English-Arabic Code Switching and Identity in Bilingual Saudis Living in Saudi Arabia: A Comparative Study between Large and Small Cities

Abstract

Code-switching between Arabic and English is a very common phenomenon in Saudi Arabia today. Some studies suggested that code-switching between English and Arabic can distort the Saudi identity or the Arabic and Islamic identity in general. They also suggest that it is a tendency towards westernisation. Small cities, on the other hand, tend to have less code-switchers as the majority of residents are usually monolingual Arabic speakers. However, professional settings in large as well as small cities always require the use of professional English terms. The findings of this study highlighted that there is no correlation between gender and the frequency of code-switching. Moreover, English Saudi bilinguals believe that they identify with English as well as Arabic and they less likely to believe that communicating in English discard their Saudi identity or distort it. To sum it up, this current study found that it is natural for capitals or large cities to highlight the importance of code-switching with the availability of non-Arabic speakers in open places as well as professional settings.