International Teacher Education Conference 2014 1

International Teacher Education Conference 2014
English) but because the essence of the phrase is lost as it crosses from one cultural language interpretation to
another.
Intonation and stress patterns of speech, while using the term In Sha Allah, lead to very important
distinguishing characteristics in its meaning and reference when it is used in the Arab region’s spoken English
communication. The term is also used in written form but the variations of interpretation are not as profound in
that instance.
FOUR CONTEXTUAL EXPLANATIONS OF IN SHA ALLAH:
Through my years of living in the U.A.E., and based on various lengthy discussions with the local Emirati
people, I have concluded that there are typically four different contextual explanations for the use of the term In
Sha Allah in the Arabic context:
Type 1: Something only happens if Allah (God) wills it to happen
Type 2: To defer responsibility for an event or situation
Type 3: To cover uncertainty
Type 4: To respectfully say that something cannot be done
It should be noted that the four types listed above are generally associated with the following four guiding
principles that Muslims believe in:
Faith in the Will of Allah (Walking in the footsteps of life per God’s will): Type 1 above
Acceptance to the Will of Allah (Understanding and submitting to the will of God): Type 2 above
Confidence in the Will of Allah (Trusting in God in times of uncertainty): Type 3 above
Forbearance to the Will of Allah (Respectfully declining a request from someone): Type 4 above
Based on my previous ELL teaching experience in the region, consider the example of two students, Fatima
and Mariam, who are preparing for their final English examination for the term. Both of the female students
come from religiously conservative backgrounds. Fatima does not miss any English classes, works diligently,
participates actively in classroom discussions and submits all the assignments on time. In contrast, Mariam does
not attend class regularly, does not submit all the assignments and is generally an unmotivated student. One day
before the final exam, I asked them after class whether they think they will do well in the impending exam. Both
replied, "In Sha Allah, I will do well." Obviously, both had different mental interpretations of the words In Sha
Allah. Fatima, who had studied hard throughout the term and therefore had prepared herself well, said In Sha
Allah with confidence and certainty, while Mariam who didn’t take studying English seriously used the words
In Sha Allah less affirmatively. Fatima’s utterance of the phrase In Sha Allah can be interpreted as a
combination of Type 1 and Type 3 context as discussed above, while Mariam’s response, depending on her
intonation and speed of voice, rather referred to a combination of Type 2 and Type 3.
However the term In Sha Allah is not always used in the ways discussed in the above example, meaning in
many instances, when there is no hope of something happening, it is thrown in for reasons of politeness and
good measure (Type 4). In conversations between Arabs and Westerners, an indicator for an event rather not
happening in the future is a pause between the end of the sentence and the In Sha Allah phrase.
Genc and Bada (2005) argue that there are a variety of challenges while exchanging messages and ideas
through communication boundaries between people, especially when communicating with each other in different
cultural settings. Depending on the context, the phrase In Sha Allah can be amusing or frustrating for Westerners
while engaging with Arabs because it can signal that whatever is intended may or may not be done. The
limitation in this situation stems from the range of positive to negative interpretations of this unique regional
phrase (Trompenaars and Hampden-Turner, 2009).
Discussion About the Cross-Cultural Communication Dialogues
The first dialogue (Appendix, 1) can take place in any part of the world among football fans, except for the
use of the term In Sha Allah. The main difference between this conversation in the U.A.E. and, for example, a
similar conversation in a Western country is the fact that God’s will is expressly conveyed while discussing the
prospects for the football match. While the same range of outcomes and uncertainty are applicable to a football
match played in any part of the world, Muslims will more clearly submit and defer to God’s final will to such an
event taking place in the future.
The second dialogue (Appendix, 2) is a typical example of the use of the term in daily life in this region. In
most other cultures outside the Arab world, such a mundane event as meeting at a designated time in the future
for social interaction will not require the express consent of God, but Muslims will often defer to God’s will to
216