International Teacher Education Conference 2014 1

International Teacher Education Conference 2014
Understanding IN SHA ALLAH in Cross-Cultural Communication
Sandra Vonderlind a*
ª Senior Project Specialist, Abu Dhabi Project, Lastinger Center for Learning, College of Education, University of Florida, Gainesville
Abstract
In Sha Allah is one of the most common phrases in the Arabic and generally Muslim societies in Asia and
Africa. The term, which literally translates to ‘if it is God’s will,’ has a distinct literal meaning in Anglo-Saxon
English language communication, but in reality under the cultural cap where it is used, In Sha Allah can mean a
multitude of emotions both positive and negative and more importantly well beyond the literal translation of the
phrase in English. Through this paper the readers are offered a glimpse into one Arabic-speaking culture and its
workings, which are quite different from the more direct and absolute mechanisms typical in Western cultures.
Furthermore, in recent years, as there has been a push to better understand the Arab cultures and their beliefs, a
phrase like In Sha Allah can help immensely to bridge the communication gap between different cultures and
help create harmonious societies.
Keywords.
Introduction
Today, in many parts of the world, everyday culture is swayed by international influences. Irving (2005)
states that globalization, a continuously growing confluence of culture and economics, has led to many social
and political implications, and communication has greatly been affected by this process. Whether right or wrong,
globalization seems unstoppable. Mass tourism, the interdependency of world markets and the Internet with its
efficient and instant links to even the remotest corners of the globe have all contributed to an up-growth in crosscultural
communication. Hence, in the course of their daily lives more and more people all over the world are
confronted with the task of communicating with people from cultures very different from their own. English,
often not native to either speaker, is most frequently the language employed, i.e. the lingua franca. Yet the
language itself is often the least important aspect; intercultural awareness and tolerance play a central role in
making global communication work.
The concept of cross-cultural competence is neither static nor the direct result of being educated and trained.
Hammer, Bennet & Wiseman (2003) see cross-cultural competence as widely perceived and being crucial for
people to interact effectively and appropriately with members of different cultures. Furthermore, it cross-cultural
competence not innate with people, nor does it accidentally occur while working and/or living in a foreign
country. Spitzberg (2000) refers to motivation, culturally appropriate behavior and local knowledge as the three
important components for cross-cultural competence. The author is of the opinion that these competencies are
developed gradually by experience and hence, will never be complete.
Growing up in Germany, I was always interested in exploring foreign cultures and understanding the nuances
that makes one group of people a little different from another group of people. Although I have visited more than
forty countries during my vacation travels over the years, where in some cases I was able to appreciate briefly
the differences between the local’s ways of life and my own, it was only in 2008, when I moved to the United
Arab Emirates (U.A.E.), that I was for the first time able to truly immerse myself into a clearly different culture
than my own. In the appendix to this paper, I have listed eight unique cross-cultural communication dialogues
from my workplace and my English Language Learning (ELL) classroom that I have experienced over the years
while working and teaching in the U.A.E. In the following pages, I will discuss and analyze these examples and
illustrate unique cross-cultural differences between a Western-born and raised education professional and her
workplace colleagues and U.A.E.-born students.
For the purposes of this paper, I use the term “Muslim” to refer to people who practice Islam, “Arab” to refer
to people who are ethnically Arab and “Emirati” to denote citizens of the U.A.E. Most of the people I am
referencing are from the Middle East, North Africa or are Muslims from the Indian subcontinent. It should be
E-mail address: svonderlind@coe.ufl.edu
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