The Linguistic landscape of English in Arabia: the cultural role of English in developing countries Professor Hamad Aldosari

Abstract

Current research in historical linguistics has partially dealt with the interdisciplinary uses of English in academic and social contexts and as an indicator of social mobility and survival in the social life of Arabians. In Arabian countries, English has been established as an official language and a prerequisite for professional jobs in the different occupational echelons, a means of education, access to higher education, self and professional improvement, career success, elevation on the social ladder and socioeconomic status. The case being as such, the linguistic landscape of English has spread to invade public road signs, posters, advertisements, street and place names, graffiti and notifications on walls and buildings, private or public. This change has called an academic examination of the socio-politico-culturo-linguistic changes that led to the spreading use of English as a capillary to Arabic in the modern life of Arabians. This article analyses how the English language has come to be reconstructed and negotiated in the Arabian context with the aim of eliciting insights and implications for English education in the Arabian peninsula and how this contributes to the development of English as a global language.