Miriam Schildkraut

Linguistic socialization and social identity Arab students in a mixed college in Israel

Introduction

Linguistic socialization and social identity arab students in a mixed college in israel. Analyze linguistic socialization & social identity of Arab students in an Israeli college. Examines Hebrew L2 variability from interaction in mixed co-existence groups.

Abstract

The following article brings results from an error analysis of data collected from Arab students whose L1 is Arabic and L2 is Hebrew. The subjects participated in a Project of Democracy and Co-Existence between Arab and Jewish students, which took place in a teacher training college in Israel in the school year of 2001-2002. The research focused on checking the extent of the variability that occurred in the Hebrew used by the subjects because of their interaction with the Jewish students (for whom Hebrew is obviously their L1). The data is comparative and pertains to the differences found between the achievements in Hebrew of the participants in each one of the two optional groups: the Democracy group, which consisted of Arab students only, (hence referred to as ?homogeneous?), and the Co-Existence group, which consisted of both Jewish and Arab students (hence referred to as ?mixed?). All Arab participants also attended, as part of their formal requirements, a course in Hebrew throughout their studies in the college.

Review

This article presents an intriguing study into the linguistic socialization and social identity of Arab students learning Hebrew as an L2 within a unique Israeli academic context. Utilizing an error analysis methodology, the research specifically aims to quantify the variability in Hebrew usage among Arab students, examining how their interaction with Jewish L1 Hebrew speakers influences their L2 development. The core of the study lies in its comparative design, which contrasts the Hebrew achievements of Arab participants in a "homogeneous" group (Arab students only) with those in a "mixed" "Co-Existence" group (Arab and Jewish students), all while acknowledging their concurrent formal Hebrew instruction. The research's strength lies in its timely and socially relevant investigation of second language acquisition within a context of intergroup relations. The focus on "linguistic socialization" intertwined with "social identity" among Arab students in an Israeli college environment provides a rich empirical ground for exploring the complex interplay between language, culture, and social interaction. The comparative group design is particularly robust, allowing for a direct assessment of how different interactional environments—specifically, the presence or absence of L1 peer interaction—might mediate L2 proficiency and development as revealed through error analysis. However, based solely on the abstract, several areas warrant further attention. The data, collected in 2001-2002, is notably dated, which may raise questions about the contemporary applicability of the findings given the significant socio-political and educational changes that have occurred in Israel over the past two decades. Furthermore, the abstract would benefit from explicitly stating the theoretical frameworks underpinning "linguistic socialization" and "social identity" to provide a clearer conceptual foundation for the study. Details regarding the specific types of errors analyzed, the number of participants in each group, and a more comprehensive description of the "Project of Democracy and Co-Existence" would also greatly enhance the abstract's informational value and allow readers to better assess the research's scope and implications.

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