It is sad that the future of Arabic seems to be bleak, thanks to the importance that UAE institutions give to English (Arabic 'becoming a foreign language, March 2). Most children are encouraged to communicate in English from a very young age and because of this, they lose touch with their native language. There is no doubt that English is a universal language but it shouldn't be given so much emphasis that one forgets one's mother tongue.
Fatima Suhail, Sharjah
If you want people to succeed, put the emphasis on education as a whole – science, maths, social skills, particularly in English.
The world has evolved into a global community, and English is an absolute must. I too have become far more proficient in English than in my mother tongue, but I’m much better off for it.
There is no point in someone studying, for example, medicine in Arabic, when they will probably end up having to communicate more in English than in Arabic.
Theo Scheepers, Dubai
You need special skills to teach a language. Unfortunately, most teachers here do not have those skills.
It’s sad that children are not learning Arabic because English is taking over. My children never had a good Arabic teacher in school and every Arabic period would pass without any lessons at all.
Farhana Hassan, Pakistan
The problem is not unique to the UAE. A large percentage of school-leavers in England cannot write English correctly. Poor spelling and grammar are no longer corrected in the majority of subjects at secondary school.
John Lethbridge, UK
Porsche 911 may not go so easily
I refer to your article The Porsche 911 is dying. Long live the Cayman GT4 (February 20). I have owned a 911 for 26 years and that is the only one that I would want to own.
I doubt that the 911 will ever cease to exist. It is the most recognisable car in the world and still the benchmark against which all other cars are measured.
Name withheld by request
Many ways to tackle menaces
In your editorial Action should be taken over gambling den (March 1), you have rightly pointed out that those believed to be involved in running card games should be fully investigated and if they are found guilty in court, they should be punished to the full extent of the law.
My problem with being too harsh with them is that these people have very few options to entertain themselves. So they often play card games in parks and other places, such as on the ground near the Madinat Zayed shopping centre. They do not always gamble or indulge in unlawful activities, but since these card games seem like gambling, these people are always furtive and that attracts suspicion.
There is also a general tendency to suspect these people, while we tend to overlook the suspicious activities of many others who belong to a different “class”.
I am not against punishing those found guilty of indulging in unlawful activities, but before taking harsh steps, it might be good to warn them and make them aware of the consequences of their actions. I also think policing in those areas should be stepped up.
Name withheld by request
Don’t paint PKK in good light
It is not fair to refer to PKK men as fighters and not terrorists (Kurdish leader calls on his PKK fighters to lay down arms, March 1). They have killed thousands of civilians, including children. This is why Nato calls it a terrorist organisation.
It’s also not fair to show these people as seeking to lay down arms. They have not done so and will not do so voluntarily. They have been convinced by the government after marathon negotiations that they should stop shedding blood.
Yavuz Turaman, Dubai
