Language erosion

Abstract

The current multilingual linguistic landscape of Oman and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is undergoing profound transformations due to economic liberalisation and increased globalisation. These changes are reshaping the social fabric of both nations, turning them into dynamic multicultural hubs. English is emerging as a dominant language, increasingly overshadowing the diverse linguistic landscape that once characterised these countries. This shift towards English could potentially lead to the erosion of rich linguistic diversity, endangering local languages with thousands of years of history. Without urgent and targeted action to preserve, diversify and revitalise these endangered languages, many will face the threat of extinction, while others will be pushed to the brink of endangerment. To effectively address this pressing challenge, there is a critical need for a comprehensive research initiative aimed at revitalising endangered languages in Oman and the UAE. This paper proposes a pioneering research agenda focused on preserving and promoting balanced and equitable multilingualism in both nations. This article was published open access under a CC BY licence: https://creativecommons.org/licences/by/4.0/ .

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