Placing elementary-school teachers at the vanguard of modernisation: language use and emergent identity among English-medium teachers in the UAE

Abstract

ABSTRACTIn the midst of immense societal change, this paper examines the complex forces at work in novice Arabic-speaking teachers’ choice of language in English-medium primary classrooms in the United Arab Emirates. Thirty newly-graduated Emirati English language teachers, working in kindergarten or primary government schools in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, participated in a survey that investigated language choice in the classroom. Data was collected using self-reported quantitative and qualitative methods, summarised and analysed. Main findings identified a pragmatic willingness and enthusiasm among participants to use their first language in second language English classrooms not found in previous studies. The researchers also uncovered evidence of an emerging bilingual professional identity that sets participants apart from their monolingual colleagues. Pedagogical implications for language teachers, administrators, teacher trainers, and educational policy-makers are presented and discussed.