Exploring the effect of learning a foreign language on our eastern culture

Abstract EN

 The present study aims at approaching a compromise to settle the debate relevant to teaching foreign languages in general and English language in specific for young children in the countries in which Islam is the official religion.

This requires an objective that helps in finding out such a compromise and a solution to preserve Islamic Culture and national identity together with learning foreign languages that belong to a foreign culture.

The problem lies in the process of transplanting foreign cultures to our Eastern culture which may have negative effects on future generations.

In other words, some people teach their kids foreign languages accompanied with its foreign culture that is contradicting with ours which may replace our Islamic culture one day.

This objective requires the activity of analyzing the elements of national identity to find out which one is strong and cannot be affected by external cultural elements, and which one is vulnerable, weak and easily affected passively.

Hence, we can diagnose the reasons that may contribute in constituting such a generation that misses true feelings of identity and try to avoid them.

On the other hand, the present paper is an attempt to extract the elements that enriches foreign language learning without passive effects on national identity.

Hence, this study approaches the clashing points of view as well as approaching the ideal methods of dealing with foreign identity in a way that does not affect national identity.

This in turn requires suggesting translation methods and procedures helpful in adapting curriculums to match the requirements of national identity.

Hence, this contributes in helping instructors and textbook designers to create safe and smooth learning for our kids.

This requires applying the skopostheorie which is a purpose-based translation theory which depends on submitting a target text (TT) that is appropriate to its addressees.

Key words: foreign language – culture – Eastern – Islamic- national identity- skopostheorie