Socio-historical multilingualism and language policies in Dubai

Abstract

The aim of this chapter is to provide an overview of the sociolinguistic research which has been and is currently being conducted in Dubai, and has been published in the English language. After providing a discussion of the mosaic of Dubai’s population, an attempt will be made to tap into the different and diverse areas of sociolinguistic research, while new directions for future research will be discussed as well. The three most important emerging strands include multilingualism, language policies, and the sociolinguistics of the Emirati dialect. After an overview of the most important research that falls under the scope of these three strands, suggestions for interdisciplinary (socio)linguistic projects will be made, which are in full alignment with the country’s attempt to become a knowledge-based economy, as is evident in the Dubai Vision 2021 and beyond.