The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of Arabic diglossia on formal instruction with special reference to the primary level in Tlemcen schools. It seeks to highlight the sociolinguistic phenomenon ‘diglossia’ and its effect on pupils’ linguistic performance. Recently, clear flaws seem to have been noted in pupils’ linguistic skills in all Arab schools, particularly in first grade level, since most of them have relatively little or no contact with the official language of instruction before formal schooling. In the Algerian policy, Modern Standard Arabic (MSA hereafter) is the language used in classroom settings.
However, it is generally agreed among educationists, that the achievement of low levels is mainly linked to the complexities of the literary language used in formal instruction and the various colloquial forms reserved for non-formal contexts. Children acquire Algerian Arabic as a mother tongue, while Standard Arabic is learned later on through access to formal instruction. The pupils’ educational problems and the persistent feelings of linguistic insecurity are directly attributed to diglossia. Through collecting and analyzing data by means of a number of sociolinguistic tools, the researcher tried, in this study, to compare between two school settings to show the extent to which diglossia affects the learning process among first grade pupils by: exploring the variety used in classroom interaction, insisting on the language difficulties encountered by young pupils and detecting their attitudes towards the forms of Arabic used in classroom interaction.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Language and Dialect
2.1. Language Definition
2.2. Dialect Defined
3. Language Planning
3.1. Kinds of Language Planning
3.1.1. Status Planning
3.1.2. Corpus Planning
3.1.3. Acquisition Planning
4. Diglossia and Bilingualism
4.1. Diglossia Defined
4.1.1. Arabic Diglossia
4.1.2. Diglossia and Education
4.2. Bilingualism
5. Language Contact Dynamics
5.1. Borrowings
5.2. Code-switching and code-mixing
6. MSA and its Status in the Arab World
6.1. MSA and Education
6.2. Exposure of Arab Pupils to MSA
7. Language Attitudes
7.1. The concept of ‘Attitude’
7.2. Attitudes towards Diglossia
8. Conclusion
9. Introduction
10. Algeria: A Glance at History
11. Language Repertoires in Algeria
11.1. The Arabic Language
11.1.1. MSA as the Official Language
11.1.2. AA as a Mother Tongue
11.2. Berber
11.3. French
12. The Arabisation Policy
12.1. The Process of Arabisation
12.2. Issues of the Arabisation Policy
13. The Actual Sociolinguistic Situation in Algeria
13.1. Diglossia in Algeria
13.2. Diglossia and Education in the Algerian Context
13.3. Algerian Bilingualism
13.4. The Dynamics of Language Contact in Algeria
13.4.1. Borrowings
13.4.2. Code-switching
13.4.2.1. Algerian Arabic/ French Code-switching
13.4.2.2. Algerian Diglossic Code-switching
14. Conclusion
15. Introduction
16. Research Objectives and Motivations
17. Methodological Concerns
17.1. Sample Population
17.2. Research Instruments
17.2.1. Questionnaires
17.2.2. Interviews
17.2.3. The Matched-Guise Technique
17.2.4. Classroom Observation
18. Research Findings
18.1. Questionnaire Findings: The Variety of Classroom Interaction
18.1.1. Quantitative Analysis
18.1.2. Qualitative Analysis
18.2. Interview Findings: Pupils’ Linguistic Performance
18.2.1. Findings from the Questions to Pupils
18.2.2. Findings from the Interview for Teachers
18.3. Matched-Guise Technique Findings: MSA and Pupils’ Attitudes
18.3.1. Quantitative Findings
18.3.2. Qualitative Findings
18.4. Classroom Observation Findings
19. Data Interpretation
19.1. Questionnaire Findings and Interpretation
19.2. Interview Findings and Interpretation
19.2.1. Interpretation of the Pupils’ Answers
19.2.2. Interpretation of the Interview with Teachers
19.3. Interpretation of the Matched-Guise Technique Findings
19.3.1. Quantitative Findings
19.3.2. Qualitative Findings
19.4. Interpretation of the Classroom Observation Findings
20. General Findings: Interpretation and Integration
21. Conclusion
Research Objectives and Themes
This study aims to investigate the sociolinguistic phenomenon of "diglossia" and its specific impact on the learning process and linguistic performance of first-grade pupils in primary schools in Tlemcen, Algeria.
- The sociolinguistic phenomenon of "diglossia" in the Arab world and Algeria.
- The role of Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) as the official medium of instruction versus Algerian Arabic (AA) as the mother tongue.
- Linguistic insecurity and educational difficulties faced by young pupils due to the linguistic distance between MSA and colloquial Arabic.
- Teacher and pupil attitudes toward the different forms of Arabic used in classroom settings.
- The methodology of language policy and the impact of the Arabisation policy on educational performance.
Excerpt from the Book
1.1. Introduction
It is well-known that Arab communities are diglossic, i.e. communities in which two varieties, H (MSA) and L (colloquial Arabic) ‘exist side by side’ (Ferguson, 1959) and are used alternatively for different functions. Nevertheless, MSA has a sacred status amongst all Arabs as it is the closest variety of the Classical Arabic, language of the Holy Qur’an and the medium of instruction in all Arab countries.
This chapter tends to clarify a set of sociolinguistic key- concepts that are of crucial importance to our research work. First, a distinction is drawn between language and dialect, two important terms for the study of language policy and diglossia. Secondly, this chapter synthesizes literature about other interesting concepts, notably education, bilingualism and code switching, and ends up with a survey about language attitudes.
Summary of Chapters
Chapter One: Some Basic Sociolinguistic Key-Concepts: This chapter defines core sociolinguistic concepts such as language, dialect, and language planning, focusing primarily on the phenomenon of diglossia and its relationship with educational attainment and language attitudes.
Chapter Two: The Algerian Sociolinguistic Profile: This chapter provides an overview of the sociolinguistic situation in Algeria, exploring historical influences, the Arabisation policy, and the co-existence of various language varieties including MSA, Algerian Arabic, Berber, and French.
Chapter Three: Research Methodology and Data Analysis: This chapter details the practical research phase, explaining the implementation of questionnaires, interviews, the matched-guise technique, and classroom observations to analyze the impact of diglossia on pupils' linguistic performance.
Keywords
Arabic diglossia, Modern Standard Arabic, Algerian Arabic, Sociolinguistics, Language Planning, Classroom Interaction, Linguistic Performance, Language Attitudes, Primary Education, Arabisation, Bilingualism, Code-switching, Linguistic Insecurity, Pedagogical Problems, Language Acquisition.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary subject of this research?
The research focuses on the sociolinguistic phenomenon of "Arabic diglossia" and its direct impact on the linguistic performance and educational experience of first-grade pupils in Tlemcen, Algeria.
What are the central themes of the work?
The work centers on the divide between the official language of instruction (Modern Standard Arabic) and the mother tongue (Algerian Arabic), exploring pedagogical difficulties, linguistic insecurity, and language attitudes.
What is the core research question?
The study seeks to determine to what extent the phenomenon of diglossia affects the learning process among first-grade pupils in primary schools.
What methodology is employed in the study?
The researcher uses a mixed-methods approach, including teacher questionnaires, semi-structured interviews with pupils and teachers, the matched-guise technique to assess language attitudes, and direct classroom observation.
What does the main body of the work cover?
The main body covers basic sociolinguistic concepts, the specific historical and social context of Algeria, and a detailed analysis of data collected from two primary schools regarding classroom interaction and linguistic proficiency.
Which keywords characterize this study?
The study is characterized by terms such as Arabic diglossia, language planning, linguistic insecurity, classroom interaction, and educational attainment.
How does pre-schooling affect the findings?
The research notes that pupils from schools with pre-school programs show slightly better proficiency in Modern Standard Arabic compared to pupils from schools without such access.
What role does the "Matched-Guise Technique" play?
This technique is used to uncover covert attitudes of pupils toward different varieties of Arabic by presenting speech samples without revealing that the speaker is the same person, testing if pupils associate MSA with higher status or "cleverness."
Why do teachers continue to use the vernacular in the classroom?
Teachers report that they use the vernacular (Algerian Arabic) to facilitate comprehension and create a smoother transition from the home environment, as pupils often lack sufficient exposure to MSA before starting school.
- Citation du texte
- Chahrazed Hamzaoui (Auteur), 2021, Effects of Arabic Diglossia on Pupils' Linguistic Performance in an Algerian Context, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1003571
