Adding Foreign Languages to the Curriculum

In response to an article in the Arab News (Saudi Arabia, Friday 6th March 2009), about the enthusiasm of the public to learn English and its adoption in Saudi Arabia and the Gulf, I sent in a letter via email with my own stance on the matter. Of course, the letter was never published. Its possible that the points I was raising was food for thought (or maybe I am occupied by delusions of grandeur and self-importance!!). Was I potentially destabilizing the assertion that learning English is a good thing or challenging assumptions about what is good for society?
I’m not anti-English language (I have a career in Tesol/Applied Linguistics). My point is that policy makers need to look at multiple factors when deciding on what is good for society and reflect on these issues before making ‘society impacting’ strategic decisions.
Here’s the letter:
In response to some of the opinions expressed in your article (Friday 6th March 2009) I wanted to add an Applied Linguistics perspective on the introduction of new languages.
There is plenty of research that implies that language is not neutral i.e. just a language to be spoken, but that it can have far reaching implications on any society. Language can be used as a way to convey values. It can inadvertently marginalize local communities and create the false belief that we have advanced simply because we have learnt another language.
Already, at university level in Saudi Arabia, senior colleagues and lecturers have commented at the lack of Arabic knowledge demonstrated by new students. In fact, the Arabic language seems to be undergoing some kind of metamorphosis. From a structured language, it is slowly turning into a fuse of street language. This is not to say that languages do not evolve, but as the language which carries the message from God in the Qur’an and a large amount of Islamic knowledge and heritage, we need to ensure that it is preserved, used and practiced widely. The ‘decline’ in the standard of Arabic is best expressed through the spoken variety. How long before this carries through to reading and writing? Yes, there are dialects and local norms, but my discussion on the subject with lecturers of Arabic confirms that there is a concern at falling standards
In terms of language being used as vehicle for pushing values, pick up any English language book in the bookshops and read through the contents. The contents are carefully chosen by publishers. These contents are referred to in the Applied Linguistics/Teaching English as a Foreign Language industry as ‘World Knowledge’. Who decides on what world knowledge is and what our students must learn? By default, content teaches values. Some may be appropriate, but not all.
In a recent discussion with a representative of a publishing company, it was revealed, that the publishing companies are more than ready to have books incorporating pictures that depict modest traditional Arab/Islamic dress. The problem however, is that some international universities in the Gulf region would not entertain the idea of such a book. And so, despite the willingness of the publishers, the power of a few international universities was preventing such projects from taking off. Effectively a few international universities have a great deal of influence on the economics of such projects.
The point of the examples above is not to prevent or stop the learning of other languages, but to inform the general public and policy makers that if there are reservations from certain quarters about introducing for example English at an earlier stage in the Saudi system of education, it is not because they are backward, but it is due to general concerns on the impact of society in terms of culture, heritage and the value system. There is significant research in these areas which back up the points above. The public and policy makers need to look at these research reports to inform them before making any decisions on the matter.