Dialect and Cultural Contact, Shift and Maintenance among the Jordanians Living in Irbid City: A Sociolinguistic Study

Ibrahim Abushihab

Abstract


The paper investigates the issue of dialect and cultural contact among Jordanians living in Irbid city in the north of Jordan. The objective of the paper is to find the extent of dialect and cultural shift and maintenance among them. The data are collected by means of interviews and observations. A sample of 100 participants has been selected on the grounds of availability. The sample includes different ages, gender and educational background. The results show that the Jordanians living in Irbid city in the north of Jordan are experiencing a continuous shift in their dialects and culture because of the direct contact among them. This is a result of a mixture of dialects and cultural elements used in Irbid city.

Keywords: Language shift, Language maintenance, Language attitudes, Dialects and Jordanian culture


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