A Mixed-methods Investigation of Saudis’ Attitudes towards and Experiences with Contemporary Saudi Arabic

Abstract

This 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.