Switching codes and registers: An analysis of heritage Arabic speakers’ sociolinguistic competence

Abstract

Aims:This study focuses on heritage speakers’ ability to use their Arabic varieties and English in the construction of narratives of personal experience. This is critical because English, Colloquial Arabic (CA), and Standard Arabic (SA) are part of the sociolinguistic reality of the families and communities in which many heritage Arabic speakers live.Design:The study compares and contrastes heritage speakers’ Arabic and English narratives with respect to codes, registers, and functions in the narratives.Data and analysis:Fifteen Arabic and 15 English narratives from five participants, fluent in Arabic and English, were analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively.Findings:The results reveal that, despite their fluency in their heritage language, respondents lack the sociolinguistic competence to socially and pragmatically deploy CA and SA appropriately in their narratives. In the Arabic narratives, respondents alternated frequently between CA and SA, but they were not always able to maintain the asymmetrical...