{
  "id": 2411210,
  "title": "Social media crowding out Arabic learning in UAE, study warns",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/21/social-media-crowding-out-arabic-learning-in-uae-study-warns",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-08-21T18:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The National Business",
    "slug": "the-national-business",
    "url": "https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/uae/2026/08/21/learning-arabic-uae-social-media-english/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "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.",
  "summary": "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…",
  "key_points": [
    "Social media and English media crowd out Arabic learning in UAE.",
    "Study of 20 Emirati families shows English shift in linguistic focus.",
    "Arabic promoted through religious study and storytelling to counteract."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The National UAE",
        "title": "Social media crowding out Arabic learning in UAE, study warns",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/21/social-media-crowding-out-arabic-learning-in-uae-study-warns-2415376",
        "published": "2026-08-21T18:00:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}