Breaking the English language barrier

DUBAI // The group of Pakistani truck drivers, all Pathans, were labouring to make their point with a member of staff at the Dubai traffic department. They were getting nowhere. Failure to communicate gave way to impatience and then to anger, as the woman from the department talked down to the men. Looking on was Zarqa Taimur, a doctor and motivational speaker, who saw the problem and calmed things down. "She didn't treat them with a lot of respect," Dr Taimur said. "I spoke to them and said, 'It's only because you don't know English.' I offered them a class, we exchanged numbers, and that's where it started."

English is the thread that binds together the diverse races of the Emirates. But when expatriates struggle with the language, they often struggle with life here, too - as the truck drivers demonstrated. Dr Taimur, 44, now holds a free two-hour class each week at the Pakistan Association Dubai headquarters, teaching basic English and bringing in other speakers to help Pakistani men, women and children assimilate to life in the UAE.

This weekend, she stressed the importance of learning English to a class made up of seven men, two women and a young boy. Most of the people who attend are from Peshawar and surrounding regions. "Anywhere in the world English is important, it is your means of communication to anyone," Dr Taimur told them. "If you start speaking English properly, people will respond to you properly." During the lesson, the students were taught common phrases such as "Where should I drop you, sir?" and "How much does it cost?"

The session also included a brief etiquette lesson from the association's Samina Nasir. She advised the group to say please and thank you, shower more often in hot weather and always remember their table manners. "We have to improve the image of individual Pakistanis," Mrs Nasir said. "That's whether he is at home or on the job, anywhere in the UAE or in the world. His behaviour should represent our nation."

Qibla Khan, a 35-year-old-public relations officer who has lived in the UAE for 12 years, attended this weekend's class and said learning English could be life-changing. "I already speak Pashto, Arabic and Urdu, but I need English to improve my life," he said. "My work will become easier. When I get back home after this class I practise with my friends." Speaking English is a problem among the older and less educated people of Pakistan, Dr Taimur said.

Taxi drivers, who interact with many people, could especially benefit from learning to speak the language well, she said. Waris Khan Burki, a 46-year-old taxi driver who has lived in the UAE for 27 years, attended this weekend's class. Originally from South Waziristan, the Sharjah resident says the lessons give him confidence. "It will help me in my job because I am a taxi driver and 90 per cent of my customers speak English," he said. "My job will become easier and I may even get a promotion."

Javed Sultan, a 26-year-old machine operator in a factory in Sharjah, left his home town of Dera Ismail Khan two years ago. Though his academic record is strong, his English needs improving and he hopes to boost his Dh940 (US$256) monthly salary with new skills. "I want to learn English to communicate with other people," he said. "I am educated and I want a better job. I studied for ten years in Pakistan."

Jamil Ur-Rehman, 39, a company car driver from Abbottabad, has spent the past 19 years in the Gulf but has struggled to learn English. His mother tongue is Hindko. "Most times people will speak English at my work so that should become easier with the more I learn," he said. "Secondly, I hope I will get a promotion with good language skills since English is an international language." Dr Taimur's focus since that day in the traffic department has remained on Pathans, whose first language is Pashto.

"They are a tight-knit community and there is a lot of pressure on them," she said. "I have an empathy with them, they are very nice people and have great morals. But in some ways they are handicapped by their traditions and culture." For Dr Taimur, volunteering to teach the classes is one way to help Pakistan, albeit from afar. "I wanted to move back to Pakistan for the last 20 years but I can't," Dr Taimur said. "I decided I will do whatever I want to do to help here instead."

asafdar@thenational.ae