The “Default Space” of English: Sociolinguistic Perspectives from the United Arab Emirates

Abstract

Published literature on language attitudes in the United Arab Emirates has shed light on the Emirati demographic in higher education contexts. However, investigating the foreign, multilingual populations in the UAE is an underexplored area of research. This study examines English and Arabic language attitudes held by a segment of the foreign demographic, particularly those of Outer Circle countries that form the largest foreign population group in the UAE. Findings highlight that English holds a default (but not necessarily a modern) space in the lives of the participants. The study is significant in that the status of English for this multilingual group has shifted from it being a marker of modernity to a marker of regularity, familiarity, and the ordinary, a sense of defaultness, allowing the scope for its heightened hybridization in translingual communication. Controversially, English is seen as an equalizer in communication, while competency in Arabic is valuable yet not indispensable to expatriate life. The study concludes with implications and suggestions on advancing the status of Arabic by engaging UAE’s biggest untapped asset, its foreign demographic.

Department(s)

English

Document Type

Article

DOI

10.4324/9781032699974-15

Publication Date

1-1-2025

Journal Title

World Englishes in the Arab Gulf States

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