Early Language Behavior in a Diglossic Context: Code-Switching Between Standard Arabic and Najdi Arabic in Preschool Children

This study investigated diglossic code-switching among 30 Najdi Arabic-speaking preschool children aged 4 to 6 years, focusing on gender differences in the direction and frequency of switching between Standard Arabic (SA) and Najdi Arabic (NA). Data were collected through an individual storytelling task in which each child listened to and retold three short stories in SA. The analysis focused on intra-sentential code-switching within verbal clauses, particularly switching from SA or NA verbs to SA or NA nouns to examine structural constraints. The results showed that both male and female children were capable of understanding and using SA despite limited formal exposure. Quantitative analysis revealed systematic switching, with a higher frequency of switches occurring from NA verbs to SA nouns, consistent with Eid's (1988) directionality constraints and Petersen's (1988) dominant language hypothesis. While switching from SA verbs to NA nouns was also observed, it occurred less frequently. Female participants showed a slightly higher overall use of SA,whereas male participants exhibited a stronger tendency to switch from SA verbs to NA nouns; however, the difference between the two groups is negligible. The study concludes by recommending further research into diglossic code-switching across different Arabic dialects, linguistic structures, and broader populations to deepen understanding of early bilingual development in diglossic contexts.