Teaching English In The GCC Region: Strategies And Considerations

ENGL 250 English for Communication 1

• English language has grown exponentially worldwide over the past centuries occupying almost every globally recognized sector of the global society

• The language is one of the most used channels of communication in the sectors of education, tourism, trade, and foreign exchange worldwide.

• What contributes to the language being the most widely spoken is the fact that that it is used by many native speakers.

• Statistically, Curtis and Romney (2006) and Braine (2005) estimate that English language is used by over a billion people and across more than 75 countries worldwide.

• This paper seeks to survey use of English in the GCC region in order to achieve the following objectives;

• how the language is being taught and the critics it receives

-why teaching is the noble answer to the demand for the language in the Arabic countries region.

-recommend key strategies for teachers on how the language can be taught to suit the learners needs and individual contexts with reference to TESOL White Paper (Mahboob and Tilakaratna, 2012).

• Addressing the fundamental questions means addressing the following problems associated with effective learning of the English language in the GCC region (Syed, 2003):-

• heavy use of curricular and methodologies -unmotivated learners

–inadequately trained educators

• too much tests and national exams

-little or no consideration of local cultural and linguistic context

• English and Islamic language has been a clash and a means of opportunities as well in the GCC region.

• English, in the Islamic region, is viewed as a vehicle to transmitting the Western culture in the region, being a Judeo-Christian culture and values (Mohd-Asraf, 2005).

• It is therefore learnt for purposes of knowing the language for understanding the other side of the enemy. At the same time it has values and advantages for the Muslim population.

• The clash /acceptance between English and Arabic language , according to Rahman (2005), lies on the following reasons;

• rejection and resistance by Islamic conservatives

• secular professionals and middle class who assimilate and accept it

• pragmatic utilization by Islamists

• The language is widespread because many countries use it either as national language, official language , or first language.

• The GCC region establish a structured reforms on English education around to make their social values, goods and materials be accessed by every interested party.

• English language today is the core of every sphere of life globally; be it social, cultures, sharing ideologies, pedagogy and politics.

• The use of English language in courts, educational systems, world trades, and world organizations today is a testimony to the fact it is a basic skill for survival worldwide ( Graddol, 1997)

• There are difficulties facing researchers that extends to the language itself in its global diversity. This creates exceptions in its being used as a tool for communication globally.
• The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states have created a concern and put in place Arabic language as the number one linguistic tool connecting new generations, exchanging their rich cultural heritage, and for economic growth purposes.

• The below questions forms the questionnaire and interview questions for this summary paper. They form the goal of this research;-

1. Whose language are we talking about?
2. Who are the speakers/learners of the instructions?
3. Which language varieties should we teach learners in the GCC region?
4. Which teachers are the qualification for teachers of Englishlanguage in the region?
5.  Which are the proposedly best approaches to teaching?

Notes: English-the Language for globalization

• Responding to the need for the language in the GCC region experiences challenges. Syed (2003) notes that the challenges majorly included ;

• low motivation and overdependence on memorizing the language.

• use of outdated curricular initiatives and methodologies.

• imbalanced testing and inadequately trained educators.

• Issa (2011) explains the challenges are present in many parts of the GCC region contributing to weak economy and unemployment currently exhibited ion the region.

• A report predicts that spread of better education in the region is might;

1. increase need for English language skills.

1. extend the  teaching of the language through higher levels

1. opening educational opportunities for women in the workforce.

• Despite all the concerns for strategies to make English the language of the day in the region, there are exceptions and growing concerns by the member states.

• English is criticized for being the language of instruction that has marginalized the Arabic and other local langauges for research and academic publications (Belhiah and Elhami, 2014).

• This is so that Arabic language gets a sense of identity in the GCC region ( Randall and Samimi, 2010).

• This has led to English and Arabic languages being polar subjects. English is opposed for being anti-religious vehicle used to spread the Western culture.

• On the other hand, there is increased dislike and discrimination of the Islamic language due to the aggressive presence of Al-Qaeda in the Western culture especially in the aftermath 9/11.

• The GCC region has the fastest growing population and faces a challenge in is facing the challenge preparing the youth for global market and business opportunities.

• The GCC countries, therefore, encourage active English learning while keen on regulating any medium through which the Western culture might be inculcated into their countries.

• The aim of such strategy is to only learn the language in order to achieve a global competitive edge in terms of global trade, economic strength, and stand a chance for global recognition. This is mainly targeted at increasing their productivity globally.

• The GCC region has outsourced human resource development to professionals at both teacher and administrator levels (Baalawi, 2009).

• Unfortunately, this has come with discriminatory tendencies as teachers and professionals hired in the GCC region to lecture in the universities and even work come from Western countries only i.e. the Anglophone countries; not considering the already learned and skilled professional within the GCC region.

Notes: Increasing multilingualism and multiculturalism in the region

• English language share certain similar status with other languages across the world.

• However, the GCC region is compose of diverse political, cultural, social and economic fabrics of the countries in that region.

• It is undoubtedly true that the GCC region uses Arabic language as the official tool of communication.

• The Arabic language is a complex endeavor for the linguistics and sociolinguistics in the Gulf region because many face hard times trying to learn the dialects.

• There are other languages apart from English and Arabic used within the Gulf region including Swahili, Persian, Hindi, Urdu among others that have brought to the mixture of the many languages and cultures so shared within the region.

• The result of such a mixture is multi-languages and multi-cultures all blended within one region.

• English is used in this region because of its idiosyncratic features to maintain business relationships such as transactions, trade among others (Mahboob,2012). By this, English language has contributed to millions of people across the globe to stay in the GCC countries.

• EIL Pedagogy reveals how learning English can be done in a manner to establish linguistic diversity and ensuring equity in the acquisition of the knowledge of English language (Selvi and Yazan, 2013).

• The pedagogy proposes two major arguments to helping diversification;

1. equal distribution of ownership of English language

1. promotion of all cultures and languages

• EIL pedagogy;

• shifts the learner’s attention from traditional methods of learning the language

• gives keen attention to local context and culture of learning

• strikes a good balance between local and global needs/concerns

• gives learners sociocultural and linguistic knowledge awareness and competency.

• redefines as well as improves proficiency, realistic view and appropriation in understanding of the language (Selvi and Yazan, 2013:39).

• There is an ongoing juxtaposition between English and Islam languages and EIL is not ignorant of it. It approaches it with utmost sensitivity by provides an appropriate response to it.

• EIL applies two responses to the challenge including;-

1. apportioning the language the right ownership and re-conceptualizing it by giving detail to cultural globalization and formation of identity
2. challenging assumptions based on pedagogy and theories through promotion of culturally, socially, and locally sensitive and right operations.

• The aim of this is to go beyond English language’s dominance or hegemony that has existed for long time.

• The foremost step EIL applies to achieve the objective involve differentiating English language from the native spaekers.

• The second step is to ensure English teachers be the agents of curricular reforms and minds about the learner’s needs in both local and global contexts.

• Many a times, non-native speakers of English experience discriminations, unprofessional treatments while outside their countries of origins.

• Discriminations based on gender, nativity, and race are still evident especially in job advertisements ( Selvi 2010).

• Employment landscape within the GCC makes it necessary that well trained teacher of English be employed to promote equity while eliminating any racial bias.

• EIL proposes that this to be successfully achieved, there must be policy makers prioritizing professionalism, expertise and experience over accents and cultural backgrounds.

• It also provides for teachers and scholars to infuse such values as equity, value for one another, respect for other races in order to promote professional development programs.

• This paper presented three layer discussion;

• challenges common in the use of the language in the Arabic nations.

• Utilize the Islamic region plus its peculiar  units of analysis

• the necessity to offer a novel pedagogy in ELT.

• The discussion further revolve around four issues;

1. responding to English as the tool for globalization.

1. understanding relationship between Islamic language and English as a language.

1. use of EIL pedagogy to create teaching practices that takes into keen account the ever diversifying cultures and languages across the world.

1. using pedagogy to provide employment based on democracy and not discrimination.

• Generally and across the paper, there is emphasis laid on the use of EIL pedagogy to promote the move to sustain the valuation of all languages.

References

• Baalawi, Z. (2009). Investigating the Provision of Academic Development Initiatives- ACase Study of a Tertiary Institution in the United Arab Emirates. Ph. D. thesis. Leicester: University of Leicester.

• Braine, G. (ed) (2005).Teaching English to the World; History, Curriculum, and Practice. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.

• Belhiah, H. & Maha, E. (2014). English as a Medium of Instruction in the Gulf: When Students and Teachers Speak. Language Policy. doi:10.1007/s10993-014-9336-9.

• Curtis, A., & Romney, M. (eds.). (2006). Color, Race, and English LanguageTeaching: Shades of Meaning. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.

• Graddol, D. (1997). The Future of English. London: The British Council.
• 2006. English Next: Why Global English May Mean the End of English as a Foreign Language. London: British Council.

• Mahboob, A., & Tilakaratna, N. (2012). “A Principles-based Approach for English Language Teaching Policies and Practices – A TESOL White Paper.” Retrieved from https://www.tesol.org/docs/pdf/a-principles-based-approach-for-english-language-teaching-policies-and-practices-.pdf.

• Mohd-Asraf, R. (2005). English and Islam: A Clash of Civilizations?Journal of Language, Identity & Education . Vol 4 (2): 103–118.
• Randall, M., & Mohammad S. (2010). The Status of English inDubai. English Today 26 (1): 43–50.

• Selvi, F. (2010). All Teachers Are Equal, but Some Teachers Are More Equal thanOthers: Trend Analysis of Job Advertisements in English Language Teaching. WATESOL NNEST Caucus Annual Review 1: 156–181. Retrieved: https://sites.google.com/site/watesolnnestcaucus/caucus-annual-review.
• Selvi, A. F., & Yazan, B. (2013). Teaching English as an International Language. TESOL Publications: Alexandria, VA.