<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.1//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml11/DTD/xhtml11.dtd"> <html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en"> <head> <title>Teach English in the United Arab Emirates - Language and Culture</TITLE> </head> <body> <body background="mapworld.jpg"> <img src="block_n.jpg" alt="University of Nevada, Reno" width="75" height="75" /> <h1 align=center> <a id="top"></a> Teach English in the United Arab Emirates</h1> <h2 align=center> Language and Culture</h2> <h3 align=center>Author: Lisa Beasley</h3> <h4 align=center>last updated: June 4, 2008</h4> <p align="right"> Skip to <a href=#links> Links to Websites </a><br> Return to <a href="index.html"#home> Home Page </a><br> </p> <a href=""> </a> <p> The focus of this synthesis paper is on the Arabic language and culture that American and Canadian ESL teachers may experience while in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). </p> <p> English is today s international language of the world. Saying this we can keep in mind that the UAE is quickly emerging as the preeminent leading economic power of the world and therefore has a huge demand for teachers of English. The UAE hosts the largest manmade shipping port in the world; it currently has the tallest building in the world and is working on many more mega structures. They have two seven star hotels and are currently building the largest shopping mall. The UAE is positioning them selves to be the world s number one vacation destination and dominate financial center by mid-century. </p> <p> For an overview of the country visit <a href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ae.html"> The World Fact Book: United Arab Emeritus</a> as reported by The United States of America s Central Intelligence Agency and view the following <a href="http://www.uaeinteract.com/video/video3.asp"> video about the UAE</a>; it says it all& history, reasons why the UAE is as it is, why it wants to secure the future of its people and how it plans to do it (through a diverse economy and world class infrastructure). You will find that the UAE has gone from riches to rags in its recent past; now that they are rich they have every intention of protecting themselves from returning to poverty. </p> <p> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5LjTWSKbfiU&feature=related"> Mega Projects from Discovery</a> gives a western perspective of the phenomenal growth the Eremites is currently experiencing; <a href="http://www.burjdubai.com/"> Burj Dubai official website</a> gives a UAE perspective of the same building site. The UAE is growing so fast that it is a bit hard to wrap ones mind around it. The UAE has gone from being one of the poorest nations in the world to one of the dominate nations in the world in a little over thirty years. </p> <a href=""> </a> <p> His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, ruler of Dubai offers insight to visitors about the necessity of <a href="http://www.sheikhmohammed.co.ae/vgn-ext-templating/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=703eecdcda135110VgnVCM1000007064a8c0RCRD"> learning Arabic</a> for visiting the UAE. His Highness offers that most visitors will not need to know Arabic to get around Dubai as most residents, taxi drivers, hotel staff, waiters, waitresses, and shopkeepers speak English and all public signs and notices are written in both Arabic and English. If you, a visitor, would like to try to use Arabic phrases your efforts will be warmly appreciated, and a little knowledge of the local courtesies  greetings and farewells will help you gain insight into the local culture and will enrich your visit to Dubai. </p> <p> If you would like to learn some Arabic before getting to the UAE you can learn Arabic for free at the <a href="http://arabic.speak7.com/"> Speak 7 website</a>. This website offers practice with Arabic Alphabet, vowels, translations and Arabic Calligraphy; Phrases, articles, numbers, pronouns, feminine and plural words, verbs, present tense, adjectives, comparisons, prepositions, questions and negations and goes on to help with reading writing Arabic and gives suggestions on learning effective ways to learn Arabic. You can install Arabic character set on your computer from Speak 7 and access an extensive indexed vocabulary set. Speak 7 allows you to go beyond simply learning the language by offering access to basic Islamic expressions, usual activities, and religion; these are useful things to know in the very Islamic nation of the UAE. </p> <p> <a href="http://www.arabicsp.com/webpages/moreinfo.html"> Arabic Selected Products</a> offers an interactive CD for sale that is geared to beginning students. Although it is designed so that children can use it, the CD is designed to help people of all ages learn to speak, read and write in Arabic in an easy, straight forward way. If you are familiar with the format of Mavis Bacon Teaches Typing program you will be familiar with this program. If you have not used Mavis Bacon you will be surprised with the intuitive interface of the Arabic SP program. If you overlook the childish graphics and focus on the content you will learn Arabic quickly and thoroughly. This is a prep course in Arabic. The Arabic SP company offers more advanced programs when you are ready. This is a good place to begin to learn and will allow you to read, write and understand basic Arabic that a newcomer to an Arabic speaking country would need. <p> Some of the schools that you might work for offer free introductory lessons in Arabic. <a href="http://www.eton.ac/pages/ouroffer8.php"> Eton Language Academy</a> offers free introductory Arabic lessons which include an overview of the history of the language, the alphabet, unique phonetic sounds, and basic greetings. If you find that you d like to learn more Eton offers <a href="http://www.eton.ac/pages/ouroffer2.php"> intensive language courses</a> that include 60 hours of instruction (3 weeks x 4 hours a day) the cost is currently about $ 500 US dollars. </p> <p> The most important thing to remember about learning and/or knowing the Arabic language before visiting, finding a job, or teaching in the UAE is that although Arabic is the official language of the country there are so many foreigners in the country you will not be expected to know Arabic before you arrive and any efforts to learn will be tolerated and encouraged. </p> <p> The UAE is a country that is dominated by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_culture"> Islamic culture</a> and controlled by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sharia"> Sharia Law</a>, therefore religion and family are a cornerstone of the country. Art and decoration is usually repeated geometric shapes (to honor Allah s infinite power) and usually does not include pictures of people; although actual portraits are acceptable. You will find that drinking of alcohol is permitted within private homes and some metropolitan hotels and restaurants but is considered offensive by many and is not recommended for teachers, especially in smaller communities. </p> <p> <a href="http://www.gulfnews.com/uaessentials/residentsguide/uae_society/10086523.html"> Alcohol permits</a> are available for non-Muslims with a resident visa but are only available to husbands for a married couple (although wife may use the license if her husband adds her onto the license). Both Muslims and non-Muslims who are found possessing alcohol without the proper permit or in large quantities will face legal punishment from the government. </p> <p> <a href="http://www.moh.gov.ae/"> The Ministry of Health</a> has identified many medications that are considered legal in most countries as <a href="http://www.gulfnews.com/articles/06/11/18/10083441.html"> illegal in the UAE</a>, examples are prescribed and over the counter sleeping pills, painkillers, anti-depressants and hormone replacement therapy drugs& all of these types of drugs are absolutely banned. All sex stimulants are banned; amphetamines (found in many allergy, cough and cold medications) are outlawed. Poppy seeds, codeine, morphine  any drug that could cause euphoria or that could lead to addiction are not allowed. Ritalin, Actifed, Tussifin with codeine, Zoloft are common drugs in non-Muslim countries but are examples of specifically outlawed drugs in the UAE. Breaking drug laws can cause you to be imprisoned for life or immediately deported from country. </p> <p> Because the UAE has many free trade zones with no taxes or tariffs <a href="http://www.businessmonitor.com/food/uae.html "> growth in available types of food</a> will continue to be very bullish for the foreseeable future. <a href="http://www.writefix.com/writing/cause/fastfood.htm"> fast food</a> such as hamburgers, fried chicken, and pizza are very popular and readily available in the UAE. If you live in the UAE you ll find that <a href="http://www.arabianbusiness.com/511235-uae-food-prices-head-skywards?ln=en"> the cost of food</a> staples such as rice is raising drastically due to supply and inflation. Given the open door policy to people from almost every country in the world, finding the type of food that you like should be doable in every major city. In smaller communities you will look forward to food that is more closely linked to staples and locally grown foods. Follow is hyperlink for an <a href="http://www.enhg.org/alain/phil/folklore/folklore.htm "> overview of the history of food in the UAE</a>. </p> <p> <a href="http://www.expertclick.com/NewsReleaseWire/default.cfm?Action=ReleaseDetail&ID=19410&NRWid=5124"> Table Etiquette</a> in the UAE include commonly accepted behaviors for international travelers: keep your hands and forearms visible, keep your napkin on your lap (the term napkin is acceptable as is serviette), never put your elbows on the table, break (do not cut bread), and always start with the piece of silverware that is farthest from your plate and work inward. Don t: push your plate away when you are finished, do not rest your cutlery half-on and half-off your plate, and do not pick up anything that is dropped while dinning. If you need to apply lipstick or comb your hair do not do it at table, do not blow your nose at the table. And, don t answer your phone while at the table. This is nothing new for most of us but it is important to remember that teachers are highly scrutinized in the UAE (as in most countries), resting your elbows on the table, or having a glass of wine, after a long days work could cost you your job if one of your students or their relatives recognize you acting impolite. </p> <p> <a href="http://www.qppstudio.net/publicholidays2008/uae__united_arab_emirates_.htm "> Public Holidays in the UAE</a> for 2008 included: <br> Jan 1: New Years Day<br> Jan 10: Islamic New Year<br> Jan 14: Special Public Holiday in Dubai only<br> Mar 20: The Prophet s Birthday<br> July 30: The Prophet s Ascention<br> August 6: Sheikh Zayed s Accession (Regional)<br> September 30: Last day of the Month of Ramadan<br> October 1: Eid at Fitr (End of Ramadan)<br> October 2: Eid at Fitr Holiday<br> December 2: National Day<br> December 3: National Day Holiday<br> December 7: Eid al Adha Holiday<br> December 8: Eid al Adha (Feast of Sacrifice)<br> December 9, 10, 11: Eid al Adah Holiday<br> December 29: Islamic New year<br> </p> <p> As you see, most of the holidays are Islamic holidays. Sheikh Zayed is also commonly honored throughout the nation. <a href="http://www.sheikhzayed.com/index_flash.htm# "> Sheik Zayed</a> was the founder of the country and the county s patriarch. If you wish to live in the UAE, having some <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sheikh_Zayed"> knowledge about Sheik Zayed</a> will help you understand the customs and culture. </p> <br> <a href=""> </a> <h2 align=center> Links to Websites about Language and Culture in the UAE </h2> <h3 align=left> Overview of UAE, its history, culture, people and future:</h3> <p> <a href="http://www.uaeinteract.com/video/video3.asp"> Start Here</a><br> Says it all in one video& history, reasons why the UAE is as it is, why it wants to secure the future of its people and how it plans to do it (through a diverse economy and world class infrastructure). </p> <p> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5LjTWSKbfiU&feature=related"> Mega Projects from Discovery</a>; <a href="http://www.burjdubai.com/"> Burj Dubai official website</a><br> </p> <p> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xUYAA74bvA4&feature=related"> Mega Projects</a>; <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_utj9qKbzMY&feature=related"> They like tall towers in Dubai</a>  8 of the 14 mega skyscrapers planned world wide are planned for Dubai </p> <p> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=axbYT9LYdLo&feature=related"> The Walk</a><br> a development that is truly surreal </p> <p> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xg_oU_Tnok0&feature=related"> Dubai METRO</a> and <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n4tC875AFCg&feature=related"> METRO test run</a><br> A virtual tour of the new METRO system. </p> <p> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GpjfBS7nzZ8&feature=related "> Dubai TV Commercial</a><br> Burj Dubai Commercial; the tallest building in the world. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WTF7_Z_G3d0&feature=related"> Burj</a>, and one up; and <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VI46owzCUKQ&feature=related"> how it compares</a>, and <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FPb6EJxqzg&feature=related"> more comparisons</a> </p> <h3 align=left> Language:</h3> <p> <a href="http://www.pkfuae.com/content/uae/uae_language.php"> Language:</a> The official language of the UAE is Arabic and all dealings with the Federal and local government departments are conducted in Arabic. However, given the multiplicity of nationalities and hence languages in the UAE, English has developed as the common business language </p> <p> <a href="http://archive.gulfnews.com/articles/08/03/10/10196306.html"> Arabic Official Language</a><br> On March 10, 2008 the UAE made Arabic its official language as a step to secure National Identity. Leaders stated that Arabic is the official language as described by the UAE constitution and that the use of English in the workplace should be unacceptable. </p> <p> <a href="http://adma-opco.com/AboutUAE/tabid/56/Default.aspx"> Languages</a><br> The official language of the UAE is Arabic. Other languages spoken are English, Hindi, Farsi. A large number of the expatriate populations are from the sub-continent, Philippines, Iran etc. So you will find Tagalog, Malayalam, Russian etc. </p> <p> <a href="http://www.ethnologue.com/show_country.asp?name=United+Arab+Emirates"> Statistics of languages</a><br> Statistics of languages spoken in the UAE; statistics reported in 2005. </p> <p> <a href="http://arabic.speak7.com/"> Learn Arabic for Free</a><br> Written words and phrases translated from English to Arabic and Arabic to English </p> <h3 align=left> Maps and National Symbols  flag, money, demographics, Monetary Exchange calculator, Museum:</h3> <p> <a href="http://travel.nytimes.com/travel/guides/middle-east/overview.html?inline=nyt-geo"> New York Times</a><br> map and articles </p> <p> <a href="http://www.uaeinteract.com/travel/where.asp"> Map</a><br> Maps show placement of UAE on the earth, the Middle East, and the emirates within the country </p> <p> <a href="http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/united_arab_emirates.html"> Maps of the UAE</a><br> and individual emirates; most of these maps are old (pre-2000) but are very high quality. </p> <p> <a href="http://www.worldflags101.com/u/united-arab-emirates-flag.aspx"> UAE Flag</a><br> The UAE s flag </p> <p> <a href="http://aes.iupui.edu/rwise/countries/united_arab_emirates.html"> UAE Money</a><br> Pictures of UAE paper money& it is a very good idea to know what the money looks like ahead of time. Most of the Dirham notes have a picture of a falcon on the back. They also have numbers on the back to denote the demonization size. </p> <p> <a href="http://www.emirates.org/"> Emirates.org</a><br> The official tourism site from the UAE; demographics are available on the  about hyperlink. </p> <p> <a href="http://www.oanda.com/converter/classic?user=pierce&lang=en "> Exchange Rates</a><br> Exchange rates for any currency to any currency& useful for figuring U.S. dollars to UAE dirham; look for Utd. Arab Emir. Dirham AED in the choice box. </p> <p> <a href="http://www.sharjah-welcome.com/"> Sarjah Museum</a><br> Very nice website showing the Sarjah museum of art and culture; this site has many pictures and several streaming videos </p> <h3 align=left> In the News:</h3> <p> <a href="http://www.meed.com/news/editorschoice/2008/01/the_gulfs_growing_labour_crisis.html"> Raising labor costs</a><br> MEED business intelligence website; this article is about raising labor costs and demands along with shortages of skilled labor. </p> <p> <a href="http://www.gulfnews.com/Nation/Education/10207107.html"> Gulf News.com</a><br> This web address brings you to an article about reforms in the public school system of Dubai and also has lots of links to articles about Dubai and the UAE. </p> <h3 align=left> Business Etiquette and Descriptions of Living There:</h3> <p> <a href="http://www.executiveplanet.com/index.php?title=United_Arab_Emirates"> Guide to proper etiquette</a><br> for western business people in the UAE </p> <p> <a href="http://www.shelteroffshore.com/index.php/living/cat/C70/"> Shelter Offshore</a><br> Inviting descriptions of living in Dubai and links to sites for housing, buying a home, finding a school for your children, etc. </p> <p> <a href="http://www.shelteroffshore.com/index.php/living/more/expatriates_moving_to_live_in_dubai/"> Top Ten suggestions</a><br> for people moving to UAE. <a href="http://www.shelteroffshore.com/index.php/living/articles/C70/"> Useful Info</a> - a listing of useful articles. </p> <p> <a href="http://www.teachinternational.com/jobs/destinations/countries/country_uae.php"> Teach International</a><br> This site is primarily a sales site for TESOL courses but also offers a brief description of the UAE and background information for people to consider as they look into becoming an teacher of English language in non-English speaking counties. </p> <h3 align=left> Customs and Culture:</h3> <p> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/EMlRATES"> Zayed Mosque</a><br> This is the heart of the UAE </p> <a href=""> </a> <p> <a href="http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1050.html"> U.S. State Department</a><br> Culture: Islamic ideals and beliefs provide the conservative foundation of the country's customs, laws and practices.<br> <ul> <li>Religion: 96% Islamic; mostly Sunni Muslims <li>Laws: Mostly Islamic <li>Expect hefty jail times and fines for DUI  lashings may also be imposed <li> If you injure another person you will go to jail until that person has recovered <li> If a person should die due to your actions you will be imposed a fine to pay for the persons death  usually $55,000 US dollars <li> Even a small accident will prevent you from leaving the country until the issue has been resolved <li> If you have a financial dispute with your employers you may be banned from travel <li> Some over the counter drugs in the US are considered narcotics in the UAE. If you are caught with them you may face a death sentence. You may be prosecuted for passion of illegal drugs if you bring prescription drugs with you to UAE. You can view an unofficial list of contraband drugs on the UAE Ministry of Health website. <li> The possession of poppy seeds can land you in jail for 15 years. <li> Possession of alcohol is illegal <li> If you proselytize your god& even unknowingly& you may be imprisoned or deported <li> Border disputes with Saudi Arabia and Oman  but they don t actually fight over it& usually, but it is not advised to go near the borders (on land or water) <li> Fight on the side of the U.N. <li> 15  20% of the population of about 4.4 million are citizens <li> 96% of the workforce are foreigners <li> $157 Billion / year from oil and gas exports; expected to continue for 150years <li> Total economy (GDP) $164 billion per year (also export pearls and food) <li> Major Ethnic Groups: Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Egyptian, Jordanian, Iranian, Filipino, other Arab (most foreigners are Muslim) <li> Receives over $5 billion in Foreign economic aid (2004) from the US <li> The Federal Government of the UAE is very weak (still working under its original provisional constitution from 1968. Each of the seven emirates is in control of itself. Each is ruled by its own prince. <li> There are no political parties  Rulers are born not elected <li> The UAE requires a 51% local citizen ownership of all businesses <li> They give foreign aid to other Arab and Muslim countries (in excess of $15 billion / year) <li> In 2007 they gave $300 billion to Lebanon and $215 billion to Afghanistan and Palestinian Authority <li> You can be arrested for photographing military sites or using a GPS for mapping activities <li> Do not expect modern medical facilities outside of large cities <li> Do not trust water and food purity outside of large cities; beware of infectious diseases </ul> </p> <a href=""> </a><br> <br> <a href=""> </a> <p align="right"> Return to <a href=#top> Top of Page </a><br> Return to <a href="index.html"#home> Home Page </a><br> </p> <br> <br> <br> <TABLE align=center cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 border=0> <TBODY> <TR> <TD bgColor=#ffffff><IMG height=1 src="" width=1></TD></TR> <TR> <TD class=copyright align=middle bgColor=#d6e2fa height=18> <div align="center"> <p align="left" style=font-size:10pt> <span class="style3"> </span> </font><span class="style3"></b> Information shown on this website is the result of a collaborative effort by Dr. Rod E. Case and the EDS491/691 Special Topics in Teaching English as a Second Language Class, Wintermester, 2007.<br><br> Direct questions about the <a href="http://www.unr.edu/tesol/"> TESOL Program </a> to <a href="mailto:&#99heney@unr.edu">Dr. Christine Cheney</a>.<br> This website is maintained by <a href="mailto:r&#99ase@unr.edu">Dr. Rod E. Case</a>.</span><br> Last modified: August 23, 2007 <SCRIPT LANGUAGE="JAVASCRIPT"> </SCRIPT></p> <p align="left"> <span class="style3"> </span> <img src="nlogo.gif" alt="UNR logo" width="64" height="43"><span class="style3"><span class="style5"><a href="http://www.unr.edu">University of Nevada, Reno</a></span> <br> </span><br> <span class="style3"></span></font> </p> </div> </h5></TD> </TR></TBODY></TABLE> <TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=778 border=0> <TBODY> <TR> <TD bgColor=#ffffff><IMG height=1 src="images/7dspace.gif" width=1></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE> </body> </html>