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Presenter
Mrs. Athari Almuraikhi.
The University of Newcastle,
Australia

Title
Social Factors Affecting the Acculturation Attitude of Young Saudi Children in the Australian Context.

Abstract

Learning a second language is the initial step in the process of acculturation. Researchers claim an interrelation between acculturation and learners’ achievement level in the second language. The learners’ language competence is seen to be influenced by their desire to communicate with the target culture. Integration into the target community would lead to successful acquisition for the second language. A crucial factor would be the learners’ attitude held toward the new culture. My PhD research concentrates on the main social factors affecting ESL learners’ acculturation attitude and on issues of SLA as a mean of socio-cultural integration. Practically, the research will examine the formal and informal sociolinguistic environment of Saudi children in Australia represented in the surrounding supportive social network (e.g. parents, friends, neighbours and the media).

It aims to specify the sociolinguistic hindrances Saudi children face in the Australian context, and to identify strategies provided by parents and teachers to foster their children’s acculturation and bilingualism. It also highlights how ESL children are influenced by their families’ religious and cultural background. The proposed research is crucial for not only Saudi children but also for ESL young children from diverse backgrounds because it focuses on essential aspects of child acculturation and SLA. The results of the study is hoped to be beneficial to all ESL learners worldwide and to the field of linguistics in general. They will contribute in both theoretical and practical ways to improving ESL outcomes in the global context.