Between Borders and Identities: (How) Arab EFL Learners Engage with Global English

• Autores: Yousif Al Naddaf, Romuald Gozdawa-Gołębiowski
• Localización: Difficult neighborhoods: the semiotics of conflict in culture / Sachiyo M. Shearman (ed. lit.), Wladyslaw Chlopicki (ed. lit.), Wladyslaw Witalisz (ed. lit.), Linda G. Kean (ed. lit.), 2025, ISBN 9781469696553, págs. 264-289
• Idioma: inglés
• Texto completo no disponible (Saber más ...)
• Resumen

  • English holds an undeniable global utility, yet its cultural connotations often clashwith deeply ingrained religious and societal norms in Arab contexts. This study reinterprets data from 21 Arab EFL learners to investigate how they reconcile the academicand professional benefits of English with perceived threats to their cultural or religiousidentity. Questionnaire findings reveal that while many learners view English as essential for success—particularly career or academic mobility—they are anxious aboutadopting Western cultural elements that conflict with local traditions. Some learnersselectively engage with beneficial language skills and what they deem ‘safe’, while filtering out content they find culturally incompatible, others, however, resist Westernnorms more firmly. These strategies demonstrate a balancing act between instrumental motivation and cultural preservation, aligning with prior research on selectiveborrowing. The results stress the need for multiple pedagogical strategies, includingculturally responsive teaching, transcultural approaches that blend cultural norms, anda culture-free (lingua franca) perspective. Collectively, these methods can reduce cultural tensions, help students maintain their identities, and sustain motivation in ArabEFL contexts. Overall, this study highlights that language instruction need not—andshould not—come at the expense of learners’ deeply held cultural values