Linguistic Variation as an Identity and a Reflection of Affiliation: The Students of AAUP as an Example

Abstract

An identity card is not the only proof of where a person comes from. Language is proof too. This paper aims to investigate the linguistic variation as an identity and a reflection of the affiliation of the members of the Palestinian community. The researcher used the students of Arab American University as a sample of the study since the researcher works at the university and communicate continuously with these students. The researcher used a combination of qualitative and quantitative approach during the study where she depended on a reviewed questionnaire consisting of 20 paragraphs as well as observing the students during communication in different contexts. It is hypothesized that 1- The linguistic variation is an indicator of affiliation.2- There is a statistical difference in preserving the linguistic affiliation due to gender, place of residency, and academic level. The research was conducted at Arab American University in Jenin in the north of Palestine. The researcher carried out the research paper during the spring term of the academic year 2019. The researcher concluded that there is a difference in the linguistic variation of the students at AAUP attributed to gender, there is no difference in the linguistic variation of the students at AAUP attributed to the academic level. There is a difference in the linguistic variation of the students at AAUP attributed to the place of ﺔﻠﳎ ﻕﺎﺴﻧﺃ ﻥﻮﻨﻔﻠﻟ ﻭﺍﻵﺩﺍﺏ ﻡﻮﻠﻌﻟﺍﻭ ﺔﻴﻧﺎﺴﻧﻹﺍ ﺭﺍﺪﺻﻹﺍ ﺍﻟﺮﺍﺑﻊ (٢ ) ( ﺩﺪﻌﻟﺍ ٢ )ﺍﳌﺠﻠﺪ ٢٠٢١ )١-١٦(

2 Linguistic Variation as an Identity and a Reflection of Affiliation : The Students of AAUP as an Example residency. It is recommended that further studies should be implemented in the same field but on different topics, to preserve the inherited dialects of the antecedents, awareness seminars should be held to preserve the heritage. Especially under what Palestine is exposed to by the Israeli occupation, to arrange periodical visits to villages and towns to recognize and record the Palestinian culture especially the linguistic varieties whether they are phonetic, phonological varieties or vocabulary variants, and the Ministry of Culture should organize activities and events that document the local dialects of Palestine, T.V programs for example.