English, super-diversity, and identity in the State of Qatar

This article provides a contemporary profile of English, or Englishes thereof, in the State of Qatar, a tiny country undergoing tremendous socio-cultural transformations. The historical background section contextualizes Qatar's contemporary linguistic ‘super-diversity’ as a continuity of mobility, integration, and exchange with various communities within and beyond the shores of the Arab/Persian Gulf for centuries. We describe Qatar's present-day sociolinguistic situation, English language policy initiatives and reforms in the educational context, and take a critical stance toward the common homogenizing view of English and Arabic language in the region, one that precludes a nuanced understanding in terms of wider cultural and linguistic processes taking place and shaping identities in Qatar today.