Authors : Abdel Rahman Mitib Altakhaineh and Hanan Naef Rahrouh
Abstract: This study examines language attitudes from a sociolinguistic perspective. In particular, it investigates the attitudes that Emirati speakers of Arabic hold towards their dialect of Arabic as well as the extent to which age and gender have an impact on the speaker’s perspectives of their dialect. The data was collected employing a 5 point Likert scale in which several statements, aiming to reveal the speaker’s attitudes towards their dialect were included. The results reveal that despite the differences in the speaker’s answers in terms of age and gender, all participants, regardless of age and gender, appear to feel proud of their dialect of Arabic. These results provide insights into the factors that affect speaker’s perception of their dialect and in turn, facilitate the understanding of human’s social behaviour in general.
Abdel Rahman Mitib Altakhaineh and Hanan Naef Rahrouh, 2017. Language Attitudes: Emirati Perspectives on the Emirati Dialect of Arabic According to Age and Gender. The Social Sciences, 12: 1434-1439.