Arabic and English in the language ecology of non-Arab foreign workers and Saudi native speakers in Saudi Arabia

Abstract

This thesis examined the language ecology of non-Arab foreign workers and Saudi native speakers in Saudi Arabia. A mixed-methods approach was used to investigate when, where and why Arabic varieties and English were used in such multilingual settings and the attitudes towards these languages. Semi-structured interviews were conducted on 42 foreign workers from different socioeconomic and linguistic backgrounds to examine their perceptions on the use of English and Arabic. The findings indicated that foreign workers in Saudi Arabia speak either Arabic, English or both languages, as well as their native languages. The findings also revealed that foreign workers, when choosing to speak Arabic, English or both, were often influenced by several factors, including socioeconomic status, length of stay in Saudi Arabia, proficiency, linguistic background, age, educational level, religious background, the social gap between them and Saudi native speakers, and the perceived importance of learning Arabic and English. The most interesting finding of the study revealed that both low status and high-status foreign workers in Saudi Arabia use Saudi Pidgin Arabic (SPA), the simplified variety of Arabic used between non-Arab foreign workers and Saudi native speakers. However, the extent of SPA used among both groups differed, depending on whether there is direct interaction with the Saudis or not. Moreover, the findings showed how the foreign workers perceived the attitudes of the Saudis towards the use of Arabic and English, which possibly may have affected the language choices of some of the participants. By using two types of linguistic tasks (pictures and video description), the researcher investigates the Arabic varieties spoken by the interviewees, specifically whether there is a variation in their speech with regard to a number of morpho-syntactic features including constituent order, the order within the noun phrase, the use of fi, prepositions, pronouns, and agreement. The third objective of this study is to survey the extent to which Arabic SPA and Saudi Colloquial Arabic (SCA), the variety of Arabic that used in the informal daily conversations between the Saudi native speakers, and English are used among Saudi employers and their foreign domestic workers and whether variables such as age, type of work, place of living, length of stay, and nationality influence the usage of these languages.

Date of Thesis submission	2025
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	Western Sydney University
Supervisor	Hannah Sarvasy (Supervisor), Rachel Hendery (Supervisor) & Paola Escudero (Supervisor)