IJAESsince 2000 International Journal of Arabic-English Studies

Language Maintenance among the Indians of Yemen: A Sociolinguistic Study

Abstract

This study aimed at investigating the factors that support the use of the Indian ethnic languages among the Indians of Yemen who live in the city of Aden. The theoretical framework of the current study was based on Fishman (1989) and Sridhar (1992). In order to achieve the objective of the study, the researchers posed three questions concerning the background of the Indians of Yemen, their proficiency in Arabic and the Indian Ethnic languages and the factors that have helped them maintain the Indian ethnic languages. A sample of 86 respondents was selected purposively. They responded to a three-section language questionnaire which was originally delivered to 100 participants. However, only 86 forms were filled out and returned. The language questionnaire was validated by a panel of experts in the fields of applied linguistics and sociolinguistics. Results revealed that attitudinal, linguistic, social and political factors have helped them to maintain the Indian ethnic languages. Results also indicated that while they are skilled in listening and speaking their ethnic languages, they are not competent in reading and writing. In contrast, they have good command in Arabic four skills, namely, listening, speaking, reading and writing.

Authors

Bader S. Dweik and Mohammed Y. Nofal

DOI

Keywords

Full Text :

ijaes.net/article/fulltext/view?volume=14&issue=1&id=5

References

  2. Abdullah, Hana'. (2008). Minorities in Aden. (Unpublished MA thesis), Aden University, Aden: Yemen.
  3. Al-khatib, Mahmmoud. (2001). 'Language shift among the Armenians of Jordan'. International Journal of Society and Language, 12 (5): 153-177.
  4. Al-Nahar, Raeda. (2009). Language maintenance among the Armenians of Jordan, (Unpublished MA thesis), MEU, Amman: Jordan.
  5. Amshoush, Masoud. (2003). Aden in the French travelers’ writings. Aden: Aden University Press.
  6. Bawazir, Khalid. (2001). Aden harbour. Aden: Dar Althaqafa Alarabia.
  7. Bickerton, Derek.(1971). 'Inherent variability and variable rules'. Foundations of Language, 7 (4): 457-492.
  8. Clyne, Michael. (2001).Can the shift from immigrant languages be reversed in Australia?. Retrieved May 6, 2010 from http://books.google.jo.
  9. Dorian, Nancy. (1983). ‘Language loss and maintenance in language contact situations’, In Lambert Freed (ed.), The Loss of Language Skills, 44-59. New York: Rowley.
  10. Downes, William. (1998). Language and society. United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press.
  11. Dweik, Bader. (1992). ‘Lebanese Christians in Buffalo: language maintenance and language shift’, In Alliya Rouchdy (ed.), The ArabicLanguage in America, 100 –118. Detroit: Wayne State University.
  12. Dweik, Bader. (2000). 'Linguistic and cultural maintenance among the Chechens of Jordan'. Language, Culture and Curriculum. 13 (2): 184-195. Dweik, Bader. and D., Kittaneh. (2011). 'Arabic language maintenance among the Palestinian Arabs of 1948 (the Green Line): A sociolinguistic study'. Al-Basaer, 14 (1): 5 - 33
  13. Elkholy, Ali. (1966). The Arab Moslims in the United States: Religion and assimilation. New Heaven, Conn.: College and University Press.
  14. Fishman, Joshua. (1966). Language Loyalty in the United States. The Hague: Mouton and Co.
  15. Fishman, Joshua. (1989). Language and ethnicity in minority sociolinguistic perspective. England: Multilingual Matters LTD.
  16. Hatoss, Aniko. & T., Sheely. (2009). 'Language maintenance and identity among Sudanese-Australian refugee-background youth'. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development. 30 (2): 127-144.
  17. Holmes, Janet., M., Roberts, M.,Verivaki & A., Aipolo. (1993). 'Language maintenance and language shift in three New Zealand speech communities'. Applied Linguistics. 14 (1): 1-24.
  18. Kloss, Heinz. (1966). ‘German-American language maintenance efforts’. In Joshua Fishman. (ed.) Language Loyalty in the United States. 206- 252 The Hague: Mouton and Co.
  19. Milroy, James. & L., Milroy. (1978). ‘Belfast: Change and variation in an urban vernacular’. In Peter Trudgill (ed.) Sociolinguistic Patterns in British English, 19-36. London: Arnold.
  20. Spolsky, Bernard. (1998). Sociolinguistics. New York: OUP.
  21. Sridhar, Kamal. (1992). ‘Meaning, means and maintenance’. In Alatis James (ed.) Georgetown University Round Table on Languages and Linguistics, 56-65. Washington: Georgetown University Press.
  22. Taha, Jad. (1969). The British politics in the south of the Arabian Peninsula. Cairo: Dar Al-Fikr Al-Arabi.
  23. Taher, Ahmad. (1997). Aden in the history. Aden: Al-Nahada publishers.
  24. Weinreich, Uriel. (1974). Languages in Contact: Findings and Problems. The Hague: Mouton and Co.
  25. Wolck, Wolfgang. (1972). A sociolinguistic survey of bilingualism in Buffalo. The Third International Congress of Applied Linguistics. Copenhagen: Denmark.