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Article published In: Pragmatics and Society
Vol. 13:2 (2022) ► pp.322–340

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Language change among Kalhuri Kurdish speakers in Iran

A gain or in vain?

 | The Ministry of Education Kamyaran Office, Iran
Published online: 23 June 2022
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https://doi.org/10.1075/ps.19064.yar
Abstract
In the multicultural and multiethnic context of Iran, Farsi (Persian) is the only official and the most prestigious language employed by the people. This article investigates sociolinguistic factors fostering a radical language shift from Kurdish to Farsi among Kalhuri Kurdish speakers in Kermanshah, the biggest Kurdish city in Iran – a trend which has raised many social and cultural controversies within the Kurdish community. Data were gathered through a questionnaire focusing on the attitudinal, economic, and social factors affecting the shift. The participants of the study were 1,000 native Kurdish speakers in Kermanshah; the data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and item percentage. The analysis revealed that social, personal, and economic factors contributed to the shift, even though the economic concerns outweighed the others. The article discusses the implication of the findings in detail.
Article outline
  • Introduction
  • A background to language shift
  • Methodology
    • Procedure
    • Instruments
    • Participants
    • Results
    • Social and economic factors
    • Mean comparison of the categories
  • Discussion and conclusion
  • References
References (55)
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