Pragmatic Functions of Insha’Allah and Masha’Allah in Saudi Arabian Dialects: A Comparative Study of Hijazi and Ghamdi Varieties (Published)
The expressions Insha’Allah (“if God wills”) and Masha’Allah (“what God has willed”) in Saudi Arabic dialects function both as religious terms and pragmatic expressions. The expressions function beyond their basic meanings because speakers employ them to show politeness and to prevent direct refusal, and to convey ironic messages. The research examines the usage patterns of these expressions among speakers who speak Hijazi and Ghamdi dialects through interviews with 20 participants who make up equal numbers from both groups. The research demonstrates that Insha’Allah functions as a tool to make refusals less harsh, yet Masha’Allah serves to either praise or mock based on the speaker’s tone and situational context. The analysis uses Grice’s maxims and politeness theory to demonstrate how these expressions demonstrate cultural norms and religious identities in Saudi Arabic discourse, which enhances regional pragmatic understanding.
Keywords: Saudi, cultural norms, pragmatic functions
Speaking Motivation in Second Language Acquisition, Saudi Overview. (Published)
Motivation is known as one of the most important factors that helps the learning process. In learning a language speaking is less motivated since it need the highest degree of confident among the other skills. Therefore, the focus of motivation should be directed first to speaking. This paper is an attempt to view some of the challenges that face Saudi students in speaking skill particularly. It also endeavors to discuss some implications that would help English teachers to motivate their students to overcome these challenges. Moreover, it displays the concept of motivation including its theories and models. After that, it links motivation to the speaking skills in the Saudi context as it defines the meaning of speaking skill, views its importance and how it should be dealt with in Saudi Arabia
Keywords: EFL classroom and learners, Motivation, Saudi, Speaking Skill