The Ianguage Attitudes of Saudi Arabic Speakers Towards the Speech of Other Major Vernacular Varieties of Arabic

Abstract

Language attitudes research in Saudi Arabia is in its early stages, and rarely goes beyond the boundaries of Saudi Arabia. There remains a gap in our knowledge of Saudis' attitudes towards non-Saudi dialects. This study examines Saudi Arabic speakers’ attitudes toward the speech of five major vernacular varieties of Arabic: Gulf, Iraqi, Levantine, Egyptian, and Maghrebi. The findings revealed a clear hierarchy of attitudes. Gulf Arabic was rated the highest across most labels, while Maghrebi Arabic was the lowest. Iraqi, Levantine and Egyptian competed in the middle spots, with an association of humour and closeness to MSA with Egyptian and Levantine Arabic respectively. Using a verbal guise technique (VGT) combined with a semantic differential scale and ranking tasks, this study collected and analysed quantitative and qualitative data from Saudi participants. The results suggested that attitudes toward these dialects are influenced by a combination of linguistic, sociopolitical, and cultural factors. Exploratory Factor Analyses were conducted on the five speakers, revealing five different dimensional models. These factor structures uncovered patterns of attitudes, offering a deeper look into stereotypes associated with the five varieties. By integrating culture-specific constructs (e.g., Sadr al-Majlis as a social status indicator), this study highlights the need for culture-appropriate instruments in language attitudes research. The findings highlight how media, cultural proximity, and stereotypes shape these attitudes.