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In:Sociolinguistic Approaches to Arabic and Spanish in Contact
Edited by Farah Ali, Carol Ready and Sherez Mohamed
[Issues in Hispanic and Lusophone Linguistics 44] 2025
► pp. 29–52

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Chapter 3
Moroccan Arabic-Spanish bilinguals’ linguistic profile and their perspectives and experiences on learning Standard Arabic

 | The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
 | Universidad de Murcia
Published online: 17 July 2025
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https://doi.org/10.1075/ihll.44.03rot
Abstract
We surveyed a group of Moroccan Arabic-Spanish speakers in the Region of Murcia, Spain, to examine their linguistic profiles, their attitudes towards their native Arabic dialect, their motivations to learn Standard Arabic and their learning experience with Standard Arabic. We found varying degrees of dominance in this group along with fluctuating patterns of dominance, proficiency and language use according to age and onset of acquisition of Spanish. This group displayed generally positive attitudes towards their own dialect and their motivation to learn Arabic was related to their religious and cultural connections. Most of them indicated that they had engaged in the learning of Standard Arabic at some point during their lives. Pedagogical and programmatic implications for Arabic programs are discussed.
Article outline
  • Introduction
  • Literature review
    • Moroccan Arabic-Spanish bilingualism: Linguistic dominance and knowledge
    • Diglossia and the teaching and learning of Standard Arabic
    • Expectations and motivation
    • Language attitudes and critical approaches to language teaching
  • This study
    • Methods
      • Participants and questionnaire
    • Data and analysis
  • Results & discussion
    • Linguistic experience
      • Linguistic dominance
      • Linguistic proficiency
      • Language use
    • Interim discussion
    • Attitudes toward Moroccan Arabic
      • Results
      • Interim discussion
    • Learning MSA
      • Motivation
      • Previous experiences
    • Expectations for Standard Arabic courses
    • Interim discussion
  • Conclusions
  • Notes
  • References
References (52)
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