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English, super‐diversity, and identity in the State of Qatar
Author(s) -
Hillman Sara,
Ocampo Eibenschutz Emilio
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
world englishes
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.6
H-Index - 49
eISSN - 1467-971X
pISSN - 0883-2919
DOI - 10.1111/weng.12312
Subject(s) - diversity (politics) , context (archaeology) , arabic , identity (music) , persian , state (computer science) , world englishes , linguistics , linguistic diversity , sociology , history , geography , anthropology , aesthetics , archaeology , art , philosophy , algorithm , computer science
This article provides a contemporary profile of English, or Englishes thereof, in the State of Qatar, a tiny country undergoing tremendous socio‐cultural transformations. The historical background section contextualizes Qatar's contemporary linguistic ‘super‐diversity’ as a continuity of mobility, integration, and exchange with various communities within and beyond the shores of the Arab/Persian Gulf for centuries. We describe Qatar's present‐day sociolinguistic situation, English language policy initiatives and reforms in the educational context, and take a critical stance toward the common homogenizing view of English and Arabic language in the region, one that precludes a nuanced understanding in terms of wider cultural and linguistic processes taking place and shaping identities in Qatar today.