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Linguistic dominance and minoritised language communities: English use in Iraqi Kurdistan / MATTHEW LAMBERT
Swansea University Author: MATTHEW LAMBERT
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Copyright, the author, Matthew Lambert, 2026. Distributed under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License (CC BY 4.0).
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DOI (Published version): 10.23889/SUThesis.71695
Abstract
Minority languages and language loss are topics that are widely discussed at present as people become aware of language decline (McVeigh, 2023). This research was designed to investigate the extent to which the rise and spread of English in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI) impacts linguistic and c...
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Swansea
2026
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| Institution: | Swansea University |
| Degree level: | Doctoral |
| Degree name: | Ph.D |
| Supervisor: | Higham, G. |
| URI: | https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa71695 |
| Abstract: |
Minority languages and language loss are topics that are widely discussed at present as people become aware of language decline (McVeigh, 2023). This research was designed to investigate the extent to which the rise and spread of English in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI) impacts linguistic and cultural identities of Kurdish students studying at Universities in the region. Van Parijs (2011, p.36) and de Swaan (University of Groningen, 2013 50:04) actively promote English as a lingua franca, while Phillipson (2006, p.348) sees it as symptomatic of linguistic imperialism, leading to 'unequal communicative rights’ and ‘unequal benefits.’ The study also draws comparisons with the linguistic situation in Wales to illuminate key differences and similarities in the sociolinguistic dynamics in both contexts, providing a richer understanding of the factors that contribute to language maintenance or otherwise in the KRI.The complex linguistic situation is under-researched in Iraqi Kurdistan, where there are many minority languages within a minority language area. As English in the area was of little value 10-15 years ago and is now one of the major languages of the region, this rapid change deserves to be studied. Up until now, ‘little if any work’ has been done to account for this rapid change and its effect on the status of Kurdish (Paul and Ibrahim, 2025, p.191). Moreover, over half the population in Kurdistan is under 20 and the average age is just over 20 (Hennerbichler, 2018, p. 208) and with 36% of the population aged up to 14 (Baban, 2024). This demographic profile highlights the significant proportion of young people in the country, making the university student population a crucial and representative group for research. Insights gained from this demographic can offer valuable information and have broader implications for understanding the attitudes, behaviors and future trajectories of a large segment of the population in Kurdistan with longstanding implications on the future of the language.Employing mixed methods, the study focused on the University of Kurdistan Hewler and gathered data through one-to-one semi-structured interviews, focus groups and questionnaires, involving teachers, senior managers, and university students. The questionnaire made factual inquiries about participants' identity and language use, with an open-ended question for additional insights, and 17 Likert statements addressing language use.Findings suggest that the perceived threat of English to Kurdish appears to derive from five intertwined reasons: the prevalence of English in social media and other forms of entertainment, the prevalence of English in private education, the poor quality of teaching in the mother tongue, the lack of clear Language Planning and Policy (LPP) in Kurdistan and the low prestige of the mother tongue. This study further identifies both additional challenges to the future of Kurdish,(such as the increasing role of Arabic) and recommendations at local and national level. |
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| Keywords: |
English as a Global Language, Kurdish, Language Shift, Linguistic Imperialism, Multilingualism, Language Policy, Sociolinguistics, Minority Languages, English Medium Instruction, Kurdistan Region of Iraq |
| College: |
Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences |