Abstract
The language confers to the human being its condition of existence, as a desiring subject inserted in a culture (Revuz, 1998). In the current migratory context, the processes of teaching and learning languages are highlighted. The aim of this article is to present a theoretical review in relation to the conception of a native speaker as a myth (Lippi-Green, 1997; Mariño, 2011; Rajagopalan, 1997) in the field of language teaching. The sociolinguistic perspective of Bagno (2007) is adopted, which proposes linguistic variation as the natural state of languages. From this perspective, the norm-standard functions as an artificial language model, which neutralizes differences. In turn, the concept of native speaker, which has been supporting the teaching of foreign languages, accounts for an ideal subject, not real, therefore, unattainable (Chacón, 2010; Coracini, 2007). These aspects cross the links between professors and students of languages, scenario of our questions.
Keywords
language teaching; linguistic variation; native speaker; myth