Between Borders and Identities: (How) Arab EFL Learners Engage with Global English

English holds an undeniable global utility, yet its cultural connotations often clash with deeply ingrained religious and societal norms in Arab contexts. This study reinterprets data from 21 Arab EFL learners to investigate how they reconcile the academic and professional benefits of English with perceived threats to their cultural or religious identity. Questionnaire findings reveal that while many learners view English as essential for success—particularly career or academic mobility—they are anxious about adopting Western cultural elements that conflict with local traditions. Some learners selectively engage with beneficial language skills and what they deem “safe,” while filtering out content they find culturally incompatible; others, however, resist Western norms more firmly. These strategies demonstrate a balancing act between instrumental motivation and cultural preservation, aligning with prior research on selective borrowing. The results stress the need for multiple pedagogical strategies, including culturally responsive teaching, transcultural approaches that blend cultural norms, and a culture-free (lingua franca) perspective. Collectively, these methods can reduce cultural tensions, help students maintain their identities, and sustain motivation in Arab EFL contexts. Overall, this study highlights that language instruction need not—and should not—come at the expense of learners’ deeply held cultural values.