Political and Socio-Cultural Factors in Foreign Language Education

Abstract

This paper examines the importance of political and sociocultural factors in foreign language education, focusing on English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) learning in Lebanon. It begins with a historical review of foreign language education in Lebanon, then discusses the current role and status of English in the Lebanese context, which reveals several interrelated political and sociocultural factors that play a crucial role in ESL learning. These include religious background (Lebanon is multisectarian); political affiliations (the conflict between Arab nationalism and western orientation); socioeconomic status (students from different socioeconomic backgrounds might have different attitudes and motivations toward learning English, and socioeconomic status plays a role in the schools students enroll in and the kind of ESL education they receive); influence of Arabic as the native language (the perception by some students that Arabic is a sacred, God-given language, while English is inherently inferior); and gender (e.g., teacher gender may influence student achievement, motivation, and attitudes, and many Lebanese females may be interested in learning English for non-career reasons). (Contains 12 references.) (SM)