Examining the Influence of Diglossia on Arabic-Speaking Students' Progress in Modern Standard Arabic

Authors

  • Alaaeddin Alahmad

    Department of Arabic and Middle Eastern Languages, Faculty of Languages and Linguistics, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
  • Mohamad Hussin

    Department of Arabic and Middle Eastern Languages, Faculty of Languages and Linguistics, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia
  • Ahmad Arifin Sapar

    Department of Arabic and Middle Eastern Languages, Faculty of Languages and Linguistics, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia
  • Zawawi Ismail

    Department of Language and Literacy Education, Faculty of Education, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.30564/fls.v7i10.11164
Received: 19 July 2025 | Revised: 28 July 2025 | Accepted: 5 August 2025 | Published Online: 28 September 2025

Abstract

The diglossia term makes reference to a linguistic phenomenon whereby in the same language, two varieties are found to coexist and are used simultaneously by the speakers of that language. This is exhibited in the use of Modern Standard Arabic in formal settings and the regional dialect in daily communication, with such duality set to influence  Arabic language learners and presenting an urgent need to highlight the influences of this phenomenon. The aim of this study is to address an identified gap in the literature by examining the influence of diglossia on the progress of Arabic-speaking students in Modern Standard Arabic. Fifty-six teachers and parents participated in the study, whereby they completed a ten-item quantitative questionnaire and semi-structured qualitative interviews. The participants' responses were collected, analysed, and organised into themes that were aligned with the study focus. The primary study findings present novel perspectives by highlighting how the phenomenon of diglossia directly influences the progress of Arabic-speaking students in Modern Standard Arabic, a field that remains overlooked. Moreover, the study advocates for teachers to develop curricular activities that advance students' exposure to Modern Standard Arabic and encourage parents to expose their children to more opportunities for Modern Standard Arabic usage. These findings lead to an improved understanding of the influences of diglossia on Arabic-speaking students' progress in Modern Standard Arabic and provide strategies that might be used in mitigating its influences.

Keywords:

Regional Dialect; Arabic Speaking Students; Modern Standard Arabic; Diglossia; Influences

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How to Cite

Alahmad , A., Hussin, M., Sapar, A. A., & Ismail, Z. (2025). Examining the Influence of Diglossia on Arabic-Speaking Students’ Progress in Modern Standard Arabic. Forum for Linguistic Studies, 7(10), 697–707. https://doi.org/10.30564/fls.v7i10.11164

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Vol. 7 , Iss. 10 (October 2025): In progress

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Copyright © 2025 Alaaeddin Alahmad , Mohamad Hussin, Ahmad Arifin Sapar, Zawawi Ismail

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This is an open access article under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) License.