MUSLIM-CANADIANS & ARABIC SECOND LANGUAGE LEARNING 1 Running head: MUSLIM-CANADIANS & ARABIC SECOND LANGUAGE LEARNING A qualitative inquiry of five Muslim Canadian's perceptions of their experiences and reflections as Arabic second language learners Zainab Alsmadi Department of Integrated Studies in Education McGill University December, 2013 A thesis submitted to McGill University in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the degree of Master of Arts in Education and Society © Zainab Alsmadi 2013 MUSLIM-CANADIANS & ARABIC SECOND LANGUAGE LEARNING 2 Abstract This qualitative inquiry focuses on the perceptions and reflections of five Muslim- Canadians who studied Arabic as a second language in Egypt or Syria. I conducted in-depth, conversational interviews with each participant and audio recorded face-to-face or telephone interviews to develop both a collective and individual understanding of their perceptions of learning Arabic as a second language in a study-abroad context. This inquiry aims to understand whether their Muslim-Canadian identities contributed to their investment in learning Arabic, and if their Arabic language learning experiences contributed in any way to their religious identity or their religious practices. The five participants planned their study abroad trips to Egypt or Syria in order to learn the classical form of Arabic and to learn the Quran in order to gain a deeper understanding of their Islamic faith. Findings showed that Arabic aided in their ability to carry out their religious practices such as praying and gaining knowledge. This research has implications for normalizing the ideologies and practices of Muslims, which are often seen by the West and through media images as ‘strange’ or ‘foreign’. Understanding and recognizing the various ways Muslim-Canadians develop their identities and practice their beliefs may enable educators, identity researchers, second language educators, and academic institutions to meet the rising academic and personal needs of this growing population in North America. MUSLIM-CANADIANS & ARABIC SECOND LANGUAGE LEARNING 3 Résumé Cette enquête qualitative porte sur les perceptions et les réflexions des cinq musulmans/es canadiens/iennes qui ont étudié l'arabe comme langue seconde en Égypte ou en Syrie. J'ai mené des conversations approfondies avec chaque participant/e et des entretiens face-à-face ou téléphonique enregistré pour mieux comprendre, à la fois collective et individuelle, leurs perceptions d'apprendre l'arabe comme langue seconde dans un contexte d’études à l’étranger. Cette enquête a pour but de comprendre si leur identité canadienne musulmane a contribué à l’investissement de l’apprentissage de la langue arabe, et si cette expérience, en aucune façon, à influencée leur identité ou leurs pratiques religieuses. Les cinq participants/es ont planifié leur étude à l’étranger, en Égypte ou en Syrie, afin d’y apprendre la forme classique de la langue arabe et du Coran dans le but d’y acquérir une meilleure compréhension de leur foi islamique. L’acquisition de l’arabe les a aidés dans leur capacité à mener à bien pratiquer comme la prière et l'acquisition de connaissances religieuses. Leur raison pour étudier l'arabe à l'étranger était le résultat du manque de cours d’arabe classique adéquats sur place. Cette recherche a pour but de montrer que les idéologies et les pratiques des musulmans, souvent considérés comme «étranges» ou «étrangères» sont banales et ordinaires. Cette étude permettra de comprendre et d’identifier les différentes façons que les musulmans/es canadiens/iennes développent leur identité et pratique religieuse, qui permettra aux éducateurs/trices, aux chercheurs/euses d'identité, enseignants/es de langues secondes et des établissements académiques à mieux répondre aux besoins scolaires et personnels croissants de cette population grandissante. MUSLIM-CANADIANS & ARABIC SECOND LANGUAGE LEARNING 4 Acknowledgements First and foremost, I owe my success to God. He has given me the intellectual capacity to think, question, and search for truth and knowledge. He has brought many special individuals into my life that played a substantial role in helping me through this process and shaping the person I have become. I am incredibly grateful to Dr. Mary Maguire, my supervisor, who showed an immense level of patience and understanding throughout this process. She never doubted my abilities to complete this thesis, even when I had doubts myself. She never made me feel that I had to choose between my family and my education. She truly embodies dedication and commitment to academic life and work. I also owe my gratitude to Alison Crump, a PhD candidate at McGill who expertly and thoroughly edited this thesis. I would not have been able to complete this writing without her invaluable suggestions and feedback. I would like to acknowledge my father Ghassan Alsmadi who instilled in me the discipline, perseverance and value of hard work, which has enabled me to further my studies while raising a family. He taught me my faith as a child and stressed the importance of understanding it and making it central to my way of life. I also owe my success to my husband, Ashraf Azar, who encouraged me to never give up, even when I was so close to doing just that. He is the personification of determination and perseverance in my eyes. He also showed me the importance of family by making me a part of his. His humour and light heartedness got me through the tough times. I am in deep appreciation and awe of my children AbdulHameed, Malak, and Ibrahim, who are constant reminders of what is important and valuable in life. They taught me to be MUSLIM-CANADIANS & ARABIC SECOND LANGUAGE LEARNING 5 curious, inquisitive, and carefree. My family has added a dimension of purpose and meaning to my life that I never imagined was possible. And last but definitely not least, this research would not have been possible without my participants. I am incredibly indebted to them for allowing me to be a part of their lives, even if just for a short time and taking the time to share their stories with me with complete honesty and integrity. MUSLIM-CANADIANS & ARABIC SECOND LANGUAGE LEARNING 6 Table of Contents Abstract .......................................................................................................................................... 2 Résumé ........................................................................................................................................... 3 Acknowledgements ....................................................................................................................... 4 Prologue ......................................................................................................................................... 9 My Linguistic and Religious Background .................................................................................. 9 Chapter 1: Setting the Scene ...................................................................................................... 15 Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 15 Focus of My Inquiry .................................................................................................................. 15 Terminology and Concepts ....................................................................................................... 18 Motivation for My Inquiry ........................................................................................................ 20 Childhood and my name. ....................................................................................................... 21 Teenage years. ....................................................................................................................... 22 My twenties. .......................................................................................................................... 23 My dilemma. .......................................................................................................................... 24 Purpose of My Inquiry .............................................................................................................. 26 Chapter 2: Background and Context of Inquiry ..................................................................... 29 Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 29 Muslims in North America ........................................................................................................ 29 Muslim Diaspora ....................................................................................................................... 31 Challenges For Muslims Living in North America ................................................................... 32 Egypt ......................................................................................................................................... 37 Geographical location. ........................................................................................................... 37 Country profile. ..................................................................................................................... 38 Population. ............................................................................................................................. 40 Language and education. ......................................................................................................