Abstracts Language, Literature, and Linguistic

Arabic–English code-mixing by Jordanian university students

by Hayek Reema Al

Those who know nothing of foreign languages know nothing of their own. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (Goethe, n.d. cited in Stavans & Hoffmann, 2015, p. 135) This research examines the linguistic phenomenon of code-mixing by students at three public universities in North Jordan: Al alBayt University, University of Jordan and Yarmouk University. It seeks to document the perspectives of Jordanian university students on Arabic–English code-mixing. Furthermore, the research stresses the importance of three purposes of code-mixing: (a) social: using English words to convey a social message and/or to avoid using socially unacceptable expressions in Arabic; (b) linguistic: using English expressions which Arabic language lacks and/or whose Arabic equivalents are not commonly used; and (c) realisation of field of discourse: using English when expressing scientific terms. The focus of this research is on oral communication by Jordanian university students. This research utilizes qualitative and quantitative research methods. Applying a mixed-methods approach, the participants’ use of English words in their Arabic speech is investigated via a survey questionnaire and semi-formal interviews. The participants are Bachelor, Masters and PhD students studying in various faculties: Humanities, Science, Economics, Islamic Studies, Medicine and Education. The results show that male students tend to mix English with Arabic in their speech for linguistic reasons more often than female students, but the latter tend to use English for social reasons more often than male students. Students who live in a city tend to use English more than those living in rural areas when they use the language for linguistic or scientific purposes. Students attending a university in the capital city tend to have higher self-perceived competence in English than those in the other two cities. To investigate Jordanian students’ use of English as a second language, these three factors – social, linguistic and (realisation of) field of discourse – were considered to yield the best outcomes. Advisors/Committee Members: Western Sydney University. School of Humanities and Communication Arts (Host institution).