Language maintenance and language shift among Arabized Malays (Makkawiyiin)
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Adil Elshiekh Abdalla
Abstract
This study investigates the situation of the Arabic language amongst Malaysian citizens who were born in Saudi Arabia, acquired the Arabic language, speak it as their mother tongue, and adopt the Arabic culture. These people are known locally as Makkawiyiin (Meccans). Data were collected from 73 selected Makkawiyiin via questionnaire, interviews, and personal observations. The results show that these people have a high level of Arabic proficiency. They do not experience language loss nor face many problems in preserving the Arabic culture, and are keen to use Arabic in communicating with others. However, because Malay is the medium of instruction, language shift is observable. The subjects are trying to pass the Arabic language on to their children. Implications from these findings are discussed.
© Walter de Gruyter
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Articles in the same Issue
- Theorizing the decline of linguistic diversity
- Native language and Internet usage
- The problems of efficiency and linguistic discrimination in the coordination of firms
- Minorization and the process of (de)minoritization: the case of Kali'na in French Guiana
- A tale of two cities: Japanese ethnolinguistic landscapes in Canada
- Language maintenance and language shift among Arabized Malays (Makkawiyiin)
- Language planning in Botswana and Malawi: a comparative study
- Problems in the study of contact-induced extensive linguistic shift
- Small languages and school: the case of Catalonia and the Basque Country
