| Introduction: | | | | organizes, as it organizes, it speaks and expresses it |
| In this paper I will discuss the phenomenon of using | | | | self as authority” (p. 352). Why I would pay my |
| native English teachers in the Middle East region, | | | | good money to fund an Arabic channel such as |
| precisely in United Arab Emirates in the context of EFL | | | | Alhurra when I cannot earn money from it. Alhurra in its |
| in the public primary schools. In this discussion I will | | | | web site mentions that “Alhurra is operated by |
| examine the reasons beyond such a phenomenon. I | | | | non-profit corporation, The Middle East Broadcasting |
| will also examine the attitude of native and non-native | | | | Networks, Inc. (MBN)” (Alhurra official web site). The |
| speaker teachers who teach English language along | | | | Arabic satellite dish contains more than 300 free |
| with students’ parents’ attitudes. Moreover, I will | | | | entertainment channels which can be accessed by |
| link “communicative imperialism” (Phillipson, 2006) | | | | Arabs from any place in the Middle East with more |
| and the role of the media with the context of EFL in | | | | than 6 news channels such as Al-jazeera, CNN and |
| the Middle East region. Due to the natural of my paper, | | | | BBC. Therefore, the purpose of such channels is that |
| a “self reflective” (Pennycook, 2001: p.1) and | | | | the American government can trade its citizen’s |
| previous experiences of other countries are expected | | | | money with its future security by dominating and |
| to be present. | | | | directing Arab youths’ minds and beliefs toward its |
| ELT in United Arab Emirates has witnessed an | | | | own interest, by providing ‘a purely American |
| extraordinary revolution in the last 6 years. My interest | | | | Arabic speaker’ channel. The other case is MBC |
| of this issue emerged simultaneity with the appearance | | | | group channels which “started in London as the first |
| of a new type of schools which are gradually replacing | | | | satellite, free-to-air multi-channel media group of its kind |
| the ordinary public schools in UAE. This type is called | | | | in the Arab world” (MBC official web site). |
| (Al-Ghad schools) which literally means “tomorrow | | | | Al-Arabiya (means the ‘Arabian channel’ in |
| schools” in Arabic. It clearly indicates the main | | | | Arabic) which is one channel from the MBC 6 free |
| purpose of these schools is to produce more | | | | channels specialized with news and press. The reason |
| sophisticated, moderated and competitive students. | | | | behind the emergence of such channel has been |
| The vision of ministry of Education and Youth in UAE | | | | declared by the people work there is to have a |
| as what they declared is “to have a new | | | | democratic channel which fights Aljazeera’s |
| generation who is more capable of English language | | | | thoughts (an Arabic news channel) and its |
| and its vocabulary and grammar skills”, in other | | | | anti-democratic trends. Since Al-jazeera has been |
| words “we need a generation who speaks English | | | | described by many Westerner politicians as |
| as it is his or her first language”, thus to achieve this | | | | anti-American bias, thus we need a channel against |
| goal teachers who “have a better command of | | | | any anti-American thoughts in the Middle East region. |
| fluent, idiomatically correct language forms, are more | | | | According to Ryan (2005) Donald Rumsfeld has |
| knowledgeable about the cultural connotations of the | | | | accused the station of persuading people that the US |
| language” (Braine, 1999: p.xiv) are needed. In order | | | | is an occupying force in Iraq, which he describes as a |
| to make this vision alive, a huge number of native | | | | lie! On the contrary, the expansion into Iraq was to |
| English teachers had been brought from areas such | | | | “brought freedom, economic growth, education and |
| as “North America, Britain, new Zealand and | | | | democracy to people who have suffered under years |
| Australia which claim ownership over English”( | | | | of oppression and mismanagement” (Hadley, 2004 |
| Canagarajah, 1999: p.79). Furthermore, to support this | | | | quoted Assistance for Iraq). As a result, America is |
| vision, some authorized sources in the government | | | | trying to Americanize the Arabic society the same |
| argue that this new methodology of teaching is the | | | | way as she Americanized the Japanese society after |
| best in teaching English which enables the students to | | | | the World War ll. Therefore, the road will be paved for |
| acquire the language very easy and smoothly. Schiitz | | | | native English teachers when they come to teach the |
| (2007) cites Krashen’s (1987) view that acquisition | | | | ‘Western values’. |
| any language requires meaningful interaction in the | | | | The world of TESOL and the native speaker teacher |
| target language (natural communication) thus, language | | | | of English: |
| acquisition does not require extensive use of | | | | To impose the American ideologies in the Middle East, |
| conscious grammatical rules because learners grow | | | | America promoted very well the teaching job for the |
| up learning the language as it is something very natural | | | | native speaker teachers of English by promising them |
| in their life without an effort, especially at the beginning | | | | with “ good salaries and an exotic overseas |
| levels of their life. Moreover, Boyle (1997) illustrates that | | | | adventure” (Hadley, 2004). According to Hadley |
| native speaker teachers have a range of advantages | | | | many scholars such as Troike and Crystal have linked |
| over the non-native speaker teachers because (a) | | | | the expansion of TESOL to the expansion of former |
| English learned from birth and developed through his | | | | British and present American empire. Furthermore, |
| her life as primary language which been used in his/her | | | | native English teachers serve as “part of the |
| life (b) the intricacies of the grammar of the language | | | | educational aid packages exported to countries |
| are learned instinctively and can be employed with | | | | throughout South America, South East Asia, Africa |
| speed and certainty (c) native speaker of English | | | | and the Middle East” (Hadley, 2004) who work as |
| engages with other native speakers of English as | | | | colonial administrators. Handley in his paper cited |
| something natural in his/her social context, so he/she | | | | Edge’s view that EFL teachers have become an |
| uses the language all the time as the dominant | | | | academic army that satisfies intellectual conflict and |
| language, thus it is better to use native speaker | | | | occupies the linguistic dominions of an Anglophonic |
| teachers of English to teach their first language. | | | | empire: |
| Additionally, McNeill (1994) in his study about the | | | | “…it is now possible to see us, EFL teachers, as a |
| characteristics of native and non-native speaker | | | | second wave of imperial troopers. Before the |
| teachers of English argues that native speaker | | | | armoured divisions have withdrawn from the city limits, |
| teachers have the advantage when it comes to | | | | while the solders are still patrolling the streets, English |
| learners’ vocabulary needs. It is sensible to point | | | | teachers will be facilitating the policies that the tanks |
| here; the government is replacing non-native speaker | | | | were sent to impose. And whether, and to |
| teachers with native speaker teachers of English | | | | whomsoever, I teach EFL, I am part of that |
| gradually in order to provide their students with the | | | | overarching system” (Hadley, 2004 quoted from |
| opportunity to hold conversations with teachers in | | | | Edge, 10) |
| English, and only in English. | | | | Karmani (2005) argues that an extraordinary |
| On the other hand, Al-segair (2007) who works as a | | | | pressure has been put on Muslim governments to |
| teacher in a prestigious university in the Middle East | | | | reform their educational curricula. A very interesting |
| illustrates that in his investigation about native speaker | | | | article by Glasser (2003) who works for the |
| teachers in the Middle East, “I found some of them | | | | Washington Post illustrates that many Arabic Gulf |
| used to work as dog-trainers back in Chicago” | | | | countries reshape their schools and put English over |
| (paragraph, 2). He also pointed out that some teachers | | | | Islam, so in order to make way for more hours of |
| were “a bunch of former company employees and | | | | English, classes in Islamic studies and Arabic are being |
| some had worked in western embassies” | | | | reduced. A new stuff of native English speaker |
| (paragraph, 2) who did not work as teachers before. | | | | teachers has been brought into the schools of United |
| Al-segair thus explains that not because you are a | | | | Arab Emirates to teach the students from early ages. |
| native speaker of a language qualifies you to teach it! | | | | What is interesting is that the native speaker teachers |
| Teaching a language requires “skills, competence, | | | | are brought from inner countries as experts who do |
| training and knowledge” (paragraph, 3). Going | | | | not need any preparing or training. They are who |
| further in this issue, Al-Osaimi (2007) illustrates that | | | | design the textbooks, monitoring the non-native |
| some schools do not bother to recruit qualified English | | | | speaker teachers and deciding who should stay and |
| teachers, however, parents usually more impressed by | | | | who should not stay in the school. However, American |
| where did teachers come from and the fact that their | | | | policies had succeeded in this country. Almost every |
| accent sounds more ‘American or British’ | | | | non-native speaker teacher convinced that the native |
| considered to be enough to convince them that they | | | | speaker teachers are better than non-native speaker |
| are the most suitable teachers to teach their children, | | | | teachers in English and this system is the best to |
| regardless what they have of qualifications or | | | | teach the students this language even if they do not |
| experiences. Such criteria forced me to wonder why | | | | have the required qualifications, because English is their |
| such thinking is dominant in the region. | | | | first language. This persuasion created negative |
| America and its Politics play a major part in all of this. | | | | outcomes with less positive results. In such schools a |
| The American tenet that “the current educational | | | | world full of racial discrimination in job opportunity, |
| systems in place in the Muslim world were partly | | | | payment and respect has emerged. Non-native |
| responsible for motivating the terrorist attacks on the | | | | speaker teacher is no longer trusted by parents and |
| World Trade Center and the pentagon. In June | | | | his or her students. The native speaker teacher’s |
| 2002” (Karmani, 2005:p.262), thus in order to | | | | salary must be double than the non-native speaker |
| change their attitude towards the western and the | | | | teacher as one condition to import these teachers. |
| American culture, a new concept should be replaced | | | | Moreover, they must be provided with luxury |
| with what is described as a “combination of | | | | accommodations, free transportations and first class |
| intolerance, ignorance, anti-Semitic, anti-American, and | | | | annual flight tickets to their mother land. Of course, |
| anti-Western views” (Karmani, 2005: p.262) by | | | | these conditions had been set by the American |
| using native speaker teachers as means to apply this | | | | government to ensure that their citizens are treated |
| project. By importing native speaker teachers of | | | | well. Such conditions are imposed against |
| English from what Kachru calls “inner circle | | | | governments’ wish in the Middle East region. What |
| countries” (Kachru & Nelson, 1996: p. 78) with | | | | is ironic is that even if you have an American passport |
| westerns’ beliefs and values, a new Americanized | | | | or you are a citizen from inner countries and you were |
| generation would be the total outcome. In simple | | | | not white or you were originally from Arabic country, |
| words, educational or mind colonialism and | | | | you may not have these facilities! In some cases your |
| “linguistics imperialism” (Phillipson, 2006: p.346) are | | | | contract might be cancelled even after you have |
| the main goals in such invasion of native speaker | | | | signed the contract if your original identity has been |
| teachers at the Middle East region. | | | | discovered. |
| Searching for its alleged security: | | | | Conclusion: |
| Handley (2004) mentions that in the late 1700s, | | | | In order to achieve the maximum domination on the |
| America was surrounded by great European | | | | Middle East and to make sure that no anti-American |
| superpowers, thus America was “economically and | | | | bases are exist in the region. Moreover, to insure that |
| militarily disadvantaged” (Hadley, 2004). Therefore, | | | | what happened in September 11, 2001 is not going to |
| to build a strong and superpower nation, America must | | | | happen again, an American political equation must be |
| expand its borders by negotiation or war. The | | | | applied, first, using the tank to impose the power. |
| American citizens had been convinced that the world | | | | Second, programming youth’s minds and their |
| and America’s national security always in danger, | | | | views on what America ‘believes in’ is right. |
| so in order to protect the world and America, any | | | | Third, teach the child what is against America is |
| country that threats us should be attacked. | | | | against you in the classrooms. It is not a coincidence |
| Furthermore, “lack of expansion implies the | | | | that the emergence of (Al-Ghad) schools was after |
| possibility of defeat” thus, “American insecurity | | | | only one year from the dramatic events of September |
| was an important factor in the invasions of Hawaii, | | | | 11, 2001. It is not a coincidence that the reform of the |
| Puerto Rico and the Philippines” (Hadley, 2004) in | | | | educational curricula implemented after September 11, |
| the past. Other form of such American fears is the | | | | 2001. It is not also a coincidence that, channels like |
| Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) which was a proposal | | | | Alhurra and Al-Arabiya had been lunched after what |
| by the American president Roland Reagan in March | | | | happened in September 11 in 2001 which they are now |
| 23, 1983. The main goal of this proposal as what | | | | based in Dubai, in United Arab Emirates. However, no |
| Wikipedia illustrates is “to use ground and | | | | one can disagree that Middle East countries need |
| space-based systems to protect the United States | | | | skilled and experienced workers and teachers from |
| from attack by strategic nuclear ballistic missiles”. | | | | developed countries such as America, and Britain, but |
| This proposal carried the popular name “Star | | | | a direct supervising to those employees must be done |
| Wars” in 1977 after movie by George Lucas. | | | | by Middle Eastern countries that brought those experts |
| According to Handley, the Star Wars program is an | | | | and pay their salaries from their money for a preset |
| expansion of America’s continued need searching | | | | goal. According to Fields (2005) who is a native |
| for its national safety “by now expanding its | | | | speaker teacher of English works in Abu-Dhabi, UAE, |
| borders into outer space” (Handley, 2004 cited | | | | teachers should be hired based on their qualifications |
| Mauk and Oakland, 154), moreover, the recent | | | | to work in an atmosphere of fairness and respect, |
| invasions on Iraq and Afghanistan interpreted by a | | | | free from fear of discriminatory treatment or arbitrary |
| large number of American citizens is they had been | | | | dismissal because of their ethnicity, whether they were |
| convinced that America’s national security was | | | | native or non-native speaker teachers of English. |
| threatened. Thus, in order to assure that no one | | | | Reference: |
| threats America’s security in the future, a new | | | | Alhurra, 2005, ‘About us’. Available from: |
| ways of domination and controlling should take place in | | | | [Accessed 12 Jun 2008] |
| areas such as Eastern Asia, Africa and the Middle | | | | Al-Osaimi, N., 2007. English Teachers Not Always |
| East not only military, but also as media and academic | | | | Qualified [online]. Arab News. Available from: |
| occupation. | | | | [Accessed 17 May 2008] |
| The role of Media in the Middle East: | | | | Al-Segair, K., 2007. Only Native Speakers as English |
| No one can deny the strong role played by Media in | | | | Teachers! [online]. Arab News. Available from: |
| any place in the world. America tries to impose its | | | | [Accessed 17 May 2008] |
| policies and its ideologies in the Middle East whether by | | | | Boyle, J., 1997. ‘Native-speaker teachers of English |
| using force or not. In order to dominate the region, the | | | | in Hong Kong’. Language and Education vol. 11, No.3 |
| American beliefs should be promoted in the area. | | | | Braine, G., 1999, Introduction, in G. Braine (Ed), |
| Phillipson (2006) argues that the development of | | | | Non-Native Educators in |
| communications networks has a basic relationship to | | | | English Language Teaching, Mahwah, New Jersey: |
| the emergence of the new world order. He illustrates | | | | Lawrence Erlbaum,pp.xiii-xx |
| that “communication organizes the movement by | | | | Canagarajah, A. S., 1999, Interrogating the “Native |
| multiplying and structuring interconnections through | | | | Speaker” Fallacy: |
| networks” (p. 352). Thus, in order to dominate a | | | | Non-Linguistic Roots, Non-Pedagogical Results, in G. |
| particular country and its culture, you must control its | | | | Braine (Ed), Non-Native |
| media and what is being showed to the people inside | | | | Educators in English Language Teaching, Mahwah, |
| their homes. A controversially television network | | | | New Jersey: Lawrence |
| channels like MBC group (Middle East Broadcasting | | | | Erlbaum, pp.77-92 |
| Center) and Alhurra (means the ‘free one’ in | | | | Fields, M., 2005. If students can learn who is the better |
| Arabic) had emerged in the Middle East and dedicate | | | | teacher, why can't employers? [online]. Guardian |
| the lion’s share in Middle Easterners’ minds and | | | | Weekly. Available from: students can learn who is the |
| homes. Such channels can be seen by some people | | | | better teacher, why can't employers TEFL |
| as mediums to spread the American’s plans and | | | | EducationGuardian_co_uk.mht. [Accessed 16 May |
| principles in the region using another means beside | | | | 2008] |
| tanks and rockets. Alhurra is a commercial-free Arabic | | | | Glasser, B., 2003. Qatar reshapes its schools, putting |
| language satellite television network for the Middle East | | | | English over Islam [online]. Washington Post Foreign |
| operated and funded by the United States of America. | | | | Services. Available from: [Accessed 16 May 2008] |
| This channel is financed by the American people using | | | | Hadley, G., 2004, ‘ELT and the New World Order: |
| their taxes through the Broadcasting Board of | | | | Nation Building or New Reconstruction?’, in TESOL |
| Governors and the U.S. Congress. Many Arab political | | | | Islamia, Niigata University of International and |
| critics argue that this channel lunched to change the | | | | Information Studies. Available from: http:/tesolislamia.org |
| views of Arabs and Muslims around the world | | | | articles.html [Aaccessed 11 Jun 2008] |
| towards the west and America by showing football | | | | Kachru, B., & Nelson, C., 1996, ‘World |
| games, explaining the acetic dimensions of baseball | | | | Englishes’, in S McKay & N |
| and airing documentaries about the 'fence' in Palestine, | | | | Hornberger (eds), Sociolinguistics and Language |
| along with doses of fashion. Alhurra in its official web | | | | Teaching, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, pp. |
| site claims that: | | | | 71-102 |
| “We are devoted primarily to news and information. | | | | Karmani, S., 2005, English, 'Terror', and Islam. Applied |
| In addition to reporting on regional and international | | | | linguistics 26(2) 262-267 |
| events, the channel broadcasts discussion programs, | | | | MBC group, 2008, ‘About MBC group’. Available |
| current affairs magazines and features on a variety of | | | | from: [Accessed 12 Jun 2008] |
| subjects including health and personal fitness, | | | | McNeill, A., 1994. ‘Some characteristics of Native |
| entertainment, sports, fashion, and science and | | | | and non-Native speaker teachers of English’. |
| technology” (Alhurra official web site). | | | | International language in Education conference. |
| Give me a break! In order to facilitate TESOLers’ | | | | Pennycook, A., 2001, Critical Applied Linguistics: A |
| jobs who came from inner circle countries, an | | | | Critical Introduction, |
| anesthetization of Middle Easterners’ hearts and | | | | Mahwah, New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum |
| minds must be done so people can accept these | | | | Phillipson, R., 2006, Language Policy and Linguistic |
| teachers with a positive attitude and a wide smile on | | | | Imperialism, in T. Ricento (Ed.), An Introduction to |
| their faces. People in the Middle East must be | | | | Language Policy: Theory and Method, Oxford: |
| convinced that they are not proficient enough to teach | | | | Blackwell, pp.246-361 |
| English, thus teachers their first language is English | | | | Ryan, P., 2005, ‘Middle East ‘Media War’, |
| must take over and teach English for your child’s | | | | Middle East window. Available from: [Accessed 12 Jun |
| own benefit. According to Phillipson (2006) media is not | | | | 2008] |
| only organize production on a new scale and force a | | | | Schiitz. R., 2007. ‘Stephen Krashen's Theory of |
| new structure sufficient to global space, but also make | | | | Second Language Acquisition’. |
| its justification inherent power, as it “produces, | | | | |