Correct meaning of "Native Speaker"

Tom · September 9, 2006, 6:27pm

Hi

I have been using the term [color=red]native speaker without knowing its full meaning! :shock:

Native speaker is the one whose native language is English, wheather he is from England, America, Australia etc. Am I right?

Tom

Bara · September 9, 2006, 10:10pm

Hi

[color=red]Native speaker is a noun that means someone who has spoken a particular language since they were a baby, rather than having learnt it as a child or adult. For instant:

All our teachers are native speakers of English.
A native-speaker dictionary

Kind Regards
Baraa

Tamara · September 10, 2006, 10:47am

Hi

baby vs. child ?

Baraa, are you sure that it’s always connected with the age of a learner?

I remember how one good guy, a professional programmer, once said – seriously - “You know, my native language is C++”.

And what about children grown up in ‘two-language’ families?

Mister_Micawber · September 10, 2006, 11:24am

.
from Oxford:

[i]native speaker

• noun a person who has spoken the language in question from earliest childhood.[/i]

from Encarta:

[i]na·tive speak·er (plural na·tive speak·ers)
noun
Definition:

first-language speaker: a speaker of a language learned in infancy[/i]

Tamara · September 10, 2006, 11:39am

OK.
Thanks.

Tom · September 10, 2006, 3:25pm

Thanks, Mr. Micawber!

Does language in question mean the language that is being discussed?

Tom

Yankee · September 10, 2006, 5:11pm

Hi Tom

If you say “native speaker of English”, then the “language in question” is English.

Amy

Tom · September 10, 2006, 6:41pm

Thanks Amy!

How do the following sentences sound to you? Do they sound like normal Englsih to you?

1- My friend was born in India. By the way, he is a native speaker of English.

2- Although Benezir Bhutto was born in Pakistan, she is a native speaker of Englsih!

Tom

Yankee · September 10, 2006, 6:49pm

Your sentences sound fine, Tom, but I think your keyboard must be giving you some trouble this evening (Englsih). :lol:

Bara · September 10, 2006, 7:36pm

Hi Tamara;

The Definition I provided recently is from Cambridge Dictionary. As far as I am concerned; correct me if I am WRONG; Native Speaker in general is the mother tong language.

Tamara Wrote:

“I remember how one good guy, a professional programmer, once said – seriously - “You know, my native language is C++”.”

In my own opinion; when your friend said “my native language “, he implied his talents in C++ program language.

Always willing to hear from ya
Baraa