The role of heritage language maintenance in shaping identity and cohesion among migrant populations: A case study of Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Language serves as a vessel for traditions, values, and a shared sense of belonging, linking individuals across both generations and geographical boundaries. This study examined the role of heritage language maintenance in shaping cultural identity, fostering social cohesion, and facilitating integration among first-generation migrant populations residing in the urban areas of Northern Borders province, Saudi Arabia. Using a qualitative case study design, data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 44 participants, selected through purposive sampling from culturally and linguistically heterogeneous backgrounds, including communities from South Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East. Thematic analysis was employed to identify critical patterns and themes, revealing that heritage language maintenance occurred through familial interactions, community gatherings, and digital platforms, stressing intergenerational transmission and cultural engagement. Heritage languages preserve cultural identity and foster a sense of pride, belonging, and shared values. They also strengthened social cohesion within migrant populations, although challenges, such as the dominance of Arabic and limited public usage, complicated broader societal integration. This study elucidates the dual role of heritage languages in building solidarity within migrant communities and the challenges they encounter in broader societal integration. The findings underscore the need for inclusive language policies and locally grounded community initiatives that support intergenerational heritage language use, promote cultural diversity, and enhance social cohesion within the Saudi context.

Keywords

Cultural identity / Heritage language maintenance / Integration / Migrant populations / Social cohesion

References

[1] Adizovna S.M. (2024). Language and migration, exploring linguistic integration in a globalized world. European Journal of Innovation in Nonformal Education, 4(3):184-189.

[2] Adsera A., & Pytlikova M. (2015). The role of language in shaping international migration. The Economic Journal (London), 125(586):F49-F81. https://doi.org/10.1111/ecoj.12231

[3] Alam M.K. (2021). A systematic qualitative case study: Questions, data collection, NVivo analysis and saturation. Qualitative Research in Organizations and Management: An International Journal, 16(1):1-31. https://doi.org/10.1108/QROM-09-2019-1825

[4] Alhazmi L.M. (2023). Language attitudes in fast-growing societies: New insights in the dynamism dimension. Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, 10(1):478. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-023-01988-1

[5] Al-Rojaie Y. (2023). Sociolinguistics in Saudi Arabia: Present situation and future directions. Journal of Arabic Sociolinguistics, 1(1):76-97. https://doi.org/10.3366/arabic.2023.0006

[6] Alsahafi M. (2022). When homeland remains a distant dream: Language attitudes and heritage language maintenance among Rohingya refugees in Saudi Arabia. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 25(4):1292-1303. https://doi.org/10.1080/13670050.2020.1754753

[7] Alshehri A., & AlShabeb A. (2024). Exploring attitudes, identity, and linguistic variation among Arabic speakers: Insights from acoustic landscapes. International Journal of Arabic- English Studies, 24(2):1-16. https://doi.org/10.33806/ijaes.v24i2.587

[8] Benet-Martínez V., & Haritatos J. (2005). Bicultural identity integration (BII): Components and psychosocial antecedents. Journal of Personality, 73(4):1015-1050. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-6494.2005.00337.x

[9] Bilić J.B., Cuneo P., & Franić I. (2023). Croatian as a heritage language in argentina: Between vulnerability and linguistic maintenance. Íkala, Revista De Lenguaje Y Cultura, 28(1):86-104. https://doi.org/10.17533/udea.ikala.v28n1a05

[10] Chen L., & Wang,D. (2023). Chinese heritage language maintenance in the context of superdiversity. Researching and Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language, 4(1):97-117. https://doi.org/10.1558/rtcfl.26170

[11] Chen S.X., Benet-Martínez V., & Bond M.H. (2008). Bicultural identity, bilingualism, and psychological adjustment in multicultural societies: Immigration-based and globalization-based acculturation. Journal of Personality, 76(4):803-838. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-6494.2008.00505.x

[12] Chondrogianni V., & Daskalaki E. (2023). Heritage language use in the country of residence matters for language maintenance, but short visits to the homeland can boost heritage language outcomes. Frontiers in Language Sciences, 2:1230408. https://doi.org/10.3389/flang.2023.1230408

[13] Cook S.R., & Dewaele J.M. (2022). The English language enables me to visit my pain’. Exploring experiences of using a later-learned language in the healing journey of survivors of sexuality persecution. International Journal of Bilingualism, 26(2):125-139. https://doi.org/10.1177/13670069211033032

[14] Dewaele J.M., & Botes E. (2020). Does multilingualism shape personality? An exploratory investigation. International Journal of Bilingualism, 24(4):811-823. https://doi.org/10.1177/1367006919888581

[15] Diskin C. (2020). New speakers in the Irish context: Heritage language maintenance among multilingual migrants in Dublin, Ireland. Frontiers in Education, 4:163. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2019.00163

[16] Dörnyei Z. (2007). Research Methods in Applied Linguistics:Quantitative, Qualitative, and Mixed Methodologies. United Kingdom: Oxford University Press.

[17] Eaton J., & Turin M. (2022). Heritage languages and language as heritage: The language of heritage in Canada and beyond. International Journal of Heritage Studies, 28(7):787-802. https://doi.org/10.1080/13527258.2022.2077805

[18] Fahrudin D. (2017). Language proficiency as a social capital among Indonesian migrant workers: From language acquisition to language maintenance. Journal of English Language and Culture, 1(2):99-128.

[19] Graham B., & Howard P. (2016). Heritage and identity. In: The Routledge Research Companion to Heritage and Identity. United Kingdom: Routledge, p. 1-15. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315613031-101

[20] Grosjean F. (2010). Bilingual:Life and Reality. United States: Harvard University Press. https://doi.org/10.4159/9780674056459

[21] Grosjean F. (2024). On Bilinguals and Bilingualism. United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press.

[22] Guy G.R., & Hinskens F. (2016). Linguistic coherence: Systems, repertoires and speech communities. Lingua, 172-173:1-9. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lingua.2016.01.001

[23] Hopkyns S., & Van Den Hoven M. (2022). Linguistic diversity and inclusion in Abu Dhabi’s linguistic landscape during the COVID-19 period. Multilingua, 41(2):201-232. https://doi.org/10.1515/multi-2020-0187

[24] Karan E.M. (2011). Understanding and forecasting ethnolinguistic vitality. In: Hornberger N.H., & McKay S.L. (Sociolinguistics and Language Education.eds.). Bristol: Multilingual Matters, p. 541-562.

[25] Khraif R.M., Salam A.A., Nair P.S., & Elsegaey I. (2019). Migration in Saudi Arabia:present and prospects. In: India’s Low-Skilled Migration to the Middle East:Policies, Politics and Challenges. Singapore: Palgrave Macmillan, p. 99-123. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-9224-5_5

[26] Kupolati O. (2023). Beyond home language: Heritage language maintenance practices of Yorùbá-English bilingual immigrants. International Journal of Bilingualism, 28(3):570-590. https://doi.org/10.1177/13670069231175266

[27] Lam V.L., & Catto A.C. (2023). Heritage language use and proficiency: Acculturation, identities and psychological health. Language Research, 6(1):3. https://doi.org/10.16993/jhlr.51

[28] Leeman J. (2015). Heritage language education and identity in the United States. Annual Review of Applied Linguistics, 35:100-119. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0267190514000245

[29] Leeman J., & Serafini E.J. (2016). Sociolinguistics for heritage language educators and students. In: Innovative Strategies for Heritage Language Teaching:A Practical Guide for the Classroom. Washington, DC: Georgetown University Press, p. 56-79.

[30] Little D., & Kirwan D. (2019). Engaging with Linguistic Diversity:A Study of Educational Inclusion in an Irish Primary School. United Kingdom: Bloomsbury Publishing. https://doi.org/10.5040/9781350072053

[31] Loader R., & Hughes J. (2017). Balancing cultural diversity and social cohesion in education: The potential of shared education in divided contexts. British Journal of Educational Studies, 65(1):1-23. https://doi.org/10.1080/00071005.2016.1254156

[32] Lochmiller C.R. (2021). Conducting thematic analysis with qualitative data. The Qualitative Report, 26(6):2029-2044. https://doi.org/10.46743/2160-3715/2021.5008

[33] Maleku A., Kim Y.K., & Lee G. (2019). Social cohesion and immigrant health: Does language-efficacy matter? International Journal of Migration, Health and Social Care, 15(1):17-30. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJMHSC-02-2018-0007

[34] Matsumoto K., & Tokumasu N. (2022). The maintenance of Japanese as a heritage language in Mexico: Evidence from Japanese pre-war migrants and newcomers. International Journal of the Sociology of Language, 2022(273):81-101. https://doi.org/10.1515/ijsl-2021-0008

[35] Mazzaferro G. (2018). Language maintenance and shift within new linguistic minorities in Italy:A translanguaging perspective. In: Mazzaferro G. (ed.). Translanguaging as Everyday Practice. Multilingual Education. Vol. 28. Cham: Springer, p. 87-106. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-94851-5_6

[36] Mesoudi A. (2018). Migration, acculturation, and the maintenance of between-group cultural variation. PLoS One, 13(10):e0205573. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0205573

[37] Moustakas L. (2023). Social cohesion: Definitions, causes and consequences. Encyclopedia, 3(3):1028-1037. https://doi.org/10.3390/encyclopedia3030075

[38] Muthuswamy V.V. (2023). Use of heritage language in immigrant families to strengthen family relationships and ethnic identities of adolescents: The case of Arab immigrants. Eurasian Journal of Applied Linguistics, 9(2):106-117.

[39] Ndhlovu F., & Willoughby L. (2017). Migration, heritage languages, and changing demographics in Australia. In: The Routledge Handbook of Heritage Language Education. United Kingdom: Routledge, p. 22-32. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315727974-3

[40] Omar S., Shah S.R.A., & Pathan H. (2020). Perceptions on status of ‘Urdu’-the Pakistani national language, in the UAE: Reflections on the Pakistani Diaspora. International Research Journal of Arts and Humanities, 48(48):247.

[41] Ortega L. (2020). The study of heritage language development from a bilingualism and social justice perspective. Language Learning, 70(1):15-53. https://doi.org/10.1111/lang.12347

[42] Panicacci A. (2019). Do the languages migrants use in private and emotional domains define their cultural belonging more than the passport they have? International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 69:87-101. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijintrel.2019.01.003

[43] Panicacci A., & Dewaele J.M. (2017). ‘A voice from elsewhere’: Acculturation, personality and migrants’ self-perceptions across languages and cultures. International Journal of Multilingualism, 14(4):419-436. https://doi.org/10.1080/14790718.2016.1273937

[44] Park M.Y., & Chung K. (2023). Identity and heritage language learning: A case study of two mixed-heritage Korean university students in New Zealand. Multilingua, 42(2):285-307. https://doi.org/10.1515/multi-2022-0044

[45] Piller I. (2016). Linguistic Diversity and Social Justice:An Introduction to Applied Sociolinguistics. United Kingdom: Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199937240.001.0001

[46] Polinsky M., & Scontras G. (2020). Understanding heritage languages. Bilingualism: Language and Cognition, 23(1):4-20. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1366728919000245

[47] Polychroniadou V., & Panicacci A. (2024). When cultural antagonism does not align with language bias: The sociolinguistic, cultural, and emotional experiences of German immigrants in post-crisis Greece. Ampersand, 14:100206. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amper.2024.100206

[48] Raza K. (2023). Integrating better but multilingually: Language practices of South Asian immigrants for settlement and integration in Canada. Journal of Ethnic and Cultural Studies, 10(2):166-190. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejecs/1626

[49] Rzepnikowska A.E. (2016). Convivial Cultures in Multicultural Societies: Narratives of Polish Migrants in Britain and Spain [Doctoral dissertation, The University of Manchester].

[50] Sáenz-Hernández I., Lapresta-Rey C., Petreñas C., & Ianos M. (2021). When immigrant and regional minority languages coexist: Linguistic authority and integration in multilingual linguistic acculturation. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 25(8):2774-2787. https://doi.org/10.1080/13670050.2021.1977235

[51] Scetti F. (2021). Multilingual behaviour within the Portuguese and Italian communities in Montreal: A quest of Purism. Languages, 6(2):91. https://doi.org/10.3390/languages6020091

[52] Schaeffer M. (2016). Ethnic Diversity and Social Cohesion: Immigration, Ethnic Fractionalization and Potentials for Civic Action. United Kingdom: Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315580463

[53] Schmid M.S. (2002). First Language Attrition, Use and Maintenance: The Case of German Jews in Anglophone Countries. Amsterdam, Netherlands: John Benjamins.

[54] Scontras G., Fuchs Z., & Polinsky M. (2015). Heritage language and linguistic theory. Frontiers in Psychology, 6:1545. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2015.01545

[55] Seargeant P. (2023). Linguistic ideologies and the fabric of everyday life. International Journal of the Sociology of Language, 2023(284):159-165. https://doi.org/10.1515/ijsl-2023-0088

[56] Smith L. (2016). Heritage, gender and identity. In: The Routledge Research Companion to Heritage and Identity. United Kingdom: Routledge, p. 159-178. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315613031-9

[57] Svensson H. (2023). Language dimensions of social cohesion: The significance of linguistic inequalities in the context of refugee settlement. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, 44:1-14. https://doi.org/10.1080/01434632.2023.2251945

[58] Tang X., & Zheng Y. (2023). Unpacking complex language ideologies toward heritage language maintenance: A case of Chinese migrant families in the US. International Multilingual Research Journal, 17:333-350. https://doi.org/10.1080/19313152.2023.2209358

[59] Tseng A. (2020). Identity in home-language maintenance. In: Schalley A.C., & Eisenchlas S.A. (Handbook of Home Language Maintenance and Development: Berlin,eds.). Social and Affective Factors. Boston: De Gruyter Mouton, p. 109-129. https://doi.org/10.1515/9781501510175-006

[60] Turkistani S., & Almoaily M. (2023). Language shift or maintenance? An intergenerational study of the Tibetan community in Saudi Arabia. International Journal of Language and Literary Studies, 5(3):301-314. https://doi.org/10.36892/ijlls.v5i3.1407

[61] Valdés G. (2017). From language maintenance and intergenerational transmission to language survivance: Will “heritage language” education help or hinder? International Journal of the Sociology of Language, 2017(243):67-95. https://doi.org/10.1515/ijsl-2016-0046

[62] Wang C., & Steiner B. (2015). Can ethno‐linguistic diversity explain cross‐country differences in social capital?: A global perspective. Economic Record, 91(294):338-366. https://doi.org/10.1111/1475-4932.12195

[63] Wang Z. (2022). The Role of Language in the Wellbeing of Migrants: East Asian Communities in Germany. United Kingdom: Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003025863

[64] Winford D. (2003). An Introduction to Contact Linguistics. United States: Blackwell Publishing.

[65] Yakushkina M. (2021). A quantitative approach to heritage language use and symbolic transnationalism. Evidence from the Cuban-American population in Miami. International Multilingual Research Journal, 15(2):194-210. https://doi.org/10.1080/19313152.2020.1852513