The present paper focuses on the much debated issue of native and nonnative speakers as teachers
of English. After offering a brief literature review of the research which has been conducted on the
differences between native and nonnative teachers, it reports on the design and outcomes of a study carried
out to obtain a deeper insight into student and teacher perceptions of the influence of native and nonnative
teachers on the English language classroom. The results are enlightening, as both groups comprised in the
sample find relevant differences between the pedagogical behaviour of native and nonnative teachers, with
the students’ preferences for native teachers increasing with academic level, and with the teachers valuing
their presence from the Primary Education stage.