Understanding that Saudi Arabia is heterogeneous culturally and linguistically is important for every educator that intends to work and live in the Kingdom. One of the biggest surprises I’ve had since I started working in Saudi Arabia has been working with Saudi students whose first language (L1) wasn’t Arabic. One may think I’m talking about youngsters that grew up abroad, but in fact, there are arguably two distinct languages besides Arabic that are used as people’s L1.
What I have termed as Fayfan is the first language I came across while working in Khamis Mushayt. It’s argued that it’s merely a dialect of Arabic, but with the lack of research available about it, it’s hard to make a conclusive argument. The language in question is spoken by the inhabitants of Fayfa, a village deep in the southern mountains of the Kingdom, along the border with Yemen. Below are two videos that provide examples of Fayfan in use. The first video shows a visit to Fayfa by a Muslim cleric who is well known in Saudi Arabia, Salman Al-Oadah. The second video is a report on the dialect (language) created by Al-Arabiya.
Besides the language of Fayfa, I’ve also recently discovered that al-Mahriyya, or the Mahri language, is present in Najran. Apparently, the language is also spoken in Yemen and in part of Oman. Most of the Saudis using it here come from the Empty Quarter, outside of Najran. Besides the linguistic difference, the Mahri-speaking people are of a very tan complexion and have wavier hair. Mahri appears to have been far more extensively researched than Fayfan, which I believe is due to its presence in nations with less visa restrictions. Below is a video report by AlAan TV about Mahri people who have emigrated to the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia.
Many of the students enter class already bilingual while others haven’t had the opportunity to study either language. Depending on where you’re working, and the recent opportunities that have been awarded to various local communities, your classroom may be far more diverse than you may have imagined.
