Native speaker

A native speaker is someone who learned to speak a language as part of their childhood development. A native speaker's language is usually the language their parents speak and/or the language of their country of origin. It is the only language of a monolingual person, and likely the first language of a multilingual person which is acquired naturally in their native environment. It may serve as the basis for their sociolinguistic identity.

A native speaker of a language has the following traits:

1. The speaker learnt the language in childhood,
2. mastery of idiomatic forms of the language,
3. comprehension of regional and social variance,
4. fluent, spontaneous production and comprehension of discourse.
5. Mastery of the grammar and vocabulary of the language tacitly.

Many employers of language teachers prefer native speakers.

Alternative Perspectives on Native-Like Proficiency

While the traditional definition of a native speaker is tied to early childhood language acquisition, some linguistic researchers argue that native-like proficiency can be achieved later in life through full immersion and mastery.

A speaker who meets the following criteria may be indistinguishable from a native speaker, despite learning the language beyond childhood:

1. Fluency and spontaneity in discourse, without hesitation.
2. Mastery of idiomatic expressions, cultural references, and regional variations.
3. Pronunciation and accent that align with native norms.
4. Tacit understanding of grammar and natural usage patterns.
5. Social and professional functionality identical to a native speaker.

This perspective aligns with research in second language acquisition and the concept of near-native proficiency, where individuals acquire full linguistic competence comparable to those who learned the language as their first language. Studies in applied linguistics suggest that sustained immersion and high-level practice can result in functional nativeness, even if the language was not acquired from birth.

While traditional definitions emphasize early exposure, some scholars advocate for a distinction between biological nativeness (acquired in childhood) and functional nativeness (achieved through extensive mastery).

Further reading

• Davies, A. (2004). The native speaker in applied linguistics. In A.Davies & C. Elder (Eds.), The handbook of applied linguistics (pp. 431-450). Oxford, UK: Blackwell

References

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