Can you become a native speaker? 🤨

Examining the nuances of native speaker identity

While scrolling through social media, I came across a post with my title as the caption, by someone in the process of becoming a linguist from a well-regarded university. They suggested that by thinking, feeling, and imitating native speakers, it is possible that you too, can become one. They gave themselves as an example, stating that they are more comfortable speaking in English than they are in Japanese. This raised a few questions for me:

• Is it possible for someone who code-switches and thinks and feels in multiple languages to be considered a native speaker?

  • Example: Annie from a mixed background is comfortable speaking in a specific language depending on who she talks to with her friends and family and is highly proficient in them. She also thinks, feels, dreams and even involuntarily curses different languages. Does this mean she’s a native speaker in the languages she speaks?

• What about people who have emotional diaspora? Does the experience of not fitting in with native speakers limit one’s language skills to just being highly proficient?

  • Example: Jo was born in America to an immigrant family who predominantly speaks Thai at home. While he was still exposed to English in everyday life, he was also home schooled with his relatives until he GED and attended college. He feels he’s too American to be Thai and too Thai to be American. He claims to think and feel in both languages but sometimes it isn’t enough. Is he a native speaker of Thai or English?

• Is it just me, or is this post misleading?

  • In the future, can I label myself as a native Japanese speaker?! 有り得ないでしょう！

I couldn’t find all the answers I wanted on the internet, so I grabbed a well-loved textbook from my shelf. While it was published in 2013, my novice self still thinks it’s excellent material. 😅

The TL; DR: is at the bottom of this post. 💛

Native Speakers, Heritage Speakers, Proficient Bilingual and Multilingual Speakers 📣

Native speakers are characterized as individuals who have been raised with a specific language as their primary language, usually since birth or a young age, and have acquired fluency and expertise in that language through regular use and natural exposure in their daily routines. When we talk about “native speakers,” we are usually referring to those who have learned a language naturally, at home, and have reached a high level of proficiency without formal teaching.

Defining a “native speaker” can be complicated, especially when considering individuals who are bilingual or multilingual and have different degrees of language proficiency. Despite this, the term “native speaker” is still used to identify individuals who have acquired a language as their first language and have a strong command of it.

Language acquisition and proficiency vary between native speakers and heritage speakers. In most cases, individuals become native speakers of a language by acquiring it as their first and primary language, typically during childhood. Through natural exposure and everyday usage, they become fluent and proficient in that language. On the other hand, a heritage speaker is someone who has a familial or cultural tie to a particular language, but might not have learned it as their first language or may have varying degrees of proficiency.

Here are the key differences between native speakers and heritage speakers¹:

1. Language Acquisition:

   • Native Speaker: The language is usually acquired as the first and primary language by individuals through natural exposure at home from birth or early childhood.

   • Heritage Speaker: Their connection to the language comes from family or cultural ties, even if it isn't their first language. Heritage speakers may have acquired the language at a later stage or have different levels of proficiency in it.

2. Proficiency:

   • Native Speaker: Generally showcases a high level of proficiency and fluency in the language, often demonstrating native-like command of grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation.

   • Heritage Speaker: Proficiency in the language can vary from native-like fluency to limited proficiency, influenced by factors like language exposure, use, and formal instruction.

3. Language Use:

   • Native Speaker: Uses the language as their primary means of communication in everyday life and is fully integrated into the language community.

   • Heritage Speaker: May use the language in specific contexts, such as with family members or within cultural settings, but their use of the language may be more limited compared to native speakers.

4. Cultural Connection:

   • Native Speaker: Often has a deep cultural and societal connection to the language, as it is the language of their community and upbringing.

   • Heritage Speaker: Typically has a cultural or familial connection to the language, often stemming from their family’s linguistic background or heritage, but may not have the same level of cultural immersion as native speakers.

✳️ Can you be a native speaker in more than one language?

Yes, you can! Individuals raised in a bilingual or multilingual environment with extensive exposure to and use of multiple languages from an early age can achieve native-like proficiency in two or more languages. High levels of proficiency are crucial for second language speakers to converge on native-like language processing.

Even heritage speakers, who have different levels of proficiency in their native language due to language contact, can show similar processing patterns to native speakers when they are highly proficient in their heritage language.

People who grow up in multilingual environments and use multiple languages extensively from an early age can develop high proficiency in two or more languages as if they were their native tongues.

✴️ Can you become a native speaker in a second language you learned as a teen or adult?

Based on my rabbit-hole research, it is clear that achieving "native speaker" proficiency in a second language as a teenager or adult is challenging. However, there is evidence that individuals can attain levels of proficiency that are comparable to native speakers. Factors such as the age at which the language is acquired, language aptitude, cultural and social influences, as well as instructional methods, all play a role in shaping the language abilities of older second language learners.

Research in the field of second language acquisition indicates that individuals can reach a level of proficiency in a second language that is akin to native speakers, even if acquired later in life. However, there is a line usually drawn between being a native and a native-like speaker.

From what I observed, when it comes to language proficiency, people don’t usually care if you’re a native speaker if you already are native-like in every aspect of he language. With your amazing abilities, nobody will question you and you would definitely pass as a native speaker.

However, older learners should proudly embrace their native-like proficiency badge instead of claiming to be native speakers. Achieving a high level of fluency in a second language demands great dedication and effort, which is a praiseworthy accomplishment. This achievement also serves as motivation for others, demonstrating that it is indeed possible.

📝 TL; DR: Key Takeaways

1. Native Speakers vs. Heritage Speakers:

   • Native Speakers: Acquire a language as their first and primary language through natural exposure at home from birth or early childhood, demonstrating high proficiency and fluency.

   • Heritage Speakers: Have a cultural or familial tie to a language, may have acquired it at a later stage, and exhibit varying levels of proficiency.

2. Language Acquisition:

   • Native Speaker: Acquires the language naturally at home from birth or early childhood.

   • Heritage Speaker: Connection to the language comes from family or cultural ties, may not be their first language.

3. Proficiency:

   • Native Speaker: Shows high proficiency and fluency, often with native-like command of grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation.

   • Heritage Speaker: Proficiency varies from native-like fluency to limited proficiency.

4. Language Use:

   • Native Speaker: Uses the language as their primary means of communication in everyday life.

   • Heritage Speaker: May use the language in specific contexts, with potentially more limited use compared to native speakers.

5. Cultural Connection:

   • Native Speaker: Deep cultural and societal connection to the language.

   • Heritage Speaker: Has a cultural or familial connection to the language, but may not have the same level of cultural immersion as native speakers.

6. Being a Native Speaker in Multiple Languages:

   • Individuals raised in bilingual or multilingual environments can achieve native-like proficiency in multiple languages.

   • Even heritage speakers can exhibit similar processing patterns to native speakers when highly proficient in their heritage language.

7. Becoming a Native Speaker in a Second Language:

   • Achieving "native speaker" proficiency in a second language as a teenager or adult is challenging but possible.

   • Factors such as age of acquisition, language aptitude, cultural influences, and instructional methods influence proficiency levels.

   • Individuals can reach proficiency levels comparable to native speakers in a second language acquired later in life, though a distinction is often made between being a native and a native-like speaker.

1. Bhatia, T. K., & Ritchie, W. C. (Eds.). (2013). The Handbook of Bilingualism and Multilingualism (2nd ed.). Malden, MA, Oxford, and Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell.