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Establishing a reading culture in Arabic and English in Oman
Al-Mahrooqi, Rahma1, Denman, Christopher2.
Within the Arab Gulf nation of Oman, reading skills in both Arabic and English are often
associated with academic achievement, social success, and the development of life-long learning
skills. In this context, reading is closely linked with a number of benefits, including school
readiness and participation, learner motivation and self-confidence, employability and social
mobility, future happiness, and the willingness and ability of individuals to take an active and
constructive role in society. Despite this, Oman, like many of the other Arab nations, has been
characterized as largely lacking a reading culture in either Arabic or English. Recent reforms
and initiatives in the country have sought to improve learners’ reading skills and to take the first
steps towards establishing a genuine reading culture. This paper, therefore, begins by exploring
some of the potential personal, social, and economic benefits that may be accrued through the
establishment of a reading culture as supported by these reforms, before detailing some of the
challenges that need to be addressed for this to be achieved. It ends by arguing for the need for
various stakeholders to work together to design and implement a nation-wide reading program to
help improve the quality of education in the country, and to also allow Oman to continue its path
of development as a globally-competitive, stable, and dynamic nation.
Affiliation:
- Sultan Qaboos University, Oman
- Sultan Qaboos University, Oman
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