Language Policy and the Power of Linguistic Dynamics in the Arab World

This volume offers a comprehensive examination of language policy and planning across the Arabic-speaking world, from historical Arabization to contemporary digital revitalization. Using comparative case studies in education, justice, public services, conflict zones, and higher education, it explores key tensions such as diglossia versus dialect equity, English-medium instruction versus mother-tongue rights, and Modern Standard Arabic standardization amid Tamazight resurgence. The chapters examine implementation gaps, institutional capacity, and innovative tools such as register-aware natural language processing, while also addressing minority languages, conflict-sensitive governance, and linguistic hierarchies shaped by globalization. Bridging theory and practice, this book presents evidence-based mechanisms, including annual reviews, theory-of-change monitoring, and capacity-before-scale approaches, to promote equitable outcomes and linguistic justice. Essential for scholars of sociolinguistics, linguistic anthropology, Middle Eastern studies, and policy practitioners, it fosters inclusive dialogue aimed at preserving the region's rich multilingual heritage.

Yasser Ahmed Gomaa is Professor of Linguistics and Translation in the English Department, Faculty of Arts, Assiut University, Egypt, and a Fellow of Advance Higher Education Academy, UK. Since beginning his academic career in 1993, his research has focused on sociolinguistics, discourse analysis, language policy and planning, translation, and linguistic landscape research. He has published widely in international journals and edited collections. His scholarship explores the intersections of sociolinguistic theory, translation research, and contemporary debates on language, identity, and power.

Introduction, Chapter 1: Historical Overview of Arab World Language Policy, Chapter 2: Arabic Language Policy and Planning in the Arab World: Theory, History, and Practice, Chapter 3: Linguistic Diversity and Diglossia in the Arab World, Chapter 4: Arabic as a National Language: Policy, Practice, and Power, Chapter 5: Language-in-Education Policy in the Arab World: Design, Implementation, and -Evaluation, Chapter 6: Status and Protection of Minority Languages in the Arab World, Chapter 7: Language Policy and Identity in the Arab World, Chapter 8: Globalization and Language Policy in the Arab World: Ideology, Power, and Institutional -Practice, Chapter 9: Language Policy in the Arab World's Conflict Zones: Prevention, Protection, and -Reconciliation, Chapter 10: Language Revitalization and Maintenance Efforts in the Arab World, Chapter 11: Policy Mechanisms and Governance Complexity in Language Planning: Comparative -Cases from the Arab World, Conclusion, References, Index