What is the best term to describe a “native English speaker who is an American”?

Question

When applying for English teaching jobs, I want to describe myself as a "native speaker of English who has an American accent" since most companies in Europe want native speakers to teach English courses and they usually have a preference for one accent or another (American, British, Australian, etc.).

What is the best term for this, e.g. "I am a...":

• American native speaker of English (good?)
• American English native speaker (good?)
• native speaker of American English (best?)
• native American English speaker ("native American" could be confused with being an American Indian)

Answer 1

"American English native speaker" actually sounds a bit odd to me, though I am not a native speaker of American English myself.

I would go with "native speaker of American English", as I have just done. If you read nohat's full disclosure, he seems to agree.

Edit: I see that you have edited your question, so you seem to agree yourself now that "native speaker of American English" is the way to go.

One more thing: I read "American native speaker of English" as "someone who is a native speaker of English and lives in the US". That could easily apply to a native Scot who moved to the States.

Answer 2

Your question is a little confusing. You ask for the term referring to a "native English speaker who is an American," and that doesn't quite describe the same category of things as a "native speaker of American English." It's worth noting that the term in your question, "native English speaker who is an American," does, I assume, describe what you're wanting to describe, so I wonder why you just don't go with that.

Horace said, "I strive to be brief and I become obscure." I think that the struggle between brevity and obscurity is part of the difficulty here, especially because graceful brevity usually signifies a beautiful expression. Sometimes, though, the requirement of accuracy messes with brevity or beauty. But I acknowledge that other requirements might be important in your case.

Finally, it might be helpful to know what you mean, precisely, by American English. Take, for example, a man raised in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and a young woman raised in Santa Monica, California: they'll both speak American English, but not with the same dialect. Certainly, native speakers of American English wouldn't think so.

Answer 3

Our home dictionary proclaimed to be of the American language, but I feel that is overstating the differences. What we speak is a form of English, since it shares the majority of the words and structure.

Your question is what to call yourself depends on who is asking. "I am an American" usually works if you are white, but if you aren't, some folks want more of an explanation. In China, were I taught, Americans with Chinese heritage were called "overseas Chinese". If you are trying to secure a teaching or translating job then use "native English speaker from America."