15.2645, Diss: Socioling: Smith/Kocamahhul: 'Language Choice...'

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LINGUIST List: Vol-15-2645. Fri Sep 24 2004. ISSN: 1068 - 4875.

Subject: 15.2645, Diss: Socioling: Smith/Kocamahhul: 'Language Choice...'

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1)
Date: 23-Sep-2004
From: Joan Smith/Kocamahhul < Joan.smithkocamahhul at canterbury.ac.nz >
Subject: Language Choice, Code-switching and Language Shift in Antakya, Turkey


	
-------------------------Message 1 ----------------------------------
Date: Fri, 24 Sep 2004 13:41:49
From: Joan Smith/Kocamahhul < Joan.smithkocamahhul at canterbury.ac.nz >
Subject: Language Choice, Code-switching and Language Shift in Antakya, Turkey



Program: Linguistics
Dissertation Status: Completed
Degree Date: 24-Jun-1905

Author: Joan Smith/Kocamahhul

Dissertation Title: Language Choice, Code-switching and Language Shift in
Antakya, Turkey

Linguistic Field(s): Sociolinguistics

Subject Language(s):
Arabic, North Mesopotamian Spoken (Code: AYP)
Turkish (Code: TRK)


Dissertation Director(s):
Kon Kuiper
Lyle Campbell

Dissertation Abstract:

Although Arabic is one of the world?s ten largest languages in terms
of numbers of speakers, the Arabic language in Turkey is in decline.
This is due to the position of Turkish as the sole official language
there and to other factors of social change (significantly
migration). This thesis presents one of the first pieces of research
into the shift from Arabic to Turkish in Turkey, focused on the city
of Antakya (Antioch). The thesis has multiple goals. Firstly, it
sketches the background of the Arabic-speaking community as it
relates to the history of the language in the area. Secondly, it
presents an assessment of the degree of language shift and community
members' attitudes to the language and the shift. This was done
through a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods,
namely, through the use of structured interviews and the analysis of
naturally-occurring conversations. Thirdly, this work assesses the
role language choice and code-switching play in the language shift.
Specifically, it tests Myers-Scotton's Matrix Language turnover
hypothesis (1993a, 1998) which postulates that intrasentential
code-switching may cause language shift. The results show that the
Matrix Language turnover hypothesis has little relevance to this
community and thus that other communities undergoing language shift
need not necessarily see intrasentential code-switching as a threat
to their language. The work concludes with proposals of possible
avenues for language maintenance for the Arabic-speaking community in
Turkey.



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