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Abstract
This study aims to investigate the use of question tags among Jordanian female and male Facebook users and identify some commonly used words for question tags in colloquial Arabic. To this end, a focus group was formed, comprising individuals who possessed an advanced command of the Arabic language and an understanding of sociolinguistic concepts. In addition, a corpus of 515 comments on controversial topics was compiled. Data were analyzed by semi-automatically retrieving it from computerized sources and then analyzing it within its context. The analysis revealed that question tags in Jordanian Arabic serve various functions, including mitigation, confirmation, doubt, hedging, inviting response or interaction, and convincing. The study also found that the use of question tags differs between males and females and can be influenced by linguistic and social factors. Females tend to use question tags more frequently than males, which could be attributed to social norms, cultural expectations, and gender stereotypes in language use. As for linguistic factors, they include various elements, including intonation patterns and word choice. Females typically employ rising intonation patterns, which can give a statement the quality of a question, whereas males more commonly use falling intonation patterns. Furthermore, females tend to employ more polite and indirect language, whereas males often opt for a more direct and assertive communication style. The implications of this linguistic variation highlight the need for awareness and sensitivity to gender differences in communication styles.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).
Additional information
Notes on contributors
Mohammad Yousef Alsaraireh
Mohammad Yousef Alsaraireh is an Assistant Professor of English Language and Linguistics at Al-Balqa Applied University, Kerak branch, Kerak, Jordan. His research areas include, but are not limited to, applied linguistics, second language acquisition, and discourse analysis. He has published several papers in different journals such as the International Journal of Linguistics, International Journal of Academic Research, and Australian Journal of Basic and Applied Sciences.
Contact information: Balqa Applied University Kerak. Jordan, Fax 03-2386322 email: [email protected]
Abdel Rahman Mitib Altakhaineh
Abdel Rahman Mitib Altakhaineh is an Assistant Professor of English Language and Linguistics at The University of Jordan, Amman, Jordan. His research interests encompass the areas of morphology, lexical semantics, psycholinguistics, sociolinguistics, and technology in language learning. He has published numerous research papers in journals such as Lingua, Languages, Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, Studia Linguistica, Language and Cognition, Canadian Journal of Linguistics, Applied Linguistics Review, and others.
Contact information: University of Jordan Queen Rania St., Amman, Jordan, P.O. Box 11942 email: [email protected]
Lama Ahmed Khalifah
Lama Khalifah is a part-time lecturer at the University of Jordan in Amman, Jordan. She obtained her MA in Linguistics from the University of Jordan. Her research interests include translation, discourse analysis, pragmatics, and metaphor. Additionally, she works as a full-time translator at EY in Amman, Jordan.
Contact information: University of Jordan Queen Rania St., Amman, Jordan, P.O. Box 11942 email: [email protected]