American University in Cairo AUC Knowledge Fountain Theses and Dissertations 2-1-2014 The lucky bilingual: ethnography of factors influencing code- switching among the Nubian community in southern Egypt Syonara Tomoum Follow this and additional works at: https://fount.aucegypt.edu/etds Recommended Citation APA Citation Tomoum, S. (2014).The lucky bilingual: ethnography of factors influencing code-switching among the Nubian community in southern Egypt [Master’s thesis, the American University in Cairo]. AUC Knowledge Fountain. https://fount.aucegypt.edu/etds/1141 MLA Citation Tomoum, Syonara. The lucky bilingual: ethnography of factors influencing code-switching among the Nubian community in southern Egypt. 2014. American University in Cairo, Master's thesis. AUC Knowledge Fountain. https://fount.aucegypt.edu/etds/1141 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by AUC Knowledge Fountain. 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The American University in Cairo School of Humanities and Social Sciences The Lucky Bilingual: Ethnography of Factors Influencing Code-switching Among the Nubian Community in Southern Egypt A Thesis Submitted to Department of Applied Linguistics In partial fulfillment of the Requirements for the degree of Master of Arts By Syonara Tomoum July 2013 The American University in Cairo The Lucky Bilingual: Ethnography of Factors Influencing Code-switching Among the Nubian Community in Southern Egypt A Thesis Submitted by Syonara Tomoum To the Department of Applied Linguistics July 2013 In partial fulfillment of the requirements for The degree of Master of Arts Has been approved by Dr. Zeinab Taha __________________________ Chair, Thesis Committee Chair Dr. Raghda El-Essawi __________________________ Reader, Thesis Committee Dr. Ragia Effat ___________________________ Reader, Thesis Committee _______ _______ ________ _____ Chair Date Dean Date Table of Contents Contents Table of Contents ........................................................................................................................................... i List of Tables ............................................................................................................................................... iv Acknowledgment ......................................................................................................................................... v Abstract ...................................................................................................................................................... viii Chapter I: Introduction .................................................................................................................................. 1 Chapter II: Literature Review ..................................................................................................................... 14 2.1 Nubians’ Linguistic Background ...................................................................................................... 14 2.2 Origin and Construction of Contemporary Nubians ......................................................................... 15 2.2.1 Linguistic Divisions ................................................................................................................... 16 2.2.2 Historical Perspective of Nubian Languages ............................................................................. 17 2.3 Theoretical Framework ..................................................................................................................... 23 Chapter III: Methodology ........................................................................................................................... 35 3.1 Research Questions: .......................................................................................................................... 35 3.2 Methodological Approach ................................................................................................................ 36 3.3 Data Collection Procedures ............................................................................................................... 38 3.3.1 Research Setting ......................................................................................................................... 38 3.3.2 Sample Selection ........................................................................................................................ 39 3.3.3 Gathering and Recording Information ....................................................................................... 41 3.4 Reliability .......................................................................................................................................... 48 3.5 Validity ............................................................................................................................................. 49 3.6 Piloting .............................................................................................................................................. 51 3.6.1 Sample of the Pilot: .................................................................................................................... 51 3.6.2 Results of the Pilot: .................................................................................................................... 52 Chapter IV: Results ..................................................................................................................................... 54 4.1 Demographic Characteristics of Abu Simbel Nubian Participants ................................................... 54 4.2 Inspection of Grosjean’s factors influencing CS as perceived by Nubians ...................................... 56 4.2.1 Participants ................................................................................................................................. 57 i 4.2.2 Situation ..................................................................................................................................... 62 4.2.3 Content of Discourse .................................................................................................................. 63 4.2.4 Function of Interaction ............................................................................................................... 65 4.3 Relationship between Major Demographic Characteristics and Factors Influencing CS in Questionnaire Items ................................................................................................................................ 69 4.3.1 Sex.............................................................................................................................................. 70 4.3.3 Age ............................................................................................................................................. 74 4.4 Status of the Nubian Language in the Eye of the Beholder .............................................................. 79 4.5 Summary of Interview Response ...................................................................................................... 80 4.5.1 The Nubian Language ................................................................................................................ 81 4.5.2 Can learning Nubian first cause difficulties in a Nubian child’s early school years? ................ 82 4.5.3 Need for Arabic language in Nubia ........................................................................................... 82 4.5.4 The Nubian language is dying ................................................................................................... 83 4.5.5 Current interest in learning the Nubian alphabet ....................................................................... 83 4.5.6 Integrating the Nubian language into school systems in Nubia ................................................. 84 4.5.7 Factors influencing language choice .......................................................................................... 84 4.5.8 Sex as a variable ......................................................................................................................... 85 4.5.9 Age in relation to the Nubian language...................................................................................... 85 4.5.10 Arabic as social capital ............................................................................................................ 86 4.5.11 Acquiring the Nubian Language and Attitude ......................................................................... 86 4.5.12 Outside pressure ....................................................................................................................... 87 4.5.13 Intimacy & Kinship Relations .................................................................................................. 88 4.5.14 Degree of formality .................................................................................................................. 88 4.5.15 Mother tongue .......................................................................................................................... 88 4.5.16 Speaking in the presence of monolinguals ............................................................................... 89 4.5.17 Situation/Setting ......................................................................................................................