Language-in-Education Policy and Planning: The Case of Lebanon.

Abstract

Recent changes in Lebanon's educational legislation indicate a shift \naway from using the national language, Arabic, as a medium of instruction in \nfavour of other foreign languages, namely English, French, and German. The \nlatest decree that was passed in 1994 stipulated that these foreign languages can \nbe used as instructional languages in all cycles, including the pre-school and \nelementary levels. The issue of language-in-education in Lebanon is an old one, \ndating back to the arrival of foreign missionaries during the second half of the \n17th century. Since then several policies and decisions have been made by the \ncolonial powers and the successive Lebanese governments. This paper reviews \nthese policies and decisions in the light of the country's political history with \nspecial emphasis on their impact on students and communities at the socioeconomic, \neducational and political levels. The paper maintains that the policies \nmade by the French during their mandate over Lebanon (1920-1943) favoured the \nChristian Catholic and Maronite communities. Meanwhile, the policies adopted \nby the successive Lebanese governments in the era of independence (1943-1975) \nwere largely improvised and more of responses to emotions triggered by \nindependence. Consequently, several socio-economic and educational incentives \ndetermined the spread of foreign languages, especially English, in contemporary \nLebanon. This widened the gaps among the classes that make up Lebanese society \nand contributed to the distribution of quality education along sectarian and socioeconomic \nlines.

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