| This paper reports the results of a study investigating the extent to which native speakers of American English associate specific personal qualities to native speakers of Arabic based solely on auditory information. 234 participants, recruited through online social networks, heard sound clips of Arabic-accented English and were asked to rate each speaker from 1 to 5 in categories such as "assertive", "intelligent", and "religious". Responses were analyzed to determine which demographic factors, such as sex, race, and political/religious self-identification, were statistically significant. The results were found to be significant for some of the respondent groups, in certain qualities: the paper illustrates which are seen as particularly related to Arabic accent, as opposed to "non-native". The survey results are combined with interviews with native Arabic speakers on their experiences as speakers of accented English in the USA. The paper attempts to construct a picture of the American language attitudes towards Arabic, highlight stereotypes and prejudices that are drawn out through linguistic interaction, and offer directions for further research beyond this initial study. |
