ARABIC LANGUAGE SHIFT

Arabic Language Shift in Immigrant Arab Population in Canada

Arabic Language Shift in Immigrant Arab Population in Canada

Introduction

The purpose of this study is to explore Arabic language as an ethnic minority language in Canada and language shift in new Arab-Canadian generation. Minority languages of ethnic groups are prone to change, attrition, and loss. Since many parents have come to Canada hoping to improve living conditions for their children, their decisions become of crucial importance in relation to how their children use language. The adults feel an enormous responsibility to provide their children with what they consider to be the best resources available in the country of settlement. Frequently, the decisions of the middle generation (middle, because they are located between their children and their own parents) impact the elder (grandparent) generation, who are more likely not to speak the language of their country of origin and consequently have less flexibility in finding jobs and participating in English-speaking life. One of the decisions the parents have to negotiate is whether to continue use of the mother tongue at home. This decision and its consequence involves all three generations. Spolsky (2009) says that “language policy is all about choices" (p.1). This statement refers to different levels, two of which are society and family. In this manner, the present study attempts an examination of external factors affecting the language-based choices made by families and individuals within these families in addition to the individual characteristics that interplay in these decision-making processes. It is important to examine the experiences, thoughts, and feelings of 1st generation Arab-Canadian parents toward the language shift in their children.

People who migrate to another country sooner or later shift to the new dominant language. This is a gradual process, it doesn't happen overnight, and it follows certain patterns. The fact that the original language will become weaker over time (and perhaps even lost), is not caused by low proficiency of its speakers, but by the fact that there is an increased use of the new language. In the course of time, the new language will be used in more and more domains at the cost of the original language. Language skills in the first language will be affected due to a decrease in its use. The domain in which the original language can be maintained longest is usually the domain of home and family. Once the new language enters the home, there is not a very good chance for survival of the original language.

There are also situations in which the boundaries between the languages are very thin and moving. This is often the case in Arab immigrant communities. The functions of the original language are slowly taken over by the English language. In the beginning, the Arabic language is the main vehicle for their communication. In later generations the situation is reversed. This process, called language shift, is influenced by factors such as education, urbanization, and intermarriage. When language is a core value of ethnicity, language shift will take a ...