英语得宠引发阿拉伯世界母语危机

    没错，英语确实是通行全球的商业语言。现在学习英语的中国人比全美总人口还多，可中国求得了两种语言间的平衡，其研究型大学使用中文培养一些全球少有的聪明人。瓦德教授发现，多数阿拉伯国家都仰慕这种模式。她告诉我：“脑子正常的人都会学习中国人的做法。”

    阿拉伯语听起来很美妙，无线巨头Du的首席执行官奥斯曼•苏尔坦对我说，他看到一些精英人士在阿拉伯之春后学习新的阿拉伯语词汇，以便领会正在萌芽的区域认同感。汤姆•斯皮奇利是总部设在阿联酋的Abraaj Capital的高级合伙人，他指出，得益于移动设备在大众中普及率的迅速提高，阿拉伯语内容在互联网上取得了最快的增速。他希望这种增长有助于说服政府首脑和发展迅猛的移动行业，使其认识到阿拉伯语事关经济未来，而非已经过时的文化遗迹。

    Erin Burnett是CNN电视节目 Erin Burnett OutFront的主播。

    Sure, English is the world's business language. More Chinese are learning English right now than there are Americans in the U.S. But China has struck a bilingual balance. Its research universities teach some of the world's brightest minds in Chinese. Professor Wardeh finds much for Arab nations to admire in this model: "If you've got your head screwed on right," she tells me, "you'll do it like the Chinese."

    Arabic is a beautiful language to hear, and Osman Sultan, the CEO of wireless giant Du, told me he's seen elites learning new Arabic words, post-Arab Spring, because they want to connect with an emerging regional identity. Tom Speechley of UAE-based Abraaj Capital says Arabic language content is the fastest growing segment of the Internet, thanks to surging mobile use among the masses. Here's hoping that surge helps convince government leaders and the upwardly mobile that Arabic is part of their economic future, not a cultural relic of the past.

    Erin Burnett is the anchor of CNN's Erin Burnett OutFront.