My Time in Amman: A Short Reflection

If you’ve been following me for some time, you’ll know that I spent the last nine months studying Arabic in Amman, Jordan. I planned to stay for eleven to thirteen months, however, my trip was cut short by the Covid 19 pandemic. Before I moved to Jordan, my experience in the region was limited to…

Week 3: Diglossia, ‘Amiyya, and Jordanian Arabic

Diglossia (from the Greek ‘bilingualism’) refers to a phenomenon of two languages or two registers of one language spoken for different purposes. In some cases, the dialect of a cultural center or dominant group becomes the ‘standard’ version of a language, and thus the lingua franca for speakers of all dialects. This is the case…