Language maintenance and shift in Sudan: the case of migrant ethnic groups in Khartoum

Abstract

This article investigates the process of language maintenance and language shift among ethnic minority groups living in Khartoum, the capital state of Sudan. A 22-item questionnaire was used to collect data on language proficiency, language use, and language attitude. The results show that a considerable number of younger-generation migrants have adopted Arabic as their primary language. Arabic was also used predominantly in most domains of communication. Although most respondents showed a positive attitude to their ethnic languages, they actually did not make any efforts to maintain them.