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12 - Arabic in North America

from Part I - Heritage Languages around the World

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 November 2021

By
Abdulkafi Albirini
Edited by
Silvina Montrul  and
Maria Polinsky
Silvina Montrul
Affiliation:
University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
Maria Polinsky
Affiliation:
University of Maryland, College Park
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Summary

This chapter offers a-state-of-the-art review of the status and use of the Arabic language in North America. The chapter consists of six sections. The first section is an introduction to the Arabic language, its diglossic situation, and the geographic distribution of its speakers. The second section presents a brief history of Arab-speaking immigrants in North America as well as their demographic and sociolinguistic background. The third section focuses on the acquisition, development, and attrition/loss of colloquial Arabic by child and adult heritage speakers of Arabic. The fourth section explores the acquisition of Standard Arabic by heritage Arabic speakers in college-level Arabic-language classrooms. This section also considers some of the main differences between heritage speakers and second language learners of Arabic. The fifth section examines factors influencing Arabic language maintenance and loss among heritage speakers, including sociolinguistic, socio-contextual, and socio-affective factors (e.g., language input, language use, language attitudes, identity sentiments, family support, and the sociopolitical situation of Arab immigrants). The sixth and final section discusses the future of Arabic in the United States based on current trends and proposes directions for future research.

Keywords

heritage speakersColloquial ArabicStandard ArabicUnited StatesCanadasocial contextminority
Type
Chapter
Information
The Cambridge Handbook of Heritage Languages and Linguistics , pp. 277 - 304
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2021

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