Abstract:
The Arabic language is a difficult language to study due to the existence of two varieties
within the same language; that is, its diglossic nature. Consequently, vocabulary
acquisition in Arabic seems to suffer because both varieties known as standard Arabic
and colloquial Arabic are acquired in different ways and are linguistically distant. Only a
few vocabulary words are shared by both varieties while all the other vocabulary words
of standard Arabic need to be taught in school. Hence, the distance between the two
varieties of Arabic affects vocabulary acquisition of the language. No formal studies exist
on the relationship between diglossia and vocabulary acquisition. This study includes two
objectives. The first objective of this study is to investigate the effect of diglossia on
vocabulary acquisition of bilingual Lebanese students in Arabic. The second objective is
to determine which vocabulary (Arabic vs. English) students have a preference for.
Students' picture vocabulary acquisition was tested in Arabic and English. A correlation
design based on a two stage random sample was used. The participants (n = 100)
answered orally and in writing, depending on their age level, a subset of the Woodcock
Johnson-III Tests of Achievement (Picture Vocabulary). On a second task, they identified
orally and in writing, depending on their age level, the names of the different body parts
by looking at a drawing of a human figure. The results showed a significant relationship
between diglossia and vocabulary acquisition in Lebanese bilingual students. The
students showed more confidence in using the English language over Arabic. These
findings suggest that teachers need to use different research-based vocabulary strategies
to try to tailor to the students' needs and to try to overcome the diglossia challenge
related to the Arabic language.
