About Dr. Nasser HAJJAJ
Dr. Nasser Hajjaj is a linguist, author, and cultural theorist whose work bridges Arabic linguistics, cultural studies, and interdisciplinary research. He is the founder of Vernacularism—a paradigm that redefines the study of language, literature, and identity by centering vernacular forms as equal to, and often more expressive than, prescriptive standards. His groundbreaking book, Arab Vernacularism (2024), applies this theory to Arabic, proposing Arabī CSSA (Contemporary Standard Spoken Arabic) as a living, inclusive standard that integrates the richness of all Arabic dialects.
Dr. Hajjaj holds a Ph.D. in Arabic Language and Literature from the Lebanese University. His career includes teaching and curriculum leadership at institutions such as the University of Montana’s Defense Critical Language and Culture Program (DCLCP), Johns Hopkins University’s Center for Talented Youth, Berlitz Language School, The Hill School, and Hamadeh Educational Services. His expertise spans curriculum development, Arabic lexicography, discourse analysis, and translation studies, with a particular focus on overcoming Arabic diglossia in education and AI applications.
As Editor-in-Chief of the Mesopotamian Journal of Arabic Language Studies, Dr. Hajjaj promotes research on Arabic linguistics, vernacular studies, and cultural identity. His scholarship draws on historical sources - from al-Farāhīdī to Ibn Jinnī - while challenging long-held prescriptive norms that have shaped Modern Standard Arabic. His work has also extended into computational linguistics through Deep Vernaculation Processing (DVP), a model for integrating vernacular language data into AI and NLP systems.
With a vision to connect language with cultural heritage, educational reform, and technological innovation, Dr. Hajjaj’s research speaks to academics, educators, policymakers, and technologists alike. His mission is to ensure that the living tongue of communities is recognized not only as a valid medium of communication but also as a foundation for creativity, identity, and human-centered knowledge in the 21st century.
Hello Marhabā
هلا ومرحبا
About Lisannā (لسانّا)
The name Lisannā - a spoken form of لساننا (our tongue) - embodies the linguistic philosophy behind this platform. In Contemporary Standard Spoken Arabic (CSSA), لساننا is pronounced Lisannā, reflecting one of the most natural and frequent features of spoken Arabic: assimilation. Rather than adhering to fossilized grammar, Lisannā.org is a space where Arabic as it is truly spoken - not merely written - takes center stage.
This site is dedicated to reclaiming the tongue of the Arabs (اللسان العربي) in its pluralistic, living, and human form - not as a rigid construct imposed by outdated grammatical rules, but as a shared vernacular reality that unites, rather than divides.
Featured Project: CSSA (Contemporary Standard Spoken Arabic) | العربي
At the heart of this platform is CSSA (Arabī) - a pioneering model developed by Dr. Hajjaj to replace the outdated Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) in education and linguistic practice. CSSA is a descriptive grammar of al-lisān al-‘Arabī (اللسان العربي) - the general tongue of Arabs that has existed for centuries in speech, literature, and everyday communication. It is:
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Spoken before written: CSSA reflects how Arabic is naturally used by native speakers.
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Inclusive of dialects: It acknowledges the legitimacy of regional variation without reducing Arabic to one artificial code.
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Rooted in Qur’anic orality: Unlike MSA, CSSA reconnects Arabic with its oral heritage prior to the codification of classical grammar.
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Pedagogically sound: It is teachable, learnable, and testable as a real spoken language - not as an abstract, non-native script.
CSSA allows Arabic to stand alongside other world languages that evolved through natural standardization - from Latin to Italian, from Sanskrit to Hindi. It brings Arabic back to life - as a language of the people, not the classroom alone.
Publications & Initiatives
Lisannā.org also hosts and documents Dr. Hajjaj’s ongoing scholarly contributions, including:
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Arab Vernacularism (2024) – A groundbreaking book that explores how vernacular expressions - poetry, architecture, music, and language - form the soul of Arab identity.
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The Book of Vernacularism – An evolving manuscript expanding the Vernacularism paradigm into philosophy, AI, ethics, and educational reform.
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From Revelation to Recitation – A critical study of how classical grammar silenced interpretive reading in Arabic, proposing CSSA as a linguistic and epistemic restoration.
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Deep Vernaculation Processing (DVP) – A new methodology for AI and NLP that prioritizes cultural and semantic nuance over rigid syntax.
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Vernacularism in Arabic Curriculum Reform – Ongoing efforts to replace MSA as the default in foreign language teaching, especially in the U.S., Iraq, and global institutions.
Join the Movement
This site is more than a personal archive. It is a hub for linguistic justice, a platform for rethinking Arabic, and a launchpad for academic and cultural transformation. If you are a scholar, educator, translator, or student who believes in reclaiming the soul of language - not just its structure - you are welcome here.
Follow the publications, engage with the theory, and help bring Lisannā - our tongue - back to life.