Arabic Heritage Language Learners in the United States

By Anita Husen and Reem Mehdoui

Arabic: a brief introduction

• Semitic language• Liturgical• Diglossia (Ferguson 1959)

-Standard-Dialects [ 4 families: Western (Maghrebi)-Central (incl. Egyptian, Sudanese)-Northern (incl. Levantine, Mesopotamian)-Peninsular (Gulf, Hejazi, Najdi, Yemeni)]

• Arabic languages?

Arabic & Arabs in the USA

• 3.5 Million people of Arab descent• First wave in 1880's• Steady increase since then• 867,460 Arabic speakers*• 8th most-commonly spoken language!*

• *according to 2012 U.S. Census Data

Arabic Speakers in the USA: Where do they live?

• 1/3 in: California, New York, and Michigan

• 94% in metropolitan areas

Arabic Speakers in the USA: Where do they come from?

• From 22 countries:

The Arab World--Source: http://ssclinguafranca.wordpress.com/2011/12/08/arabic-and-the-politics-of-language/

Changes in Demographics

• 73% increase, 1990-2000!

• 25% additional increase, 2000-2007!

Sources

• www.census.gov

• Shiri, Sonia. "Arabic in the USA." Language Diversity in the USA. Kim Potowski. Ed. Cambridge, NY: Cambridge UP, 2010.

206-222. Print.

THANK YOU!