Embracing Translanguaging in Emirati Higher Education as a Counterdiscourse to Strict "English Only" Policies

• In Event: Moscone Center North Roundtable Session 8
  In Roundtable Session: Narratives, Testimonios, and Counterdiscourses to Transform Immigrant Education

Abstract

In the United Arab Emirates (UAE), language policies overtly favor English and Modern Standard Arabic (MSA), which appear on public signage, in educational contexts, and on websites as two ‘pure’ languages placed side-by-side. However, on the ground, language is considerably more complex than ‘as planned’. This study explores the language ideologies and language use of 100 Emirati university students through mixed-method questionnaires and classroom observations. Analysis of the data revealed frequent mixing of English and Arabic in both written and oral communication. Despite students viewing translanguaging as ordinary, monolingual ideologies prevented full acceptance of such practices in university classrooms. It is argued that, if embraced, translanguaging can empower bilingual learners and challenge rigid ‘English only’ expectations in English-medium universities.

Author

• Sarah Hopkyns, Zayed University