Spread of English and Westernization in Saudi Arabia

ABSTRACT: There is a sense of fear among the Saudis that the use of English entails Westernization, detachment to the country, and a source of corruption to their religious commitment. The present study is an attempt to investigate the validity of such a fear. Moreover, the study aims at examining attitudes of university Saudi students towards the following issues: Westernization; national identity; and religious commitment. An earlier questionnaire developed by the researchers (in press) was used and distributed to 1,176 undergraduate university students representing all universities in KSA. The results of the study reveal that the use of English does not make the participants Westernized, neither their national identity gets weakened, nor their religious commitment becomes corrupted. Learning English is believed to be a religious and a national duty among the Saudis. The study concludes with implications and recommendation to establish a rigid language policy in KSA.