The Status and the Future of the English Language in Jordan

Abstract

This paper explores the English language status in Jordan in the past, present, and future. The predictions for the future depend on the historical performance of both Jordanian learners of English and developments in Jordanian institutions providing English teaching as a foreign language for the previous century. The study discusses the policies which may improve English education at public and private schools and universities. Besides, the research is going to try to provide sophisticated anticipation for the status of the English language in Jordan for the next 30 years or more. The primary finding is that the growth of Departments of English and the number of university students using English for their majors are following the Fibonacci Sequence. The study may benefit teachers, students, researchers, linguists, language planners, and policymakers. The findings are also discussed within Communication Accommodation Theory (Giles, 1980, 2001; Giles & Johnson, 1987; Giles & Harwood, 1997) and social identity theory (Tajfel &Turner, 1986; Turner & Reynolds 2001).