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 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 proofreader 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 the second language but actually plays a
primary role in foundational education.
These ‘foreign’ pupils are carefully taught the basic
rules of 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 extent to which the average 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 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.
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 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.
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 proofreader 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.
Ibiyemi
Adetoro, BA (Ife); MILD (Lagos)
