Students in Qatar should build strong foundations in Arabic and their mother tongue before expanding into other languages, a Unesco education official has said, highlighting language's role in identity and learning.
Speaking to Gulf Times, Farida Aboudan, head of Education Sector at Unesco's Regional Office for the Gulf States and Yemen, stressed that language should be viewed as far more than a communication tool, particularly in countries with diverse student populations such as Qatar.
"Language is not only a means of communication, it's not only a means for teaching and learning," she said. "It is the foundation of identity, the cultural aspects of people, the context they live in, their communities, their societies and their history."
Aboudan’s comments come as Qatar continues to host learners from a wide range of linguistic and cultural backgrounds, creating a unique educational environment where local identity and global learning increasingly intersect.
She noted that Unesco has worked on language and education programmes for more than 70 years and recently reinforced its position through updated guidance highlighting the importance of multilingual education.
According to Aboudan, preserving Arabic and encouraging the use of learners' mother tongues should remain a priority, even as students acquire international languages such as English and French.
"In Qatar we have learners from different backgrounds and it's important to preserve and encourage the use of Arabic and the use of mother tongue more generally," she said. "At the same time, other languages will help students in their careers and professional progression."
She emphasised that strong literacy and language skills in a student's first language can support wider educational achievement.
"The principle is that we need to start with the mother tongue," Aboudan explained. "We need to ensure that learners have a strong foundation and strong skills in their mother tongue and then we can move ahead with more success in other domains of education as well."
Looking to the future, she pointed to what she described as a growing localisation trend across Gulf education systems.
Traditionally, Aboudan said, national schools have primarily used Arabic while international schools have relied on English, French or other dominant languages.
However, she believes the region is increasingly moving towards educational models that blend international standards with local culture, values and languages.
"We combine global standards with local knowledge, local values and local languages," she said. "We need to start from what learners already know, from their families, communities and places."
Aboudan also highlighted the emergence of place-based education, an approach that connects learning to students' local environments and experiences.
She described the trend as a positive development for the Gulf region, saying that it can help students remain connected to their identity while preparing them for an increasingly globalised world.