why does my text type to the right of the paragraph mark?

[BelD@UWA]

I have inserted a text box into a document that was created by someone else
(in Saudi Arabia) and the alignment of the paragraph mark is on the
right-hand side. However the text is left-aligned by all normal settings. As
I type text it appears on the right-hand side of the paragraph mark and it
displays (as I type it) reading left to right. If I change the paragraph
alignment to right-aligned, the text displays as being left-aligned, and the
paragraph marks are still appearing to the left of the text (which appears as
the beginning of the line of text).
Has anybody else come across this? Has this got anything to do with the fact
that the document was created by someone in Saudi Arabia? Are their
formatting styles different?
I can apply this formatting to other text using the Format Paintbrush, and I
can also correct this obscure formatting by reapplying the normal style. I'd
really like to know why this has occurred though.
If I could attach a file to this post then perhaps what I am describing
might make more sense…

 

[grammatim]

Go to Tools > Language >Set Language and see if it's set to Arabic. If
it is, then select the whole document (Ctrl-A) and choose English (US)
instead.

Does this mean your Windows/Word is _not_ set up for you to be able to
type in Arabic yourself? (If it is, and you don't want it to be, go to
Start > Control Panel > Regional and Language Options > Languages >
Details > Arabic > Delete.)

 

[BelD@UWA]

Thanks Grammatim, I probably should have mentioned that I am using Word 2007
(but doc is saved in 97-03 format) so there is no Tools menu any more.
However under the Office Button > Word Options > Language Settings 'Enabled
editing languages' I have selected English (Australia) & (US) and 'Primary
editing language' is set to English (Australia).
And while I can select all text and click through those settings again, when
I insert a new text box the language still comes up as Arabic (Saudi Arabia)
for the text box. I have tried selecting the box, and the text within the box
and on the Status Bar changing the language to English (Australia), but the
paragraph marks (and formatting) remain unchanged.
I have also checked the Control Panel settings and Arabic was not listed
there at all, just US.

(doc #135)

 

[grammatim]

Did you select the entire document and change _its_ language to
English (Australia)?

 

[BelD@UWA]

Yeah I did, which is why it is strange that it still sets the text box to
Arabic (Saudia Arabia)

 

[grammatim]

I sppose you could try digging into your normal.dot(x) template and
see if it's set to make text boxes Arabic. (I've never had occasion to
use a text box, so I don't know what kinds of settings they have.)