Saudi Cultural Missions Theses & Dissertations
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Item Restricted Gender Identity and Hyperbole Use in Saudi Arabic: A Production and Perception Study Exploring the Influence of Social Factors on Hyperbolic Expressions and Attitudes Towards their Use.(University of York, 2024-09) Aljuberi, Najla Ali; Bailey, GeorgeLanguage is not merely a tool for communication but a mirror reflecting intricate human interactions, culture, social norms, and identity. While extensively studied in rhetorical and literary contexts, hyperbole has received relatively little attention in everyday contexts, particularly in Saudi Arabic. This study explores the influence of social factors—namely gender, age, and region—on the use of ten hyperboles frequently observed among Saudis. The research incorporates both production and perception approaches. In the production study, the frequency of hyperboles was examined over 9 hours and 24 minutes of natural speech collected from 24 Saudi influencers, stratified by age, gender, and region, on Snapchat. The perception study, conducted through an online survey, implicitly investigated Saudis’ perceptions and attitudes towards the use of hyperboles. The results of both studies were largely consistent. They demonstrated that gender is the strongest factor influencing the use of hyperboles, with Saudi females producing 71 hyperboles per hour compared to only 7 hyperboles per hour by males. The findings also revealed that the ten hyperboles carry varying degrees of femininity: six hyperboles were found to be highly feminine, while the others exhibited both feminine and masculine connotations. Two hyperboles also revealed a regional pattern, showing high salience in the speech of Najdi speakers. In the first section of the perception study, Saudis demonstrated heightened awareness of these expressions according to age, gender, and region. The study also uncovered a correlation between femininity, age, and formality: the more feminine a hyperbole, the younger and more informal it was perceived. In the second section, Saudis’ attitudes towards the use of hyperboles were generally positive. However, male respondents expressed slightly negative attitudes towards hyperboles when used by other men.52 0Item Restricted Characterizing Speech Sound Productions in Saudi Arabic and English Bilingual Children: Culturally Informed and Sensitive Instrumental Methods(University of Cincinnati, 2024) Abdulkader, Dalia; Vannest, JenniferSpeech-language pathologists (SLPs) encounter challenges when assessing speech sound disorders (SSDs) in multilingual children, particularly with Arabic-speaking children in majority English-speaking nations, where distinguishing communication differences from disorders is vital. The global increase in Arabic speakers, especially in countries like the United States of America and Canada, underscores the need for culturally sensitive tools to diagnose SSDs effectively across diverse linguistic backgrounds, including Saudi Arabic and English. This dissertation addresses this necessity through two studies, focusing on innovative approaches to characterize the speech productions of Saudi Arabian children. Study one examines functional speech intelligibility, showcasing the psychometric properties of a screening tool and its cultural and linguistic sensitivity to Saudi Arabic dialects. Study two investigates voice onset time (VOT) development in typically developing bilingual children, with a focus on the /t/-/k/ contrast, revealing differences in VOT values and variability in English and Saudi Arabic. Study two also delves into VOT patterns in bilingual children with and without SSDs, shedding light on developmental speech patterns and offering culturally responsive assessment methods for clinicians and researchers. These findings contribute significantly to enhancing the understanding of speech productions and VOT patterns in bilingual children, facilitating improved speech diagnostic assessment and the development of normative data in this understudied bilingual population.16 0Item Restricted A Mixed-methods Investigation of Saudis’ Attitudes towards and Experiences with Contemporary Saudi Arabic(Saudi Digital Library, 2023-08) Al-Hakami, Ahmed Yahya Mohammed; Smith, NicholasThis study is a mixed-methods investigation of language attitudes in Saudi Arabia. It investigates Saudis’ attitudes towards three Saudi varieties, namely, Qassimi Arabic (spoken in Central Saudi Arabia), Hasawi Arabic (spoken in Eastern Saudi Arabia) and Jizani Arabic (spoken in Southern Saudi Arabia). While most previous studies focus on the production of Saudi varieties (Al-Rojaie 2021b, p.472; Alhazmi & Alfalig 2022, p.114), the present study focuses on the perception of such varieties. Language perception can lead to the formation of attitudes, which may cause linguistic prejudice or discrimination. Accordingly, this study investigates: What are Saudis’ attitudes towards and experiences with contemporary Saudi Arabic varieties, and what implications can be drawn from them? The study was conducted via three phases, namely, the keywords task (Garrett et al. 2005a) (Phase 1), the verbal-guise task (Dragojevic & Goatley-Soan 2022) (Phase 2) and the semi-structured interviews (Phase 3). Phase 1 elicited spontaneous impressions of the varieties under investigation (N = 148). Subsequently, attitudinal evaluations of the three varieties were elicited from socially-stratified respondents in Phase 2 (N = 411). Extending the study through Phase 3, respondents were interviewed about their attitudes, the factors underlying their attitudes and their experiences of linguistic discrimination (N = 17). Although preliminary analysis indicated generally positive attitudes towards the varieties, there were significant differences in the attitudes. The respondents’ attitudes were associated with their demographics. The older respondents, the highly-educated respondents and respondents from Central Saudi Arabia consistently expressed more negative attitudes, compared to their counterparts. Furthermore, Social, Personal and Linguistic attitude factors were identified. Finally, the study uncovered narrations of linguistic prejudice and discrimination in Saudi Arabia. The findings can be used to understand and work with the sociolinguistic significance of Saudi varieties. The study produced various theoretical, methodological and practical implications for different domains within Saudi Arabia.54 0