Third Spaces in the Three Circles: The Englishes of Young Bahrainis

Abstract

While Bahrain is supposed to fall under the expanding circle in Kachru’s (1986, 1992) World Englishes model, this chapter argues that the local situation, like in other post-protectorates, unsettles this proposition. Using ethnographic data from audio-recorded group conversations with young Bahrainis as well as social media postings, this chapter highlights Bahrainis’ ideologies and practices with regards to English/es. Applying Bhabha’s (1994) notion of third space, I show how, at times, participants’ attachment to distinct boundaries can hinder the linguistic and cultural hybridities in their practices within the third space. Hybridity can thus better be accessed in spaces where interlocutors are less likely or not present to challenge it, e.g., in some digital spaces. This chapter provides a rare glimpse into the sociolinguistic realities of the island’s youth populations and has implications for our understanding of World Englishes and sociolinguistic hybridity.