Free Essay

Languages I Speak

In: English and Literature

Submitted By Breacher786
Words 681
Pages 3
Professor Soya

COM 1101-01

19 February 2015

Language Narrative

The two types of languages I speak are English and Arabic. Even though Arabic is the official language in the United Arab Emirates, English is widely spoken throughout the country. There are several differences in tone and the type of grammar used in both languages. For a person who doesn’t speak Arabic, the language may be a bit intimidating and loud. The English language is bit more casual and friendlier. The Arabic language has a variety of phrases and is slightly more formal when compared to English. If I was working in the U.A.E and my boss happened to be an Emirati (local) I would try to speak in Arabic with him/her because in comparison to the English language, Arabic has a wide variety of formal phrases. This helps show more respect and dignity towards your superior. Also, since I am a local citizen who has the ability to read, write in Arabic and spoke English to another person who also is a local. I would probably come off as flashy or a person with attitude and so, it’s not wise to speak English at such occasions. English on the other hand is widely spoken with people who don’t speak Arabic. Speaking English to a non-local citizen it is just like speaking Arabic with a regular Emirati (local) and no bad impression is portrayed. The main reason for classification, is that one should know when and where which language is appropriate or accepted by a given set of audience.
Even though I am fluent in both languages I prefer speaking in English because it helps me reach out and connect with a large number of people as it is considered one of the international languages. However, it may not be appropriate to speak English in all situations.
For instance if I start speaking in English with my family, relatives and Arabic friends. They would feel as though I am showing attitude and disrespecting them. My relatives and friends would casually tell me to stop acting smart and speak in Arabic, there are no major consequences if I spoke English with them in particular. It’s just that it would be socially and culturally awkward. The idea of using English as the language of communication is displeasing among native Arabic speakers. On the other hand, if I were to speak Arabic with my English teachers from Dubai they wouldn’t approve nor understand what I had to say. Since I went to an English medium school, I wasn’t allowed to speak Arabic apart from Arabic class. In this case, the consequences of speaking Arabic were severe. The English teachers constantly graded us on the basis of our English speaking skills and if I spoke Arabic with them they’d take points off my exam and I would end up getting a bad grade. Since I am very proud of my Arabic culture, background and love conversing in Arabic; I myself don’t like it when one of my family member tries to speak in English with me because as I mentioned earlier it just feels culturally awkward as If that particular person is trying to be someone their not and its easier to connect with my family when I speak in Arabic. On the other hand when I am in school, I want to speak as much English as possible because it’s the only time I am able to use it and not only want a good grade, but also want to improve my speaking skills and master the language.
These two languages will always be a major part of my life. Since I speak two languages I feel like I can see the world from two perspectives. If I just spoke Arabic I would have been restricted to one type of thinking and may not have been able to communicate and relate to people from different cultural and social backgrounds. The English language has helped me both professionally and personally while the Arabic language has helped me culturally and socially.

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