Social media crowding out Arabic learning in UAE, study warns
Pressures from English-language media can crowd out the learning of Arabic by young Emirati children, a study has found. Research following 20 Emirati families has highlighted the way the likes of YouTube and digital learning media, along with English-speaking nannies, can move a household’s “linguistic centre of gravity” towards English. However, the researchers behind the study also found that…
A new study warns that social media and English-language media are crowding out Arabic learning in the United Arab Emirates. The research, conducted over a year with 20 Emirati families, found that the use of YouTube, digital learning media, and English-speaking nannies can shift a household's "linguistic centre of gravity" towards English.
Parents can counteract this by incorporating Arabic through religious study and storytelling, but the researchers emphasized the importance of consistent home rules and environments that prioritize Arabic in daily interactions. The study, published in a new book, suggests that kindergarten choice and policy alignment between families, government, and kindergartens are critical to ensuring children's Arabic proficiency.
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