Global English and Arabic : Issues of Language, Culture, and Identity

This volume contains selected chapters from researchers and scholars concerning global English in the Arab world. It brings a new perspective to the phenomenon of global English as today’s lingua franca by focusing on an area of the world that is troubled by the spread of English. The book goes to the heart of a linguistic dilemma: the impact of global English on the Arabic language, Arab culture, and identity. New empirical evidence and insights into this problem are presented by a variety of researchers. The majority raise concerns about the long-term viability of Modern Standard Arabic in the face of global English. In light of the ever-expanding growth of global English, this book gives voice to the worries of people in the Arab world about maintaining their language, culture, and identity.

Ahmad Al-Issa is an Associate Professor of English and Linguistics in the Department of English at the American University of Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates. His areas of research include intercultural communication, language and culture, global English, pragmatics, classroom research, and curriculum design. He earned his PhD in Rhetoric and Linguistics from Indiana University of Pennsylvania in 1998. He is currently a visiting professor at Al-Imam Muhammad ibn Saud Islamic University in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Laila S. Dahan is an instructor in the Department of Writing Studies at the American University of Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates. Her research interests include global English, language and identity, cross-cultural communication, and academic writing. She is currently writing her PhD dissertation through the University of Exeter, UK, on the topic of language education and identity construction among Arab university students.