The Application of the Integrated Approach to the Teaching of Arabic Diglossic Vocabulary

In this paper, I argue that Arabic diglossia is represented in the native speaker’s mind (Giolfo and Sinatora, 2011) through mental categorisations of the different functions that the language varieties fulfil. I also rely on recent findings showing that Standard and Colloquial Arabic vocabularies are neurophysiologically separated (Khamis-­Dakwar and Froud, 2014) in the speaker’s mind. This reconceptualisation of diglossia greatly affects the field of the Teaching of Arabic as a Foreign Language (TAFL). It implies that it is necessary to teach both the formal and the colloquial varieties, and that students of Arabic need to develop linguistic skills that allow them to perform a native-­like diglossic level of differentiation. Since vocabulary is the major contributor to proficiency and the strongest predictor of proficiency ratings (Iwashita et al., 2008), the development of diglossic vocabulary is the requisite for proficiency in Arabic. Inasmuch as it implies a potential overload for students, it is necessary to make sure that they are able not only to enlarge their vocabulary quickly and efficiently, but also to reduce the efforts required to memorise it. This can be achieved through cognitive linguistic approaches based on explicit vocabulary instruction, focus on form and focus on phonetic variation between formal and vernacular Arabic. Moreover, diglossic vocabulary building can be accelerated by drawing students’ attention on regular changes that occur comparatively within word patterns and features of both varieties. References Giolfo, M.E.B., Sinatora, F. (2011). “Rethinking Arabic Diglossia. Language Representations and Ideological Intents” in P. Valore (ed.), Multilingualism. Language, Power and Knowledge. Edistudio, Pisa, pp. 103-­128. Iwashita, N., Brown, A., McNamara, T. and O’Hagan, S. (2008). “Assessed Levels of Second Language Speaking Proficiency: How Distinct?”. Applied Linguistics 29. 24-­49. Khamis-­Dakwar, R., Froud K. (2014). “Neurocognitive modeling of the two language varieties in Arabic Diglossia” in R. Khamis-­Dakwar and K. (eds.) Perspectives on Arabic Linguistics XXVI: Papers from the annual symposium on Arabic Linguistics. John Benjamins, New York, 2012. pp. 285–302.

University of Leeds

3/28/2017 7:36:14 AM