Identity Negotiation Through Language: Sociolinguistic Perspectives Among Iraqi Undergraduates

Subject Areas :

Raad Alaa Abd Alraouf Al-Safi ¹ , Ehsan Rezvani ² , Oudah Kadhim Abed ³ , Mehdi Vaez Dalili ⁴

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Received: 2024-07-13 Accepted : 2024-08-30 Published : 2025-01-19

Keywords: Identity Negotiation, Linguistic Practices, Sociolinguistics, Multilingualism, Iraqi Students,

Abstract :

This research investigated the complex processes of identity negotiation among Iraqi undergraduate students within a multilingual context. Using a mixed-methods research design, the study combined qualitative thematic analysis and quantitative data to examine how linguistic practices, such as code-switching (CS) and code-mixing (CM), act as resources for the expression of individual and social identities. Analysing transcripts from 20 episodes of Iraqi TV talk shows and interviews with 15 undergraduates, the study uncovers distinct linguistic patterns shaped by context: Arabic dominance in discussions of cultural topics and English dominance in discussions of academic and aspirational topics. The findings revealed that linguistic choices are not arbitrary but strategic, reflecting students' efforts to balance cultural heritage with global aspirations. The emergent strategies for bridging the cultural gap, making inclusivity possible, and negotiating social dynamics are CM and CS. Such findings foreground the crucial role language plays in the construction, maintenance, and negotiation of identities in complex sociolinguistic landscapes. Results for educational frameworks involve the inclusion of these insights into school frameworks and the recognition of linguistic diversity as a resource in the construction of identities and in intercultural communication.

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