Comparative Analysis of Linguistic Characteristics: Middle Eastern English on YouTube vis-à-vis British and American English

This research aims to compare the linguistic characteristics of Middle Eastern English with British and American English in the context of YouTube. For this purpose, the theoretical framework adopted is Biber’s Multidimensional Analysis, in which Middle Eastern English is compared with British and American English regarding language usage features. To do so, the present study considers a purposive sample of 40 YouTube videos with speakers from the Middle East, Britain, and America. The methodology entails the use of a well-planned and structured process to assess the various aspects of the language of spoken English in the videos. In the particular concern of this study, the emphasis lies on comparing Middle Eastern English and its relation to British and American English on YouTube. Specifically, the comparative analysis identifies the differences in the linguistic features due to cultural, social, and contextual factors in Middle Eastern English. Based on the findings, Middle Eastern English differs from British and American English because it is more argumentative, less abstract, less situation-bound, and less narrative. Consequently, the results of this study help analyze the current state of change in English varieties on social media and reveal the sociolinguistic aspects of the English language in relation to the video-sharing site YouTube. The study elicits a rather complex picture of how linguistic diversity comes into play with regard to the integrated and interconnected nature of today’s cyberspace communication.