The Sounds of Gulf English: Native-Speakerism Syndrome

Wafa S. Zoghbor, Zayed University

Document Type

Article

Source of Publication

World Englishes in the Arab Gulf States

Publication Date

1-1-2025

Abstract

The global distribution of English has been conceptualized through Kachru’s three concentric circles, which categorize regions based on the historical, colonial, and political contexts that shape their English usage. These circles – inner, outer, and expanding – reflect different pronunciation patterns. It has been proposed that English should be “denationalized,” meaning that all speakers, regardless of their ethnic background, should view it as their own language. This perspective promotes tolerance for variations in English and accepts differences from native speaker norms. This chapter introduces an inventory of English sounds produced by 15 Gulf Arabic speakers of English and reports on the attitudes of 60 English users from across Kachru’s circles towards the English speech samples of these Gulf Arabic speakers. The findings indicate that, despite support for the denationalization of English, linguistic imperialism and native-speaker syndrome persist. Participants who demonstrated a tolerant attitude prioritized “intelligibility” but did not fully embrace a lingua franca perspective. Additional factors, including inherited attitudes towards specific groups and the background and experience of interlocutors, also influence perceptions of speech samples. The study offers recommendations for a language policy that fosters inclusivity in a multilingual community and combats discrimination based on accented English.

ISBN

[9781032699967, 9781040327135]

First Page

105

Last Page

128

Disciplines

Education | Linguistics

Keywords

Gulf English, native-speakerism, English pronunciation, linguistic imperialism, language policy

Scopus ID

05001885990

Indexed in Scopus

yes

Open Access

no

Link to Full Text

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