Language ideologies and identities: Saudi University students’ views of English as a Lingua Franca

Abstract

This thesis investigates students’ perceptions of English by exploring their language ideologies and identities within the context of English as a lingua franca (ELF). Both language ideologies and identities were examined in terms of contextual aspects that shape students’ perception of English. Although Saudi students recognize the importance of English as a global language of communication, there are many who see English as an embodiment of western culture and ideologies. The perceived difference between the local culture and the Anglophone culture associated with the English language is seen as problematic in the Saudi English education (Al‐abed Alhaq and Smadi, 1996; Argungu, 1996; Al-Brashi, 2003; Glasser, 2003; Karmani, 2005a; 2005b; Mahboob and Elyas, 2014). Students hardly see any relationship between the English they learn and their local values (Maherzi, 2011), which explains their low achievement in the subject even as they struggle to just meet the minimum requirement in their English course (Al-Seghayer, 2014). As such, English is not deemed neutral as a language for it still bears political, religious, and socio-cultural associations. Drawing on the different conceptualisations of English, identity, and language ideology, this study examines the conflicts between anglophone culture and Saudi local culture. This qualitative research was conducted at a Saudi university, and collected its data through classroom observations, interviews, and focus groups. The findings demonstrated a complex relationship between standard English ideology and instrumentalism which influenced participants' perceptions of English in connection to their identities, encompassing both linguistic and local identities. Conformity to standard English highlighted the construction of learner identities while English adaptations supported by instrumentalism facilitated the negotiation of local identities. ‘My religion, my language’ ideology associated the construction of religious identities with Arabic language. This ideological struggle shed light on the intricate interplay between language ideologies and identity construction, underscoring the significance of understanding these dynamics in language learning and education.

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Identifiers

ORCID for Attallah Mordhi Alanazi: orcid.org/0009-0006-3456-405X

ORCID for Will Baker: orcid.org/0000-0003-0533-2795

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