Foreign Language Policy and Education in Arab Countries: Effects and Problems

Liao Jing

Chinese Journal of Language Policy and Planning ›› 2021, Vol. 6 ›› Issue (5) : 49-59.

Welcome to visit Chinese Journal of Language Policy and Planning!
Chinese Journal of Language Policy and Planning ›› 2021, Vol. 6 ›› Issue (5) : 49-59. DOI: 10.19689/j.cnki.cn10-1361/h.20210504

Foreign Language Policy and Education in Arab Countries: Effects and Problems

  • Liao Jing
Author information +
History +

Abstract

Globalization has led to increases in different foreign language use in Arab countries. Because of that, Arab countries have created a multilingual education policy which adopted one foreign language as the main language and multiple foreign languages as supplemental languages. In addition, foreign languages are generally used as the medium of instruction for STEM courses. This policy aims at improving the national language capacity by focusing on the instrumental functions of foreign languages and the dominant function of mother tongue. Such endeavours succeeded in one way or another but failed to achieve part of the language policy goals since there is no unified planning work program done by a specific language institute. Therefore, the paper suggests that the Chinese foreign education policy should serve the Chinese language development and call for a specific language institute to well plan the whole language issues and practice it, so as to balance the relations between mother tongue instruction and foreign language education. Also, the paper advises to stress the instrumental value of Chinese language when promote its education in the Arab world so as to actively integrate itself into the multilingual and multicultural Arab countries.

Key words

Arab countries / foreign language policy / multilingual / mother tongue

Cite this article

Download Citations
Liao Jing. Foreign Language Policy and Education in Arab Countries: Effects and Problems[J]. Chinese Journal of Language Policy and Planning. 2021, 6(5): 49-59 https://doi.org/10.19689/j.cnki.cn10-1361/h.20210504

Accesses

Citation

Detail

Sections
Recommended

/