Lilia Ben Mansour
Department of English, Higher Institute of Languages of Tunis, University of Carthage, Tunisia
The linguistic landscape in Tunisia reflects a dynamic interplay between Modern Standard Arabic (MSA), Tunisian Arabic (TA), and foreign languages such as French and English. While MSA traditionally occupies a high (H) status in formal education and writing, recent sociolinguistic trends suggest its diminishing role in favor of TA and foreign languages in traditionally Standard domains. This study investigates these shifts through the concept of “leaky diglossia” (Fasold, 1984) and their implications for Tunisian identity. Data from 50 respondents reveal that over 55% perceive MSA as a language distinct from their dialect, correlating with a stronger sense of Tunisian identity rooted in linguistic multiplicity. These findings challenge the post-independence narrative of Arabization and underscore how multilingual education fosters a pluralistic sociolinguistic reality. This study highlights the need to reconsider identity formation in multilingual societies and the evolving role of historically dominant languages within them.
Keywords: Diglossia, Modern Standard Arabic, Tunisian Arabic, Multilingualism, Identity
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The above abstract is a part of the article which was accepted at The 10th International Conference on Languages, Linguistics, Translation and Literature (WWW.TLLL.IR), 1-2 February 2025, Ahwaz.
