Native-like English Speaking Proficiency: A Dream Come True?

Abstract

Most teachers of English as a foreign language (EFL, hereafter) in Thailand who have seen their students struggle through the painstaking process of learning English must be startled by a claim made by some language schools that through the schools' teaching method of natural approach, EFL adult learners can become near native when speaking English.With this claim, EFL teachers, as well as adult learners, would probably like to know if it is possible to achieve native-like English proficiency, or at least to become near native when speaking English. This paper attempts to address this issue by looking at similarities and differences between first language acquisition (FLA, hereafter), which is the acquisition of native speakers, and second language acquisition (SLA, hereafter), which is the acquisition of adult L2 learners, as well as to provide some evidence supporting each position.