A profile of the state of English and English instruction in Bahrain covers the following topics: description of the role and status of English language use in industry and commerce, government, and education; the role of English at all levels of the educational system; the availability, characteristics, and qualifications of teachers of English; the type of materials support available for instruction; the type of and demand for English instruction outside the educational system; and the level of British and American support for English instruction. It is concluded that, at all levels of society, there is a recognition of the importance of English for development, communication, industry, business, and banking. The Ministry of Education is concerned about the generally poor level of English proficiency attained by those who leave school after nine years of instruction, and industries and commercial institutions are searching for ways to improve their employees' English proficiency. Factors inhibiting English instruction include conservatism among both local and expatriate teachers, dependence on the textbook as an authority on English language and methods, poor teacher training with underemphasis on teaching methods and classroom instructional skills, and inadequate English speaking competence among non-native English-speaking teachers of English. (MSE)