native speaker

Meaning

A person who has spoken a particular language from earliest childhood, rather than learning it as a foreign language later in life. It implies natural, intuitive fluency in that language.

Examples

• Even if you aren't a native speaker, you can still achieve a professional level of fluency.

  Even if you aren't a native speaker, you can still achieve a professional level of fluency.

• Our school prefers to hire a native speaker for the conversation classes.

  Our school prefers to hire a native speaker for the conversation classes.

• To improve my accent, I try to mimic how a native speaker pronounces difficult vowels.

  To improve my accent, I try to mimic how a native speaker pronounces difficult vowels.

• As a native speaker of Spanish, she found it easy to learn Portuguese.

  As a native speaker of Spanish, she found it easy to learn Portuguese.

• The textbook examples sound a bit formal compared to how a native speaker actually talks.

  The textbook examples sound a bit formal compared to how a native speaker actually talks.

Common Mistakes

• ✗ He speaks English like a natural speaker.

  ✓ He speaks English like a native speaker.

  'Natural speaker' is incorrect when referring to first-language acquisition. The standard term is 'native speaker'.

• ✗ I want to practice my English with a native.

  ✓ I want to practice my English with a native speaker.

  Using 'native' on its own to refer to a first-language speaker can sound slightly informal or occasionally offensive. It is safer and more precise to use the full phrase 'native speaker'.

Related Expressions

Practice

• Although he lived in France for ten years, he is not a ___ of French.

  💡 Someone who spoke the language from early childhood.

  Show answer

  native speaker

• It's always helpful to have a ___ proofread your academic paper before submission.

  💡 A person who grew up speaking the language.

  Show answer

  native speaker