English language in Lebanon

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

English is a secondary language of Lebanon, with about 30% of the population being Anglophone.[1] The use of English is growing in the business and media environment and is often used as a prestige language for business, diplomacy and education.

History[]

The American University of Beirut was founded in 1866, though English only overtook Arabic as the main language of instruction from 1875 onwards.[2] Following independence from France in 1946, the use of English began to grow in Lebanon in the wake of American influence through oil and business interests in the Middle East.[3] By 1973, 26 percent of the 75 percent of Beirut who were multilingual spoke English.[3] Many of the Palestinians in Lebanon were also fluent in the language.[3] In 1997, the Lebanese government committed to a policy of trilingualism in education, including French and English alongside the official Arabic language in the curriculum.[2]

Social significance[]

The use of English in daily life of Lebanon reflects a desire for "modernity, coolness, and hip culture".[2] It is also a reaction to the negativity associated with Arabic since the September 11 attacks.[2] Many businesses advertise in English.[2] The Daily Star is an English-language newspaper.[2]

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ OIF 2014, p. 217.
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f Esseili, Fatima (2017). "A sociolinguistic profile of English in Lebanon". World Englishes. 36 (4): 684–704. doi:10.1111/weng.12262. ISSN 1467-971X.
  3. ^ Jump up to: a b c Times, Juan de Onis Special to The New York (1973-03-25). "English Is Steadily Overtaking French in Lebanon as the Second Language". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-06-25.
Stub icon

This Lebanon-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by .

  • v
  • t
Retrieved from ""