The education system in the UAE has evolved since the 1950's. Since the discovery of oil in the 1960's there has been an increase in schools built. The UAE education is set up in a four-tier system consisting of kindergarten (four-five year olds), primary school (six-eleven year olds), the preparatory stage (between ages 12 and 14), and the secondary school (ages between 15 and 17). The language of instruction in schools is Arabic, but many schools teach in English as well. Current efforts have been made to increase the English language proficiency in schools.
Teach English in UAE
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Teaching English in the UAE is in high demand. In 2009, the Abu Dhabi Education Council recruited 456 native English speakers to teach in an effort to improve the English language proficiency in Abu Dhabi schools (Boyle, 2012, p. 323). There are currently programs that exist trying to encourage teachers to come to the UAE to speak English. Some of these include the International Tefl Academy and Teachaway.
A minimum of a 4-year college degree (BA/BS) and a TEFL (or equivalent) is usually required to teach English in the UAE. Some schools may require teaching experience. Teachers can work in Private language schools, international schools, vocational colleges, or become private tutors. Salaries vary depending on where you are teaching but typically range between $2,800 and $3,500 USD. However, the cost of living can be expensive in many parts of the UAE.
A minimum of a 4-year college degree (BA/BS) and a TEFL (or equivalent) is usually required to teach English in the UAE. Some schools may require teaching experience. Teachers can work in Private language schools, international schools, vocational colleges, or become private tutors. Salaries vary depending on where you are teaching but typically range between $2,800 and $3,500 USD. However, the cost of living can be expensive in many parts of the UAE.
(Retrieved from International Tefl Academy)
Problems with English in the UAE
English education is a big part of schooling in the UAE. In fact, there are many disputes as to whether or not the status of English is straying away from the Arabic language of origin. An English teacher in the UAE named Patricia Ryan Abu Wardeh has come to the conclusion that "while English is an important language, its status as a global language is overshadowing other languages, including Arabic" (Lawati, 2011). Despite the efforts to improve the literacy of the UAE population, some find this approach to be taking away from their culture. Patricia Ryan Abu Wardeh continued to say how English testing programs denied people from non-English speaking backgrounds the opportunity to study at some universities (Lawati, 2011). Due to the status of English growth throughout the world and becoming a universal language, people in this area believe it necessary to learn the language. In a study done by Suneeta Thomas surveying different people in the UAE about their attitudes towards English, she found that many people did not even consider English a foreign language (Zacharias, 2017). Some of these people even continued to say that English is not necessarily a threat to their native language, but a "parallel language" (Zacharias, 2017). Therefore, it is evident that the English language is a controversial topic in the UAE depending on who you talk to. There are people that like the idea of it becoming spoken and taught in classes while others may find it threatening to their native language.
I have concluded that if English became the official language of this area, many people would not like the idea of it. However, there are also a substantial amount of people that speak highly about the English language so it is hard to say as to whether or not the entire population would be unhappy with that decision. Nonetheless, it would prove to be an extremely controversial topic.
I have concluded that if English became the official language of this area, many people would not like the idea of it. However, there are also a substantial amount of people that speak highly about the English language so it is hard to say as to whether or not the entire population would be unhappy with that decision. Nonetheless, it would prove to be an extremely controversial topic.