Diglossia in Arabic TV stations

Abstract

This study examined Arabic diglossia types and the circumstances under which they were used in some Arabic TV stations. Diglossia involves use of two varieties of the same language by the same society for different functions. To address this purpose, the study made use of a cross-sectional survey research design that involved systematic observations of filmed programs and content analysis of verbatim transcribed documents. Data analysis indicated that diglossia was found in the target channels in two varieties, high and low Arabic. Although both varieties were observed across the target channels, each variety use depended on the context of each TV station, program type and the background of each program audience. The study provides recommendations for policy-makers in regards to language planning, TV channels officials, Arabic language program education and future research.