The Rise of English in Iraq’s Kurdistan Region
By SOFIA BARBARANI
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - English as a second language is on the rise in Iraq’s autonomous Kurdistan Region, where the population increasingly embraces the lingua franca.
In Erbil, the Kurdish enclave’s capital, English has been leaving its mark through films, music and even media and literature. More often than not, restaurants are making use of English names, whilst road signs have English translations. Even the ruling Kurdistan Democratic Party and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan make use of English on their logos.
Whilst some like to attribute the increase in English-speaking Kurds to the supposed disdain for what is often viewed as the oppressor’s language (Arabic) Chris Ludlow, Country Director for AMIDEAST, a US non-profit engaged in educational and training services, says Kurdish enthusiasm for learning English does not stem from a refusal to adopt Arabic as a second language, but from an understanding that English is a necessary stepping stone to career advancement.
The steady influx of foreign companies has made more people aware of the importance of building relationships with English-speaking countries. “In Kurdistan they’ve realized the need to develop communication skills with the outside world,” explained Didar Shwani, administrative manager at the British International Institute (BII).
“Employment is one of the main reasons for learning English,” says Didar. Kurds know that speaking English is a key employability skill, and although many can communicate on a very basic level, they are not linguistically equipped to operate in a work environment.
According to Ludlow, the phenomenon of Diaspora Kurds returning to Kurdistan has also fueled the rise in the number of English-speaking Kurds within the Kurdistan Region. “They bring a native, or near-native level of English with them,” he explained. Whilst young Western-educated Kurds are returning, many Kurds who grew up in Kurdistan are emigrating to other parts of the world. “The desire among graduates to study or work abroad has sparked an awareness of the need to be functional in English in academic and professional settings,” Ludlow says. Much of Kurdistan’s youth is getting the opportunity to study abroad due to largely government-subsidized scholarships; many of these institutions instruct in English, for this reason more Kurds want to learn the language, Ludlow adds.
English is also quietly imposing its presence in the region through English-taught schools. The past six years have seen a mushrooming of these institutions, and more parents have begun to appreciate the importance of a child’s need for English.
Although most of these schools are off-limit to a lot of local children due to their high fees, some of them work with scholarship programs. The Ihsan Dogramaci Bilkent Erbil College, for example, provides scholarships for all of its students. “Most parents don’t understand the international curriculum,” remarked David Tigchelaar, the head of the school. However, he explained, many are willing to pay the steep school fees because they realize that it is beneficial for their child to have a strong grasp of the English language.
The majority of the students at Bilkent College are Kurdish, and whilst the younger ones have a very basic understanding of English, the improvement is apparent by third grade. In one of the second grade classes, instructions were given in English and repeated in Kurdish by one of the pupils, as a means to ensure complete understanding of the task. The majority of third grade pupils revealed that they felt comfortable speaking in English, and many considered it their favorite language.
According to Tigchelaar, it is likely that many of the Kurdish students will take up positions in the region once they finish their education; this will entail a further expansion of the use of English in Kurdistan.
Like Bilkent College, Erbil’s British International School also welcomes pupils with zero English proficiency. “We offer intensive English lessons before they are introduced to the classroom,” explains founder and Head Teacher Freshta Raper. In the school’s lively cafeteria, a group of ninth grade girls, all of them Kurds who had recently returned to the region, explained that a good knowledge of English was the best part of the school curriculum. “This is by far the best education system,” according to one of the girls.
Freshta believes that the number of English-speaking Kurds will keep increasing, and that 90 percent of the population will soon consider English its second language. Ludlow reiterated this point by suggesting that, because English classes are being offered at elementary school, and because -- according to him -- the Kurdistan Regional Government wants to see English become the second language, English will be the norm among young people within the next few years. He says that would happen only with “better English training among local English teachers - i.e. Kurdish teachers in the classroom.”
“English language acquisition will establish a generation of Kurds who are more global in their outlook; this generation has the potential to bring greater development and prosperity, as well as educational opportunities and advancement to Kurdistan,” Ludlow concludes.
The rise in English is just one of the many changes which have taken Kurdistan by storm. Unlike the uncertainty of foreign investment, or the inevitable expiration of oil, English is a perdurable asset that can be handed down from generation to generation. The Kurds of Iraq are increasingly aware of this, and embracing the new language.