Researching Arabic Dialects

3 Credits · Level: Undergraduate

This course will be taught primarily in Arabic. The Study of Arabic dialects has been a long concern that extends from modern times and dates back to the medieval times where Arabic dialects were investigated to describe and codify the Arabic language. This introductory course introduces the students to the study of Arabic dialects as a branch of Arabic linguistics in terms of theory, methods, goals, and results. It acquaints students with descriptive techniques and first-hand knowledge in Arabic dialect fieldwork. The techniques necessary for analyzing primary data, transcribing, analyzing, and interpreting oral data recorded in the field. By using examples from a variety of dialects, and from transcribed interviews conducted by the students, the basic principles of Arabic dialectology will be introduced. The course deals with the following themes: the place of dialectology in the linguistic theory, regional dialectology, urban dialectology, the medieval Arab grammarians theory of Arabic dialects, modern dialectology, diglossia: the issue of standard and non-standard, the structure of Arabic dialects, regional differences, social differences, dialect boundaries and transitions, methodology in terms of selecting speakers, data collection: interviews, questionnaires, and other tools followed in both the modern studies and traditional ones, transcribing data collected, describing the results, the issue of variation, classification and comparative analysis of Arabic dialects: Eastern and Western Arabic dialects.