“Ahyaanan I text in English ‘ashaan it’s ashal ”: Language Crisis or Linguistic Development? The Case of How Gulf Arabs Perceive the Future of their Language, Culture, and Identity

Gulf Arabs are perceived as the most advanced of the Arabs in terms of state wealth, living standards, quality of life, education, and literacy levels for both men and women and overall opportunities availed to them by virtue of being citizens. In order for this advancement to have taken place the Gulf had to find a way of educating its people to international standards. One such way was the introduction of English in the education system at all levels and most importantly in higher education. Foreign workers from Europe, America, Canada, and Australia were brought in to assist in this moderni- zation process and the language of common communication became English. After two or three decades, there are now calls to revive Arabic and reduce the ef fect and impact of English, not only in the education system but in the everyday lives of Gulf Arabs, where the use of English in non-formal situations has become the norm. Some quarters are claiming that the Arabic language is at the beginning of its death and soon will have no speakers, if English continues to be promoted over Arabic, in the media, through domestic South Asian maids and nannies, and in the education system.