The interaction between Nunation and English definiteness: the case of L1 Najdi and Hijazi speakers

Abstract

Various factors affect second language (L2) use of English. One of these is the first language (L1) influence on L2, in relation to the way L1 grammaticalises articles. Nunation is considered to be an Arabic indefinite article by a number of Arabic grammarians. Najdi and Hijazi are two major dialects spoken in Saudi Arabia. Najdi has nunation, while Hijazi does not. In English, Najdi and Hijazi articles are used when the context is definite, which means that the in English and al- in Arabic are used regardless of the specificity setting. The present study examined whether the presence of nunation would affect the target and non-target uses of articles. That is, would English articles be used in the same way by both Najdi and Hijazi speakers? The sample was composed of 56 elementary-level secondary school students, of whom 24 were native speakers of Najdi; 24 were native Hijazi speakers and 8 were native English speakers. A multiple-choice test was utilised to gather the data. The results showed that: (a) both experimental groups used the statistically similarly; (b) the Najdi speakers’ overused a*; (c) the Hijazi speakers overused ø*; (d) both groups showed sensitivity to the specificity setting; (e) the presence of nunation in the L1 affects L2 learners’ use of articles.