Political and Socio-Cultural Factors in Foreign Language Education: The Case of Lebanon.

Autor/in	Diab, Rula
Titel	Political and Socio-Cultural Factors in Foreign Language Education: The Case of Lebanon.
Quelle	In: Texas Papers in Foreign Language Education, 5 (2000) 1, S.177-187 (13 Seiten) PDF als Volltext kostenfreie Datei Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
Schlagwörter	Arabic; Elementary Secondary Education; English (Second Language); Foreign Countries; Gender Issues; Political Influences; Second Language Instruction; Second Language Learning; Sociocultural Patterns; Socioeconomic Status; Uncommonly Taught Languages; Lebanon + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Arabisch; English as second language; English; Second Language; Englisch als Zweitsprache; Ausland; Geschlechterfrage; Political influence; Politischer Einfluss; Fremdsprachenunterricht; Zweitsprachenerwerb; Soziokulturelle Theorie; Socio-economic status; Sozioökonomischer Status; Minderheitensprache; Libanon
Abstract	This paper examines the importance of political and sociocultural factors in foreign language education, focusing on English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) learning in Lebanon. It begins with a historical review of foreign language education in Lebanon, then discusses the current role and status of English in the Lebanese context, which reveals several interrelated political and sociocultural factors that play a crucial role in ESL learning. These include religious background (Lebanon is multisectarian); political affiliations (the conflict between Arab nationalism and western orientation); socioeconomic status (students from different socioeconomic backgrounds might have different attitudes and motivations toward learning English, and socioeconomic status plays a role in the schools students enroll in and the kind of ESL education they receive); influence of Arabic as the native language (the perception by some students that Arabic is a sacred, God-given language, while English is inherently inferior); and gender (e.g., teacher gender may influence student achievement, motivation, and attitudes, and many Lebanese females may be interested in learning English for non-career reasons). (Contains 12 references.) (SM)
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC