A recent article posed the question "Who needs the Arabic Language?" (Gulf News, December 23). Is it necessary for Arabs to learn Arabic? Many would be tempted to brush off this question as non-serious, but it is becoming an increasingly topical question among Arabs, especially those living abroad. The following is a gentle response from a concerned peripatetic linguist.
Globally, there is a move towards preserving languages; there is also a demand for skilled multi-lingual professionals. Like all other human communication methods, languages go through evolution, some becoming dominant for a while and others weak or extinct. After the Second World War, Italy made English, rather than French, its second learning language in schools. East Timor made Portuguese its official language rather than English.
In 30 years time, English will not be the dominant language in the world. There is a need for a common language for the European Union and there is now a serious call for Spanish to be the language. French is now the default second language in Britain; some "experts" are now arguing for Spanish for economic reasons since more people take their holidays in Spain and have second homes there. Perhaps we should start learning Chinese for the same economic and geopolitical reasons, and at a deeper level, there might be a message for the 21st century in the Chinese picture-word for crisis, which is also the word for opportunity!
Interesting
So why not teach, learn and develop the Arabic language, especially in the Arab world? The article was very interesting and highlighted a number of points that concern not only Arab parents who wish their children's linguistic competence to reflect their educational sophistication in both Arabic and English, but also those expatriates who work in the emirates and who would like their non-Arabic speaking children to develop fluency in the language.
There are a number of points that are worth considering. First, the article states that "Arabic can only boast about its history". Why? What structures have allowed English to evolve to incorporate modern business ideas and technical terminology that make it such a leader in global languages?
The educators in the Arab world should discuss and debate this issue constructively and develop strategies to move us forward.
Predicting that "Arabic is bound to find itself out of place" and that "proficiency in English is a major prerequisite for getting a passport to success" must be supported with convincing evidence and substantiated with scholarly research findings. Otherwise this will be yet another fatalistic approach towards solving a significant, contemporary Arab problem.
If "primitive" (less-developed) languages are more poetic and developed languages more abstract or scientific (eg Greek, German, English) then surely we need both poetry and science if appreciation is as important as mastery or manipulation. We should remember that Esperanto went the way of black and white TV because the colour of understanding is more like a rainbow.
One of the major factors which must hinder the development of Arabic in the emirates is it can be difficult to actually find places to practice it. Even Arabs are forced to use English when dealing with a largely foreign workforce.
Expatriate children who travel to other countries, such as France and Germany, invariably learn to speak the language fluently. Why? They are immersed in it and if they go to a bookshop they can find any number of books in the language of that country.
If you go into a bookshop in the emirates, even if it sells Arabic books, there are relatively few titles, and perhaps even less of the kind which will stimulate the mind of the perhaps reluctant adolescent in the way that Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings has done in English.
Substantial differences
If you compare the way in which English is taught in the colleges and schools of the emirates with the way in which Arabic is taught, you will notice substantial differences.
The course books for teaching English are vibrant, modern and require the user to engage with ideas in the text, express opinion and explore language usage through many different genres. Many of the Arabic texts are stodgy, old fashioned and rely on rote learning as the major method of instruction.
Not only have years of language learning research proved this is not the best way to develop language competence, but today's children, exposed to such a variety of experiences in their lives, not to mention the impact of electronic media, are also easily bored and turned off by repetition and materials which do not stimulate them.
Arabic is indeed a rich, historic language and as such should be developed with pride and passion. For this to occur, it must be taught as an integral part of the curriculum and by using teaching methods and texts that will inspire and motivate the learner to discover more.
The stronger response to the question of the usefulness of learning Arabic or any language is that those who ask the question seem not to understand that language is not just a vehicle of communication. It is also vehicle for communicating culture and tradition. There is a lot about the Arab culture and tradition that is embedded in the Arabic language.
Arabs have a rich culture and tradition. Like most cultures, theirs has some tendencies that, if unchecked, would impede their social and economic advancement. But all cultures are malleable.
The Arab scholars' and researchers' challenge is to develop, enrich and modernise the Arabic language and to leave it for their children in a better shape than they found it.
Mohammad Ibrahim is a Fujairah-based IT instructor
Gulf News
