Arabic language planning in the age of globalization

Language planning is an issue of contemporary concern around the globe. Every sovereign nation wishes to preserve its national tongue and maintain its status as a preferred medium of communication. However, the phenomenon of globalization, coupled with the increasing hegemony of English, has motivated many nations to revisit their language planning policies with a view to ensuring and strengthening the pre-eminence of their own languages, not only within their national borders, but within their geographical and commercial reach as well. The Arabic-speaking countries, while recalling with pride their historical dominance in the medieval scientific arena, are now struggling to prevent the language from an inundation of modern foreign terminology. The Arabic language-planning agencies, whose efforts to date, despite their excellent intentions, have not exhibited stellar success, must closely examine the work of other planning organizations which have succeeded in achieving many of their goals. Efforts by linguistically and ethnically diverse Scandinavian countries to promote unified technical and scientific terminology deserve close examination by the Arab nations, along with adaptation of their flourishing endeavors to the problems that beset Arabic language planning.