ARABIC DIGLOSSIA: STUDENT PERCEPTIONS OF SPOKEN ARABIC AFTER LIVING IN THE ARABIC-SPEAKING WORLD

Abstract

This paper presents data collected from students who studied Arabic for at least two semesters before traveling to the Arabic-speaking world. Results show that if the majority of these students could restart their study of Arabic, they would want to learn a spoken variety of Arabic before traveling abroad. Results also indicate that students who attempted to communicate in spoken Arabic in the Arabicspeaking world felt that they were more easily able to integrate into the culture. This new research provides considerable support for inclusion of spoken varieties of Arabic in curricula - even for beginning students.