Native Speaker Standard is a Myth | Anna Mendoza | TEDxHKU

For those who are learning an additional language, have you felt lagging behind because you are not talking or writing like a “native speaker”? You are not alone - and you do not need to worry. Arguing that there is no perfectly native speaker of any language, Anna - a multilingual having been based in Canada, the Philippines and Hong Kong herself - will give a talk about how the “native speaker standard” is not only scientifically unsound but also detrimental to language learning. By sharing how else proficiency should be measured, she provides consolation to her fellow multilinguals, and those that are struggling to learn a new language. Dr. Anna Mendoza grew up in Hong Kong, Manila and Vancouver as a multilingual. Now an Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Education at the University of Hong Kong, specialising in applied linguistics, her research revolves around multilinguals like her. Before joining HKU, she did a PhD and a Masters degree in Second Language Studies at the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa and the University of British Columbia respectively. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx