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Language attitudes in an Egyptian discourse community
This study investigates language attitudes in an elite university in Egypt, addressing all codes spoken in the community: Fusha (Classical Arabic/Modern Standard Arabic), Egyptian Arabic, English and Egyptian Arabic-English code-switching. Some attitudinal research in the region has been conducted (...
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| Format: | Thesis |
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AUC Knowledge Fountain
2014
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| _version_ | 1867613416246476800 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Reigh, Emily |
| author_browse | Reigh, Emily |
| author_facet | Reigh, Emily |
| author_sort | Reigh, Emily |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | The author retains all rights with regard to copyright. The author certifies that written permission from the owner(s) of third-party copyrighted matter included in the thesis, dissertation, paper, or record of study has been obtained. The author further certifies that IRB approval has been obtained for this thesis, or that IRB approval is not necessary for this thesis. Insofar as this thesis, dissertation, paper, or record of study is an educational record as defined in the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) (20 USC 1232g), the author has granted consent to disclosure of it to anyone who requests a copy. |
| description | This study investigates language attitudes in an elite university in Egypt, addressing all codes spoken in the community: Fusha (Classical Arabic/Modern Standard Arabic), Egyptian Arabic, English and Egyptian Arabic-English code-switching. Some attitudinal research in the region has been conducted (e.g. Bentahila, 1983; Chakrani, 2011; Lawson & Sachdev, 2000), though most neglects to position the discourse community in larger society and uses limited methodological approaches. In this study, attitudes are interpreted with attention to prevailing language ideologies, including the notion of a standard language, tension between modernity and tradition and language as symbolic capitol. Overt and covert attitudes in terms of both status and solidarity were discerned through a questionnaire, a matched-guise study and group interviews. The discourse community was found to be close-knit, with members viewing themselves as distinct from the rest of Egyptian society. Participants all had a strong command of English, though they varied in Fusha proficiency. Mixed attitudes toward Fusha emerged, in terms of both prestige and importance for maintaining Egyptian/Arab identity. Egyptian Arabic ranked low for status traits, though the variety was ascribed covert prestige in terms of solidarity for males. English was viewed positively as a language of both status and solidarity. Though overt attitudes toward code-switching were ambivalent, covert attitudes toward code-switching were generally positive, a novel finding. This study offers a paradigm for detailed analysis of the language attitudes of a community. Further, it demonstrates the growing favor of English as a language of economic power and explores code-switching as a prestigious in-group language that allows negotiation of modern and traditional identities amongst the privileged classes in Egypt. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:fount.aucegypt.edu:etds-2162 |
| institution | American University in Cairo (Egypt) |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:35:47.730Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from AUC Knowledge Fountain — bepress |
| publishDate | 2014 |
| publishDateRange | 2014 |
| publishDateSort | 2014 |
| publisher | AUC Knowledge Fountain |
| publisherStr | AUC Knowledge Fountain |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | AUC Knowledge Fountain — bepress |
| spelling | oai:fount.aucegypt.edu:etds-2162 Language attitudes in an Egyptian discourse community Reigh, Emily This study investigates language attitudes in an elite university in Egypt, addressing all codes spoken in the community: Fusha (Classical Arabic/Modern Standard Arabic), Egyptian Arabic, English and Egyptian Arabic-English code-switching. Some attitudinal research in the region has been conducted (e.g. Bentahila, 1983; Chakrani, 2011; Lawson & Sachdev, 2000), though most neglects to position the discourse community in larger society and uses limited methodological approaches. In this study, attitudes are interpreted with attention to prevailing language ideologies, including the notion of a standard language, tension between modernity and tradition and language as symbolic capitol. Overt and covert attitudes in terms of both status and solidarity were discerned through a questionnaire, a matched-guise study and group interviews. The discourse community was found to be close-knit, with members viewing themselves as distinct from the rest of Egyptian society. Participants all had a strong command of English, though they varied in Fusha proficiency. Mixed attitudes toward Fusha emerged, in terms of both prestige and importance for maintaining Egyptian/Arab identity. Egyptian Arabic ranked low for status traits, though the variety was ascribed covert prestige in terms of solidarity for males. English was viewed positively as a language of both status and solidarity. Though overt attitudes toward code-switching were ambivalent, covert attitudes toward code-switching were generally positive, a novel finding. This study offers a paradigm for detailed analysis of the language attitudes of a community. Further, it demonstrates the growing favor of English as a language of economic power and explores code-switching as a prestigious in-group language that allows negotiation of modern and traditional identities amongst the privileged classes in Egypt. 2014-06-01T07:00:00Z thesis application/pdf https://fount.aucegypt.edu/etds/1163 https://fount.aucegypt.edu/context/etds/article/2162/viewcontent/Reigh_20Thesis_20FINAL.pdf The author retains all rights with regard to copyright. The author certifies that written permission from the owner(s) of third-party copyrighted matter included in the thesis, dissertation, paper, or record of study has been obtained. The author further certifies that IRB approval has been obtained for this thesis, or that IRB approval is not necessary for this thesis. Insofar as this thesis, dissertation, paper, or record of study is an educational record as defined in the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) (20 USC 1232g), the author has granted consent to disclosure of it to anyone who requests a copy. Theses and Dissertations AUC Knowledge Fountain Language planning Egypt |
| spellingShingle | Language planning Egypt Reigh, Emily Language attitudes in an Egyptian discourse community |
| title | Language attitudes in an Egyptian discourse community |
| title_full | Language attitudes in an Egyptian discourse community |
| title_fullStr | Language attitudes in an Egyptian discourse community |
| title_full_unstemmed | Language attitudes in an Egyptian discourse community |
| title_short | Language attitudes in an Egyptian discourse community |
| title_sort | language attitudes in an egyptian discourse community |
| topic | Language planning Egypt |
| url | https://fount.aucegypt.edu/etds/1163 https://fount.aucegypt.edu/context/etds/article/2162/viewcontent/Reigh_20Thesis_20FINAL.pdf |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT reighemily languageattitudesinanegyptiandiscoursecommunity |