Book contents
- The Cambridge Handbook of Multilingual Education
- Cambridge Handbooks in Language and Linguistics
- The Cambridge Handbook of Multilingual Education
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Figures
- Tables
- Contributors
- Prologue
- Acknowledgement
- Part I Introduction
- Part II Content and Language Integrated Learning:
- Part III Teaching Academic Subjects through English Medium Instruction
- 17 Researching English Medium Instruction (EMI) in Asian Higher Education
- 18 EMI
- 19 Problematising English Medium Education (EME) in Eurasia
- 20 EMI Culture in Korean Higher Education
- 21 Language Education through EMI in Switzerland
- 22 EMI and Arabic in the UAE
- Part IV Dual Language Learning, Immersion Programmes, and Learner Agency
- Part V Heritage Language Education
- Part VI Minority Language Education
- Part VII A Critical Look at Multilingual Pedagogies
- Index
- References
22 - EMI and Arabic in the UAE
from Part III - Teaching Academic Subjects through English Medium Instruction
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 25 December 2025
Edited by
Book contents
- The Cambridge Handbook of Multilingual Education
- Cambridge Handbooks in Language and Linguistics
- The Cambridge Handbook of Multilingual Education
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Figures
- Tables
- Contributors
- Prologue
- Acknowledgement
- Part I Introduction
- Part II Content and Language Integrated Learning:
- Part III Teaching Academic Subjects through English Medium Instruction
- 17 Researching English Medium Instruction (EMI) in Asian Higher Education
- 18 EMI
- 19 Problematising English Medium Education (EME) in Eurasia
- 20 EMI Culture in Korean Higher Education
- 21 Language Education through EMI in Switzerland
- 22 EMI and Arabic in the UAE
- Part IV Dual Language Learning, Immersion Programmes, and Learner Agency
- Part V Heritage Language Education
- Part VI Minority Language Education
- Part VII A Critical Look at Multilingual Pedagogies
- Index
- References
Summary
The global ascent of English as a medium of instruction (EMI) has sparked concerns about the potential erosion of local languages, in a process of “Englishisation” (Kirkpatrick, 2011). In the UAE, EMI is a cornerstone of higher education; furthermore, English has emerged as the preferred lingua franca in a nation where 85 per cent of the population hails from 100+ countries. This chapter delves into the resulting tension between English and Arabic (the local and regional language) within EMI contexts, scrutinising its impact on UAE higher education, sociolinguistic formations, and language policy. It explores future trajectories for EMI and Arabic, proposing strategies to integrate the two in institutional culture.
Keywords
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- The Cambridge Handbook of Multilingual Education , pp. 421 - 440Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2025
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