Linguistic Identity Possession among Tenth-Grade Students in Public and Private Schools in Oman

Abstract

The current study aimed to measure the extent to which tenth-grade female students in public and private schools in Oman possess a linguistic identity, and to examine whether there are statistically significant differences in linguistic identity attributed to the type of education (public vs. private). The study sample consisted of 130 students. A descriptive survey methodology was adopted, using a questionnaire with both closed- and open-ended items to collect data. The results indicated that students’ possession of linguistic identity in both public and private schools was moderate. Statistically significant differences were found between public and private schools in linguistic identity, with a significance level of less than 0.001, favoring public education. The study recommended enhancing students’ linguistic identity toward Classical Arabic, planning Arabic language curricula to strengthen students’ connection to their mother tongue, and addressing linguistic identity in educational policies and future planning documents.