Skip to main content

Syrian children in Turkey lose touch with Arabic language

The new generation of Syrian refugees in Turkey prefer to speak Turkish rather than Arabic in order not to be discriminated against.
Displaced Syrian children attend a class in Bab al-Salama camp for people fleeing the violence in Syria, on the border with Turkey, Oct. 27, 2014.
Read in 

Thousands of Syrian children attend school in Turkey every day alongside Turkish students, and communicate in a language that is different from their mother tongue. This situation has affected a large number of Syrian students, especially the young ones, who gradually have started losing the ability to use the Arabic language.

The Turkish government has been implementing an integration policy for Syrian refugees for nearly two years now, which has largely contributed to the decline of the Arabic language among Syrian children, especially since licensed Arab schools in Turkey are costly for most parents, forcing them to enroll their children in free Turkish public schools.

Access the Middle East news and analysis you can trust

Join our community of Middle East readers to experience all of Al-Monitor, including 24/7 news, analyses, memos, reports and newsletters.

Subscribe

Only $100 per year.