Korean instructors as their English instructor if they had to choose between the native and non-native English-speaking teachers whereas 23.5% of the students expressed their preference for native English-speaking instructors. The main reasons for choosing Korean instructors were comprehensibility and ease of communication, which are related to the use of students' native language. The main reasons for choosing native English speaking instructors were authenticity and a lively classroom atmosphere.