Preserving the Arabic Language: The Role of Family and Community in Language Retention

The Arabic language is facing a slow decline in utilization amongst second generation expatriates inside the UAE. However, specialists emphasize that the key to preserving the language lies in implementing a ‘own family language coverage’ (FLP). A bottom-up technique, beginning on the circle of relatives and community stage, can bring about a substantial shift in communique conduct, in the end making sure the longevity of Arabic for destiny generations.

The Role of Parents in Language Preservation

Reem Razem, an assistant professor at the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) in Dubai, underscores the significance of parental involvement in language retention. She highlights that using a mother tongue bureaucracy a important connection between dad and mom and kids, bridging generations and strengthening cultural identity.

Razem’s interest in the concern was sparked at some stage in the Covid-19 lockdown when she located a shift in her children’s language options. Despite addressing them in Arabic, she observed that her sons often spoke to each other in English and from time to time even spoke back to her in English. This interest led her to behavior an autoethnography research assignment, in which she analyzed her children’s conversations. Her findings discovered that 30-40% of their speech became in English, particularly when discussing topics related to technology, on line gaining knowledge of, or entertainment. This counseled that they lacked Arabic vocabulary for those topics.

Expanding her studies to the broader Jordanian expat community inside the UAE, Razem discovered that many parents shared similar concerns. Social media companies for Jordanian mothers have been packed with discussions on language shift and frustration over their children’s lowering use of Arabic. Many dad and mom sought recommendation on the way to instill a love for the Arabic language, revitalize its usage, and inspire their kids to embrace it as part of their cultural identity.

Challenges Impacting Arabic Literacy

Several elements make contributions to the decline in Arabic literacy among second generation expatriates. One of the main troubles is the dominance of English because the medium of preparation in lots of colleges and universities. As a end result, English has become the primary language for schooling and communication, frequently sidelining Arabic.

Moreover, small, subconscious choices in every day life additionally make a contribution to the decline. Choosing English over Arabic at an ATM, watching movies and series in English, and engaging in entertainment that predominantly functions English-language content all have an effect on language options in children.

Strategies to Encourage Arabic Language Use

Experts believe that maintaining Arabic requires a collective attempt that consists of parents, groups, and academic establishments. Razem argues that a aware attempt to combine Arabic into daily existence through a bottom-up method can create a larger motion closer to language retention. She likens this attempt to the Butterfly Effect—in which small, deliberate movements taken at the family level can result in some distance-attaining consequences for the preservation of Arabic as a cornerstone of identity and heritage.

Some of the key strategies advised by means of specialists to encourage Arabic use among expatriate kids consist of:

1. Prioritizing Arabic at Home – Parents have to make a conscious attempt to speak in Arabic with their children, specifically throughout casual conversations. This enables build a strong linguistic basis from an early age.
2. Encouraging Arabic Reading and Media Consumption – Providing kids with Arabic books, tune, films, and tv packages could make the language extra accessible and fun. Creating an enticing and immersive environment in Arabic can decorate their linguistic abilities.
3. Selecting the Right Schools – Schools play a important position in language retention. Parents must recollect institutions that prioritize Arabic guidance and emphasize bilingual education.
4. Community Engagement – Families can participate in community events, cultural packages, and Arabic-speaking playgroups to enhance language use outside the home. Socializing with friends who speak Arabic can encourage kids to apply the language greater certainly.
5. Leveraging Modern Technology – Educational apps and online assets targeted on Arabic studying can make language acquisition more interactive and appealing to youngsters.

The Bilingual Advantage

Experts highlight that youngsters have an innate capacity to accumulate multiple languages effects whilst exposed to them from an early age. Abhilasha Singh, Principal of Shining Star International in Abu Dhabi, notes that family language policies play a critical position in ensuring that youngsters keep their Arabic talent. She recommends that dad and mom inspire each day reading and verbal exchange in Arabic at the same time as groups aid cultural and academic sports that beef up linguistic identity.

Girish Hemnani, a existence educate and energy healer based in Dubai, factors out that bilingualism gives several cognitive and social advantages. He explains that when kids are endorsed to specific themselves freely in both Arabic and English, they develop an open-minded attitude and learn to embrace cultural range clearly. Bilingualism enhances highbrow flexibility, improves hassle-fixing competencies, and strengthens emotional intelligence—talents which are important in these today’s interconnected world.

Conclusion

The upkeep of the Arabic language among expatriates in the UAE requires a proactive and collective technique. Parents, faculties, and communities ought to paintings together to create an surroundings where Arabic isn’t simply spoken but also valued as an quintessential a part of cultural background. By imposing family language rules, prioritizing Arabic in daily interactions, and leveraging academic resources, the declining fashion in Arabic literacy can be reversed. Through small however meaningful adjustments, the UAE’s numerous expatriate populace can make certain that Arabic remains a vibrant and crucial language for destiny generations.