Language, Identity and Education on the Arabian Peninsula

Bilingual Policies in a Multilingual Context

Edited by Louisa Buckingham

Publication date:

29 November 2016

Publisher

Multilingual Matters

Dimensions:

234x156mm
6x9"

ISBN-13: 9781783096596

This collection examines the urban multilingual realities of inhabitants of the Arabian Peninsula in the early 21st century from the perspectives of learners, teachers and researchers. Focusing on both public and private spheres, it considers the importance of both English and immigrants’ languages in a context of rapid socioeconomic development. Extending beyond English–Arabic societal bilingualism, the language practices of the Peninsula’s citizens and residents serve multiple purposes in their daily lived realities. Chapters on home and heritage languages, identity, ELT, commercial signage and academic publishing contribute to a deepening understanding of the inherent linguistic diversity in these dynamic societies.

Louisa Buckingham: Introduction

Section 1: Multilingualism in Private Spheres and Public Spaces

1. Gary T. O’Neill: Heritage, Heteroglossia and Home: Multilingualism in Emirati Families

2. Melanie Van Den Hoven and Kevin S. Carroll: Emirati Pre-Service Teachers’ Perspectives of Abu Dhabi’s Rich Linguistic Context

3. Louisa Buckingham and Anwar Al-Athwary: Commercial Signs in Oman and Yemen: A Study of Street Advertising in English

Section 2: The English Language and Gulf Arab Identity

4. Sarah Hopkyns: Emirati Cultural Identity in the Age of ‘Englishization’: Voices From an Abu Dhabi University

5. Amir Abour El Kheir: A Phenomenological Study of Identity Construction in the Education Sector of Qatar

Section 3: Forging Societal Bilingualism through English Medium Instruction

6. Kay Gallagher: From ‘Late-Late’ To ‘Early-Early’ Immersion: Discontinuities and Dilemmas in Medium of Instruction Policies and Practices

7. Hilda Freimuth: Revisiting the Suitability of the IELTS Examination as a Gatekeeper for University Entrance in the UAE

8. Anthony Solloway: English In the United Arab Emirates: Innocuous Lingua Franca or Insidious Cultural Trojan Horse?

Section 4: The Position of English in Teaching and Research Careers

9. Kyle Nuske: Saudi EFL Practitioners’ Perceptions of the Applicability of Postmethod and Critical Pedagogical Approaches to Language Teaching

10. Louisa Buckingham and Kirankumar Ramachandran: Growing Local Research Capacity in Oman: The Corolian Institute Scientific Journal

As the Arabian peninsula continues to globalise and invest in English-medium education, this volume is timely in bringing to light issues of language maintenance and loss, cultural identity, and education relying on sound theories and methodologies and addressing the complexities of the region’s linguistic and cultural contexts. The findings can inform language planning and curriculum design in the area.