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Article published In: Language Problems and Language Planning
Vol. 47:1 (2023) ► pp.49–71

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Teaching Hebrew as second language in Arab schools in Israel

Policy and identity politics

ORCiD logo with link | Hebrew University | Beit Berl Academic College
 | Beit Berl Academic College
Published online: 20 April 2023
DOI logo with link
https://doi.org/10.1075/lplp.22002.man
Abstract
Students belonging to the substantial Palestinian-Arab minority in Israel – about one-fifth of the population – are required to study Hebrew as a second language (SL). This study analyzes the policy of teaching Hebrew as SL through content analysis of policy papers, questionnaires and interviews with teachers. It aims to elicit the meaning of studying the majority language by the minority in practical and ethnonational identity terms. The findings indicate that the current policy aims at promoting the acquisition of spoken Hebrew for the purpose of integration in higher education and the labor market, and that international contents are more prominent as part of the growing openness in Palestinian society in Israel. In terms of identity, the importance of Hebrew in that society has grown, but also posed challenges in terms of the minority’s sense of belonging to Israel and identification with the values attendant on acquiring the language. Overall, we identified interfaces between three identity spheres: the Palestinian ethnonational identity, the Jewish-Israeli identity as encountered through Hebrew language studies, and the global identity as represented by educational and employment opportunities and values.
תקציר
הוראת עברית כשפה שנייה בבתי ספר ערביים בישראל: מדיניות וזהות
חמישית מהאוכלוסייה בישראל היא מיעוט פלסטיני-ערבי. הסטודנטים הפלסטינים נדרשים ללמוד את השפה העברית כשפה שנייה בבתי ספר בחברה הערבית. מחקר זה בוחן את מדיניות הוראת העברית כשפה שנייה באמצעות ניתוח תוכן של ניירות עמדה, שאלונים וראיונות עם מורים. מטרת המחקר היא להאיר את המשמעות של לימוד שפת הרוב במונחי זהות ואתנו-לאומיים. מן הממצאים עולה כי המדיניות הנוכחית מכוונת לקדם את רכישת השפה העברית הדבורה והשליטה בה אצל הסטודנטים לצורך השתלבותם בהשכלה הגבוהה ובשוק התעסוקה. כמו כן הימצאותם של תכנים בין-לאומיים בולטים יותר כחלק מהפתיחות הגוברת בחברה הפלסטינית בישראל.
מבחינת זהות, החשיבות של העברית בחברה זו גדלה, אך גם מציבה אתגרים מבחינת תחושת השייכות של המיעוט לישראל והזדהותם עם ערכים הנלווים לרכישת שפה. המחקר זיהה שלושה תחומי זהות: הזהות האתנו-לאומית הפלסטינית, הזהות היהודית-ישראלית, כפי שנתקלנו בה בלימודי השפה העברית והזהות הגלובלית המיוצגת על ידי הזדמנויות וערכים חינוכיים ותעסוקתיים.
Resumo
Studentoj kiuj apartenas al la signife granda palestina-araba minoritato en Israelo – proksimume unu kvinono de la enloĝantaro – estas devigataj studi la hebrean kiel duan lingvon. La nuna studo analizas la politikon de instruado de la hebrea kiel dua lingvo, tion farante per enhavanalizo de politikaj dokumentoj, demandaroj kaj intervjuoj kun instruistoj. Ĝi celas eltrovi la signifon de studado de la majoritata lingvo flanke de la minoritato el la vidpunktoj de praktiko kaj de etnonacia identeco. La eltrovoj indikas, ke la nuna politiko celas antaŭenigi la akiron de la parolata hebrea cele al integriĝo en supera edukado kaj en la labormerkato, kaj ke internaciaj enhavoj estas pli evidentaj kiel partoj de kreskanta malfermiteco en la palestina socio en Israelo. Rilate identecon, kreskis la graveco de la hebrea en tiu socio, sed samtempe tio prezentis defiojn rilate la senton de aparteno al Israelo flanke de la minoritato kaj ties identigo kun la valoroj kiuj akompanas la akiradon de la lingvo. Resume, ni eltrovis interrilatojn inter tri identosferoj: la palestina etnonacia idento, la juda-israela idento renkontata pere de studado de la hebrea lingvo, kaj tutmonda idento reprezentata de edukaj kaj dungiĝaj okazoj kaj valoroj.
Article outline
  • Introduction
    • Language policy
    • The Israeli context
    • Teaching Hebrew in Arab schools
    • The present study
  • Method
    • Participants
    • Instruments and procedure
      • Primary sources
      • Self-Report questionnaires
      • Interviews
      • Ethics
  • Results
    • “An existential concern”: Hebrew Communicability as an Instrumental Asset
    • “Reduce the cultural gap”: Integration in the job market and higher education
    • “From local to global citizenship”: Global issues and autonomous thinking
    • “The language of the occupation”: The teachers’ ethnonational identity
  • Discussion
    • Globality and modernity vs. locality and tradition
    • Arab identity: Blurring vs. highlighting its uniqueness in Israel
    • Conclusion
    • Limitations and implications for research and practice
  • Notes
  • References
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