Bilingualism and the decline of arabic in the Middle East: Threats to linguistic identity and cultural heritage
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24136/10.24136/rsf.2024.022Keywords:
Bilingualism, Arabic linguistic heritage, Arabic identity, language loss, cultural heritageAbstract
Bilingualism is a prominent feature of many Middle Eastern cultures, posing various challenges to the formulation and articulation of identity. This paper examines the impact of globalisation and labour-market demands on bilingualism in the postcolonial Middle East. It also traces how bilingualism reshapes identity and class dynamics while marginalising Arabic as a linguistic and cultural medium. Focusing on urban contexts where English and French dominate education and employment, the study examines how social media exacerbates the decline of Arabic. Through a thematic analysis of the literature review, the research identifies four interconnected fears driving this marginalisation: parental anxieties about heritage loss, cultural erosion, communicative displacement, and identity fragmentation. Despite these challenges, the paper’s findings highlight grassroots efforts, such as youth-led book clubs and Arabic literacy campaigns, that offer potential pathways to preserving cultural heritage. By contextualising Arabic’s unstable position within broader postcolonial frameworks, this research highlights the urgency of institutional and communal action to preserve Arabic as a defining aspect of the region’s linguistic and cultural heritage.
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