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Item Restricted The Effects of Ethnicity, Contact, Sense of Identity, and Social Attitudes on Dialect Contact in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia(Saudi Digital Library, 2025-04-25) Alali, Sultan; Pichler, Heike; Duncan, DanielDialect contact may lead to one of several linguistic outcomes, including (among others) levelling, accommodation, divergence, or convergence. Jeddah presents a unique linguistic situation in Saudi Arabia due to it being one of the three cities, along with Makkah and Madinah, which have a large Saudi non-Bedouin demographic. Given that Bedouin and non-Bedouin social groups are technically in daily contact in Jeddah, this urgent research question arises: do the marked linguistic features of each group weaken or perhaps even level out? Thus, this thesis investigates the dialect contact situation in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, specifically how it affects the distinct varieties of Hijazi Arabic spoken by Bedouins and non-Bedouins in the city. This study investigates the influence of ethnicity, dialect contact, sense of identity, and social attitudes on variation in Hijazi Arabic in a sample of 32 young adult speakers (aged 19-22) in Jeddah. The sample was stratified by Bedouin versus non-Bedouin ethnic background and grouped by neighbourhood type: predominantly Bedouin, predominantly non-Bedouin, and mixed. Data were collected through sociolinguistic interviews and written questionnaires measuring participants’ sense of identity and social attitudes. The analysis focuses on three linguistic variables: (θ), (ð), and the third-person masculine pronoun (-ah). Distributional and regression analyses show that Bedouin and non-Bedouin Jeddawis belong to different speech communities because those in mixed and unmixed neighbourhoods (both Bedouins and non-Bedouins) do not share linguistic norms. Moreover, for a speech community to exist, there needs to be constant contact and interactions among its members, which cannot be said about the Bedouin and Non-Bedouin neighbourhoods. At the same time, the analyses show that the four social predictors (ethnicity, dialect contact, sense of identity, and social attitudes) affect two of the three linguistic variables: (θ) and the third-person masculine pronoun (-ah). Since the type of neighbourhood acts as a proxy for the degree of contact between Bedouins and non-Bedouins, the findings suggest that the degree of contact between the two groups affects the variation of the (θ) and (-ah). The variants of both (θ) and (-ah) in the two unmixed neighbourhoods (Bedouin and non-Bedouin) remain distinct from one another due to lack of contact. On the other hand, those in mixed neighbourhoods behaved linguistically as a one- speech community and used competing variants at similar rates regardless of individuals' ethnic backgrounds. i The results additionally show that there is a correlation between both sense of identity and social attitudes and the variables studied. Participants with a strong sense of identity favoured variants associated with their ethnic group. In contrast, those with a weak sense of identity used the variant associated with the other ethnic group. The same was found regarding attitudes: those with positive attitudes towards the other group exhibited higher rates of use of the variants associated with the ethnic group they do not belong to, and those who had negative attitudes exhibited little to no use of the variants associated with the other group. My results highlight the emergence of a supra-local Arabic variety in Jeddah wherein the urban marked [t] and [d] lose their distinctiveness in favour of the mainstream features [θ] and [ð] in the mixed neighbourhood. The results also suggest that they do so due to their markedness and association with the non-Bedouin demographic in Jeddah specifically and Hijaz as a whole. The results also show the levelling of the Bedouin 3rd person masculine suffix in the mixed neighbourhood in favour of an urban variant, unlike the phonological ones due to its disassociation with non-Bedouins.10 0Item Restricted Critical Discourse Analysis in the Arab World: A critical review(Bangor University, 2023) Asiri, Tahani Mohammed; Tenbrink, ThoraStudies in the field of critical discourse analysis have shown breadth in the methods of analysis of critical discourse (Wodak, Mayer 2016). The aim of this study was to find out how Arabs perceive the concept of critical discourse analysis. This study also intended to identify the extent to which CDA has been applied to Arab discourse and the degree to which its application aligns with the approaches of its founders. The current study also targeted to introduce English scholars and readers to Arab efforts in Arab critical discourse analysis, thereby contributing to the enrichment and development of this field of study. The current research used a qualitative approach to analyze and interpret texts in order to learn the methodologies used and added by Arab researchers. Analysis and monitoring were the most appropriate methodologies for the type of study such as critical review. The studies discussed in this paper have been divided into two groups: research written in Arabic that applied CDA to Arabic discourse, and research written in English that applied CDA to Arabic discourse with the goal of establishing the difference in the application of methodologies. The findings revealed that English research that applied CDA to Arabic discourse only committed to applying the proposed methodologies while Arab studies applied the proposed methodologies and added other methodologies stemming from the nature of Arab culture and language. Since each language has its own characteristics, which cannot be applied to other languages, what is considered an advantage in one language is a criterion of weakness in another language. The study also revealed a lack of studies in the field of analysis of critical discourse in Arab culture stemming from the nature of Arab political society and Arab linguistic specificities32 0Item Restricted .Critical Discourse Analysis in the Arab World: A critical review(Bangor University, 2023) Asiri, Tahani Mohammed; Tenbrink, ThoraStudies in the field of critical discourse analysis have shown breadth in the methods of analysis of critical discourse (Wodak, Mayer 2016). The aim of this study was to find out how Arabs perceive the concept of critical discourse analysis. This study also intended to identify the extent to which CDA has been applied to Arab discourse and the degree to which its application aligns with the approaches of its founders. The current study also targeted to introduce English scholars and readers to Arab efforts in Arab critical discourse analysis, thereby contributing to the enrichment and development of this field of study. The current research used a qualitative approach to analyze and interpret texts in order to learn the methodologies used and added by Arab researchers. Analysis and monitoring were the most appropriate methodologies for the type of study such as critical review. The studies discussed in this paper have been divided into two groups: research written in Arabic that applied CDA to Arabic discourse, and research written in English that applied CDA to Arabic discourse with the goal of establishing the difference in the application of methodologies. The findings revealed that English research that applied CDA to Arabic discourse only committed to applying the proposed methodologies while Arab studies applied the proposed methodologies and added other methodologies stemming from the nature of Arab culture and language. Since each language has its own characteristics, which cannot be applied to other languages, what is considered an advantage in one language is a criterion of weakness in another language. The study also revealed a lack of studies in the field of analysis of critical discourse in Arab culture stemming from the nature of Arab political society and Arab linguistic specificities25 0Item Restricted A Corpus-Based Study of the Use of Sentence Connectors Among Arab Learners of English(The University of Leeds, 2024-08) AlOnayzan, Amani; James, Wilson; Serge, SharrofThis study is a corpus-based investigation into the use of sentence connectors in English-language argumentative essays written by Arab learners. It utilises both quantitative and qualitative methods to examine Arab learners’ use of connectors in comparison to that of native speakers of British and American English. The corpora used for this study are from ALEC (https://dspace.auk.edu.kw/communities/22a5e75c-b93d-4f26-b559-21f5d721b097), which represents Arab learners, and LOCNESS (https://uclouvain.be/en/research-institutes/ilc/cecl/locness.html), which is a resource for native English speakers. The study focuses on three main aspects: 1) the frequency of connectors, 2) the placement of connectors within sentences, and 3) punctuation in clauses/constructions containing connectors. For categorizing connectors, I used Quirk et al.'s (1985) framework which classify connectors into seven distinct categories (as well as CIA2 by Granger (2015) for comparison). The outcomes of the study uncover significant differences, as well as some similarities, in connector usage between Arab learners and native English speakers. Arab learners use connectors significantly more than both American and British native speakers. However, this difference mostly arises from the increased use of some individual connectors (e.g. because, also) among Arab learners. Both Arab learners and native English speakers have a preference for using connectors in the middle of sentences. This trend is associated with the increased use of individual connectors (e.g. because, while) in this position. In addition, the analysis of punctuation surrounding connectors demonstrates a uniform and suitable usage among all groups; however, some errors were observed with connectors such as for example, suggesting areas for improvement in learners' writing skills. The study not only investigates the numerical differences in connector usage but also provides insights into the qualitative features of their usage, and its results are important for educators and curriculum developers to create language learning resources customised to the specific demands and obstacles faced by Arab learners as they work towards becoming proficient in English.33 0Item Restricted A Linguistic and Discursive Analysis of the Humour in Arabic Novels Written in Vernacular: Examples of E-Arabic Genre(University of Birmingham, 2024-04) AlShangity, Ali; Daoudi, AnissaThe primary objective of this research is to analyse the linguistic aspects of humour and satire in a new literary genre, known as e-Arabic literature. The research focuses on the emergence of this distinctive literary genre, emerging from Information Technology (IT) use in what is recognised as Computer-Mediated Communication (CMC) and how it has been impacting Arab culture in general and literary scene, in particular. Satire and humour are one specificity of this genre, and this research aims to situate this new genre as one of the subfields of humour in Arabic literature. This study makes a contribution to theories about humour and adds e-Arabic literature, as a new genre which belongs to the global area of CMC and highlight a new variety in Arabic, known as e-Arabic. Furthermore, this study clarifies and analyses the development of the satirical writing style and the use of humour as means by which Arab writers cultivate an awareness of social and political issues within their cultures. In addition, it examines the significance and function of rhetorical questions, interrogative phrases, and punctuation marks in constructing a humorous and satirical writing style that is both original and creative. The current study seeks to investigate the utilisation of satire in e-Arabic literature, as a genre that uses a hybrid language and mixes in styles to create humorous effects, adding to Arabic literature a new variety. Moreover, this research reveals the underlying factors that contribute to the extensive popularity of political satire in e-Arabic literature and its impact on societal transformation. The predominant Arabic literature in this study originates from authors hailing from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Syria. The data for this research is collected from novels that exemplify the e-Arabic genre. These novels are written in several Arabic regional dialects, such as Egyptian, Najdi, Hijazi and Syrian. Due to the great dissemination of Egyptian media, the Egyptian dialect has emerged as the most prevalent used vernacular. The data collected revealed that Arabic novels written in vernacular language have ample evidence of the utilisation of satirical and humorous discourse. A thorough understanding of comedy’s intended purpose serves as the driving force behind this. The humour in each piece is associated with a criticism of religious institutions, politics, and political systems. The writers of these novels utilise many linguistic features, including lexical aspects, and purposefully depart from traditional norms in order to educate readers. The data demonstrates the excessive use of linguistic tactics based on juxtaposition, contradiction, and implausibility as linguistic devices to generate humour and construct a satirical framework for criticism.12 0Item Restricted Critical Discourse Analysis in the Arab World: A critical review.(Bangor University', 2023) Asiri, Tahani Mohammed; Tenbrink, ThoraStudies in the field of critical discourse analysis have shown breadth in the methods of analysis of critical discourse (Wodak, Mayer 2016). The aim of this study was to find out how Arabs perceive the concept of critical discourse analysis. This study also intended to identify the extent to which CDA has been applied to Arab discourse and the degree to which its application aligns with the approaches of its founders. The current study also targeted to introduce English scholars and readers to Arab efforts in Arab critical discourse analysis, thereby contributing to the enrichment and development of this field of study. The current research used a qualitative approach to analyze and interpret texts in order to learn the methodologies used and added by Arab researchers. Analysis and monitoring were the most appropriate methodologies for the type of study such as critical review. The studies discussed in this paper have been divided into two groups: research written in Arabic that applied CDA to Arabic discourse, and research written in English that applied CDA to Arabic discourse with the goal of establishing the difference in the application of methodologies. The findings revealed that English research that applied CDA to Arabic discourse only committed to applying the proposed methodologies while Arab studies applied the proposed methodologies and added other methodologies stemming from the nature of Arab culture and language. Since each language has its own characteristics, which cannot be applied to other languages, what is considered an advantage in one language is a criterion of weakness in another language. The study also revealed a lack of studies in the field of analysis of critical discourse in Arab culture stemming from the nature of Arab political society and Arab linguistic specificities.24 0Item Restricted An Investigation into the Efficacy of Incorporating Movies in Classrooms for Enhancing English Listening Skills Proficiency of Saudi Students(University of Sussex, 2024-03-21) Alshahrani, Nadia Zafer A; Greenough, JamesThis research investigates the effectiveness of using movies as a teaching tool in English language classrooms, specifically focusing on Saudi students studying in Brighton and the perspectives of experienced English language tutors. The study uses a mixed-method approach that combines qualitative and quantitative data analysis to examine the perceptions of 21 Saudi students and 7 English teachers. The study shows exciting patterns in how students feel about film-based learning and how this method helps them improve their listening skills, such as becoming more familiar with different accents and dialects. Additionally, it captures teachers' views on the pedagogical benefits and challenges of using films in language instruction. Findings suggest that movies are a valuable tool in language education, offering a dynamic approach to learning that aligns with the practical demands of understanding and engaging with English in a globalised context. The study provides evidence-based recommendations for incorporating multimedia tools into language learning curricula, highlighting the opportunity for creative instructional strategies in Saudi Arabian educational settings.60 0Item Restricted The (non-) use of politeness in interaction with voice assistants(University of Manchester, 2024-01-29) Alshami, Rakan; Hansen, Maj-Britt MoesgaardThis study explores the absence of being polite when interacting with voice assistants among Arabic and English speakers. Specifically, the cultural variations in the treatment of voice assistants among Saudi and British participants. In addition, the study seeks to understand the extent to which individuals anthropomorphize voice assistants and treat them as social entities. The experiment involved five Saudi participants and five participants from the UK, aiming to examine the differences in their interactions with the voice assistant Siri. The major finding of the study indicates a distinctive cultural variation in the treatment of voice assistants between the two participant groups. Another finding reveals a notable tendency among participants to treat voice assistants as human beings, despite their awareness of the assistants' artificial nature.19 0