ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the sociolinguistic situations of heritage Arabic speakers in the United States. Heritage Arabic speakers are born to first- or second-generation Arab immigrants in contexts where Arabic is a minority language. The chapter examines the manifestations of language attrition among heritage Arabic speakers as well as the social factors contributing to their language loss or maintenance. The importance of studying this group lies in uncovering the social dynamics involved in language learning and use in minority communities. The chapter provides a brief historical background of Arab immigrants in the United States as well as the context in which heritage speakers acquire and use their heritage languages. A better understanding of heritage speakers requires considering two socio-affective aspects that have contributed to language maintenance in this group: language attitudes and social identities. Language attitudes have been universally acknowledged as among the main determinants of language maintenance or loss in a given speech community.
