Zheng Huang's book investigates the issue of working conditions of native English-speaking teachers (NESTs) and non-native English-speaking teachers (NNESTs) in the context of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) in China. By employing diary studies, interviews, questionnaires and classroom observations, Huang examines the self-perceptions of NNESTs, the perceptions of non-English major students from Chinese colleges, and the real practices of the two groups of teachers in the classrooms. Huang calls for more collaboration between NESTs and NNESTs, in order to ‘observe and critique one another in a supportive context, leading to improved teaching skills.’ (p. 160)

The book is organized into eight chapters. In the introductory chapter, Huang situates English Language Teaching (ELT) in China's search for modernity and integration into globalization. She highlights the country's ambivalent relationship with its own history and the western powers by looking at issues such as the historical development of ELT in China, ELT's unprecedented popularity in globalization, and the embedded culture of learning among ELT's students as well as the unique features of ELT in China. Huang introduces her research focus at the end of the chapter, and appeals for readers’ attention to ‘judge for themselves whether some of the findings and implications also apply to their contexts’ (p. 14).

Chapter 2 starts by providing the conceptual framework of this research with discussions on the different theories of identity, the difficult definition of (non-)native speakerhood, and the relationship between language, ideology and power. Features of and differences between NESTs and NNESTs are then reviewed from two perspectives: NNESTs’ self-accounts and the students’ feedback, both based on existing literature. Huang holds the view that NNESTs’ professional identity (re)construction is influenced by native speaker (NS) norms, and hence she advocates a poststructuralist view on NNESTs’ professional identity, which highlights the construction of teachers’ subjectivity by integrating language learners and the local teaching contexts rather than taking the NS model as the sole yardstick integrating language learners and the local teaching contexts.

Chapter 3 is devoted to the workings behind this project. The methods, procedures of data collection, research settings and participants, pilot study, data analysis process, as well as ways to present the findings, are delineated respectively.

Chapters 4 and 5 present the voices of Chinese college students and those of NNESTs about the features of and differences between NESTs and NNESTs, based on Huang's study at five universities in Shanghai, one of the most developed and affluent cities in China's eastern coastal region. 480 junior non-English majors are investigated in chapter 4, and the findings drawn from a questionnaire survey and interviews are presented in detail. Huang argues that students hold a positive view towards both NESTs and NNESTs, and that the weaknesses of one group of teachers are not necessarily the reverse of the strengths of the other group. 25 NNESTs are traced in Chapter 5, and an elaborate analysis is performed by comparing their self-perceived strengths and limitations with those of their counterparts through analyses of the NNESTs’ diary entries and focus group interviews, as well as data excerpts from their actual classroom practices. Huang states that the students’ views are generally in agreement with those of the NNESTs, and that NNESTs play a significant role in ELT due to their systematic teaching and their ability to prepare students for examinations. These findings are followed by Chapter 6, which is concerned with the analysis of the professional identity of NNESTs. It explores how native-speakerism ideology – a belief that native-speaker teachers represent ‘western culture’ and are thus the ideals for both the English language and English language teaching methodology – has a negative impact on NNESTs professional identity construction. Data are presented to uncover how most of the NNESTs in this study have managed to construct a rather positive image of their professional identity in spite of the adverse dominant ideology and disempowering discourses of NS in ELT by utilizing their subjectivity and human agency. Apart from the NS myth, testified by numerous other works (e.g. Adamson, Reference Adamson2004; Golombek & Jordan, Reference Golombek and Jordan2005), NNESTs are also affected by globalization in the context of China. Thus, in Chapter 7, Huang focuses on the new challenges NNESTs are facing, such as the difficulty in winning acknowledgement and respect from their students, whose English proficiency is rising fast. It is increasingly hard to meet the ever-increasing demands and expectations for even higher English proficiency, both from the students and from the Chinese government in accordance with China's integration into globalization. A lack of confidence and ease to keep the pace with the learning ideology shifting from being teacher-centered to student-centered is accompanied by China's higher education taking a fundamental change from a college-dominated model into a market-oriented one. After her description of these predicaments, Huang offers in Chapter 8 her recommendations for and reflections on EFL teaching in China. Five specific ways are proposed, namely, cultivating a critical view of the dominant ideology and disempowering discourses of native-speakerism among NNESTs, arousing awareness of World English(es) and English as lingua franca/ English as an international language, taking a liminal view on China English and Chinese English speakers’ non-native speaker identity, functioning positively in glocalizing communicative language teaching, and promoting more collaboration between NESTs and NNESTs. These initiatives are intended to be applied jointly to empower NNESTs as English language teaching professionals and also help NESTs understand the host community and college curriculum, and thus eventually facilitate the improvement of students’ English proficiency.

This book fulfils its purpose by providing a comprehensive analysis of NNESTs and NESTs as ELT teachers in China while incorporating it in China's contemporary education, culture, and policy. Apart from a clear and well-organized structure, this informative and in-depth book presents intensive discussions not only in argumentation but also in case studies and specific examples. Keywords like ‘native-speakerism’ and ‘glocalizing CLT’ act as significant lenses through which NNESTs’ managing with NESTs, their counterparts, and China's global positioning and identity in the context of globalization could be understood. The book does not only offer revealing insights into China's English teaching specifically and Chinese culture in general, but it also provides useful knowledge about fundamental aspects of Chinese history, policy, and society. The excerpts from NNESTs’ diaries and actual classroom practices are discussed in such an elaborate way that they offer a refreshing perspective to help grasp EFL teaching in the Chinese context.

Huang also presents a large quantity of data drawn from literature, questionnaires, interviews and classroom practices, based on her experience in English teaching and empirical research for over ten years. Moreover, topics and discussion tasks implemented around the case studies are presented in the appendixes. These materials, mainly being first-hand, are invaluable sources for research, studies, investigation, policy, and strategies. This book thus possesses its particular strength compared with other English works or papers on China's EFL teaching or TESOL education.

When coming to the weakness, it is found that the voices of NESTs are absent. NESTs are one of the two groups, expected to exhibit their very own perceptions of English proficiency and classroom performances as well as identity construction. It is therefore essential for readers to acquire comparable information on EFL teachers in China. As a combination of both NESTs and NNESTs has been considered preferable in EFL teaching (He & Miller, Reference He and Miller2011), this aspect should have been given emphasis to hold a place in the book. In addition, the book overlooks other regions of China through its sole study on the city of Shanghai. Thus, regions such as the inland and rural areas, which are relatively less developed in terms of having exposure to NESTs, and regions such as Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan, where there exist some disparities from mainland China in the context of EFL, are not considered. This somewhat undermines Huang's claim to examine ELT teachers in China as a whole.

A broader exploration of EFL that exposes the responses from both the NESTs and NNESTs in larger areas in China would be desirable to make up for these shortcomings and to help situate the study within the wider range of foreign and second language teaching throughout the world, which is also the ultimate goal Huang expects to achieve.