Haroun Melgani | University Of Oum El Bouaghi (original) (raw)
Papers by Haroun Melgani
مجلة العلوم الإنسانية, 2017
مجلة أفكار وآفاق, 2020
This research seeks to investigate the link between ethnic orientation and patterns of Arabic lex... more This research seeks to investigate the link between ethnic orientation and patterns of Arabic lexical borrowing in Chaouiadialect. We argue that, speakers who have high ethnic engagement scores would differ linguistically from speakers who have low ethnic engagement scores. Ethnic orientation responses of 399 Chaoui informants were examined in relation with their lexical variation indexes. The results revealed that lexical borrowing is higher among speakers with high ethnic orientation scores than speakers with low scores. Ethnic orientation serves as a boundary that inhibits and accelerates the diffusion of Arabic loanwords in Chaouiavariety in Batna city.
Journal of El-Nas, 2021
The new language policies adopted by the Algerian government have reshaped not only the linguisti... more The new language policies adopted by the Algerian government have reshaped not only the linguistic profile of the country but also Algerians‗ multilingual awareness and attitudes toward learning and teaching foreign languages. Yet, there has been, and still, a growing debate among researchers over the recent educational policies, children‗ code choices, parents‗ attitudes and management efforts in Algeria. Framed within Family Language Policy framework (FLP), a research survey was carried out to examine the Algerian children‗ code choices and their parents‗ attitudes toward the significance of multiple languages learning at home and school. The study, also, investigated the efforts made by Algerian parents to encourage English as an additional linguistic option for their children at home and school. The results indicate that children mix between different linguistic codes to practice various home literacy activities. It was also revealed that parents advocate the integration of English across all educational levels, and learning/teaching multiple languages in private and educational settings.
Applied Linguistics, 2021
This study investigates dynamics of family language policy among Chaoui and Kabyle families in Al... more This study investigates dynamics of family language policy among Chaoui and Kabyle families in Algeria. In stark contrast with Language policy research in Algeria focusing on institutional contexts, this study foregrounds language practice, ideology and planning in private and informal contexts. A survey was carried out with Berber parents, who vary on educational, regional and ethnic grounds. The results indicate that Kabyle gains a strong foothold as the dominant home language choice across Kabyle families, as opposed Chaouia and Dariǧa which seem to be favored by the Chaoui families. Dehierarchizing language codes in Algeria reshaped the general perceptions of Berber Parents, who advocate the promotion of linguistic plurality in private and educational spheres. Finally, parents of both ethnic origins plan to avail themselves of the social media and kinship relations to maintain their Berber children"s heritage language. These home policies provide a continuity for the intergenerational transmission of Tamazight across generations.
This research seeks to investigate the link between ethnic orientation and patterns of Arabic lex... more This research seeks to investigate the link between ethnic orientation and patterns of Arabic lexical borrowing in Chaouiadialect. We argue that, speakers who have high ethnic engagement scores would differ linguistically from speakers who have low ethnic engagement scores. Ethnic orientation responses of 399 Chaoui informants were examined in relation with their lexical variation indexes. The results revealed that lexical borrowing is higher among speakers with high ethnic orientation scores than speakers with low scores. Ethnic orientation serves as a boundary that inhibits and accelerates the diffusion of Arabic loanwords in Chaouiavariety in Batna city.
Thesis Chapters by Haroun Melgani
PhD Thesis, 2020
The extensive Arabic-Berber contact gave rise to new social aggregations and ethnic networks of d... more The extensive Arabic-Berber contact gave rise to new social aggregations and ethnic networks of different types across various social hierarchies in Batna community, Algeria. Using a modified version of Milroy’s Social Network Model, called ‘the Syncretic Social Network Model’ (SSNM), this study set the task to examine the association between interethnic contact, ethnic network strength and patterns of dialect change among Chaoui speakers in Batna community. In essence, it seeks to: a) investigate the extent to which lexical change in Chaouia correlates, systematically, with speakers’ ethnic network density, b) examine how Arabic lexical borrowing in Chaouia operates, its mechanisms and sociocultural and ideological motives, and c) explore the embodiment of ethnic identity formation in the linguistic habits of friendship networks. Framed within sociolinguistics, and informed by social constructivist views, this ethnic network study integrates methods and concepts from variationist sociolinguistics, sociology and anthropology. It incorporated a variety of research tools, including social network questionnaires, participant-observations, note taking and ethnographic interviews. Thus, ethnic network questionnaires of 1003 Chaoui informants were examined in relation with their lexical choices. In addition, intensive ethnographic observations were conducted to explore two ethnically based friendship networks, which vary on several sociocultural grounds. A set of Network-based analyses and field-observations were carried out to gauge both networks’ ethnic cohesiveness, dynamics of lexical change and linguistic practices. The main result indicates that ethnic strength and cohesiveness co-vary, significantly, with dynamics of lexical change in Chaouia dialect. Respondents who contract strong Chaoui ties are more likely to adopt Chaoui words, whilst respondents who contract weak ties are less immune to Arabic influence and, hence, are more prone to use Arabic loanwords. The ethnographic study of Chaoui youngsters in Batna ville elucidated that ethnically dense friendship networks support dialect stability and maintenance, whereas weak and multiethnic friendship networks promote lexical change. In urban interethnic settings, migrant Chaoui youngsters use various Chaouia linguistic practices, stylistically, as a socioindexical function of membership, Ethnic loyalty, bi-ethnic identity, and urbanity. Sedentary, urban youngsters, in contrast, cross into salient Chaouia dialect norms to mark distance from their Chaoui counterparts. The results, also, demonstrated the major role of weak ethnic ties, Brokers and geographically mobile speakers in the dissemination of Arabic loanwords into different social groups and rural landscapes. The extended Syncretic Social Network Model was discussed at the end of the thesis, along with its practical considerations and guidelines.
Keywords: Arabic, Chaouia, Ethnic network, Ethnic ties, Lexical borrowing, lexical change, Identity construction, Milroy’s Social Network Model
مجلة العلوم الإنسانية, 2017
مجلة أفكار وآفاق, 2020
This research seeks to investigate the link between ethnic orientation and patterns of Arabic lex... more This research seeks to investigate the link between ethnic orientation and patterns of Arabic lexical borrowing in Chaouiadialect. We argue that, speakers who have high ethnic engagement scores would differ linguistically from speakers who have low ethnic engagement scores. Ethnic orientation responses of 399 Chaoui informants were examined in relation with their lexical variation indexes. The results revealed that lexical borrowing is higher among speakers with high ethnic orientation scores than speakers with low scores. Ethnic orientation serves as a boundary that inhibits and accelerates the diffusion of Arabic loanwords in Chaouiavariety in Batna city.
Journal of El-Nas, 2021
The new language policies adopted by the Algerian government have reshaped not only the linguisti... more The new language policies adopted by the Algerian government have reshaped not only the linguistic profile of the country but also Algerians‗ multilingual awareness and attitudes toward learning and teaching foreign languages. Yet, there has been, and still, a growing debate among researchers over the recent educational policies, children‗ code choices, parents‗ attitudes and management efforts in Algeria. Framed within Family Language Policy framework (FLP), a research survey was carried out to examine the Algerian children‗ code choices and their parents‗ attitudes toward the significance of multiple languages learning at home and school. The study, also, investigated the efforts made by Algerian parents to encourage English as an additional linguistic option for their children at home and school. The results indicate that children mix between different linguistic codes to practice various home literacy activities. It was also revealed that parents advocate the integration of English across all educational levels, and learning/teaching multiple languages in private and educational settings.
Applied Linguistics, 2021
This study investigates dynamics of family language policy among Chaoui and Kabyle families in Al... more This study investigates dynamics of family language policy among Chaoui and Kabyle families in Algeria. In stark contrast with Language policy research in Algeria focusing on institutional contexts, this study foregrounds language practice, ideology and planning in private and informal contexts. A survey was carried out with Berber parents, who vary on educational, regional and ethnic grounds. The results indicate that Kabyle gains a strong foothold as the dominant home language choice across Kabyle families, as opposed Chaouia and Dariǧa which seem to be favored by the Chaoui families. Dehierarchizing language codes in Algeria reshaped the general perceptions of Berber Parents, who advocate the promotion of linguistic plurality in private and educational spheres. Finally, parents of both ethnic origins plan to avail themselves of the social media and kinship relations to maintain their Berber children"s heritage language. These home policies provide a continuity for the intergenerational transmission of Tamazight across generations.
This research seeks to investigate the link between ethnic orientation and patterns of Arabic lex... more This research seeks to investigate the link between ethnic orientation and patterns of Arabic lexical borrowing in Chaouiadialect. We argue that, speakers who have high ethnic engagement scores would differ linguistically from speakers who have low ethnic engagement scores. Ethnic orientation responses of 399 Chaoui informants were examined in relation with their lexical variation indexes. The results revealed that lexical borrowing is higher among speakers with high ethnic orientation scores than speakers with low scores. Ethnic orientation serves as a boundary that inhibits and accelerates the diffusion of Arabic loanwords in Chaouiavariety in Batna city.
PhD Thesis, 2020
The extensive Arabic-Berber contact gave rise to new social aggregations and ethnic networks of d... more The extensive Arabic-Berber contact gave rise to new social aggregations and ethnic networks of different types across various social hierarchies in Batna community, Algeria. Using a modified version of Milroy’s Social Network Model, called ‘the Syncretic Social Network Model’ (SSNM), this study set the task to examine the association between interethnic contact, ethnic network strength and patterns of dialect change among Chaoui speakers in Batna community. In essence, it seeks to: a) investigate the extent to which lexical change in Chaouia correlates, systematically, with speakers’ ethnic network density, b) examine how Arabic lexical borrowing in Chaouia operates, its mechanisms and sociocultural and ideological motives, and c) explore the embodiment of ethnic identity formation in the linguistic habits of friendship networks. Framed within sociolinguistics, and informed by social constructivist views, this ethnic network study integrates methods and concepts from variationist sociolinguistics, sociology and anthropology. It incorporated a variety of research tools, including social network questionnaires, participant-observations, note taking and ethnographic interviews. Thus, ethnic network questionnaires of 1003 Chaoui informants were examined in relation with their lexical choices. In addition, intensive ethnographic observations were conducted to explore two ethnically based friendship networks, which vary on several sociocultural grounds. A set of Network-based analyses and field-observations were carried out to gauge both networks’ ethnic cohesiveness, dynamics of lexical change and linguistic practices. The main result indicates that ethnic strength and cohesiveness co-vary, significantly, with dynamics of lexical change in Chaouia dialect. Respondents who contract strong Chaoui ties are more likely to adopt Chaoui words, whilst respondents who contract weak ties are less immune to Arabic influence and, hence, are more prone to use Arabic loanwords. The ethnographic study of Chaoui youngsters in Batna ville elucidated that ethnically dense friendship networks support dialect stability and maintenance, whereas weak and multiethnic friendship networks promote lexical change. In urban interethnic settings, migrant Chaoui youngsters use various Chaouia linguistic practices, stylistically, as a socioindexical function of membership, Ethnic loyalty, bi-ethnic identity, and urbanity. Sedentary, urban youngsters, in contrast, cross into salient Chaouia dialect norms to mark distance from their Chaoui counterparts. The results, also, demonstrated the major role of weak ethnic ties, Brokers and geographically mobile speakers in the dissemination of Arabic loanwords into different social groups and rural landscapes. The extended Syncretic Social Network Model was discussed at the end of the thesis, along with its practical considerations and guidelines.
Keywords: Arabic, Chaouia, Ethnic network, Ethnic ties, Lexical borrowing, lexical change, Identity construction, Milroy’s Social Network Model