The Concept of the Literary use of English Language: The Case of the Arab World’s EFL Environment

Abstract

This literature-based study explores the concept of the literary use of English language in an attempt to characterize the context of the Arab world’s EFL environment accordingly. The literary use of English language construct is defined to be an in-between junction of multi overlapping set of sociolinguistic areas including Deci & Ryan; 1972, Self-Determination Theory (SDT) on Intrinsic vs. extrinsic motive of L2 acquisition; Schumann; 1978, Acculturation Model in EFL; Brown; 1980, Adaptation to a New Culture; as well as the CEFR 5 levels of EFL proficiency. The problem which prompted this study is both academic and societal where such “public use of discreet English” barely exist or has any public conventions. Conversely, the prevalent English through the Arab world’s public life is either the daily communication one, or the (pragmatic) professional version in the contexts of the different disciplines. As a result, the absence of cultural arenas, literary conventions and consequently the literary figures/activists and the audience for such discreet English, is noted.  This situation which opposes the very notion of English being the second language as most of the Arab countries recognize, has led to the public pragmatic view of English. This situation is problematic especially academically where’, fewer college students today are interested in majoring in pure English majors such as in literature, linguistics or even in media. The method applied hence, is structured literature review conducted around the devised premises each of which is derived from the research questions, and enhanced with some statistical data. The study concludes –besides the low popularity of the literary use of English, with synthesizing the factors contributing to the problem. The root issues is found to the economic public orientation among the Arab populations in the recent decades. Whereas, the Islamic discourse is found to have filled this void of the literary use of English throughout the Arab world’s EFL environment.