The Linguistic History and the Ideological Inhibitions in Foreign Language Context in the Post-Independence Algeria
Arab World English Journal (AWEJ) Volume 11. Number2 June 2020
15 Pages Posted: 12 Aug 2020
Date Written: 2020
Abstract
The issues addressed in this work concern primarily the linguistic history and the different language policies that have been adopted from independence till today. Through this paper, the author aims to tackle the status of foreign languages in the Algerian educational system and the extent to which English has been promoted on the expanse of French. Henceforth, the higher education reforms and their influence on the process of teaching/learning English as a foreign language. Mainly, this study intends to uncover the ideological inhibitions exercised by the government to model up a citizen meets the requirements that it needs but not the requirements of the 21st century. More specifically, it exposes the trends of the Algerian decision-makers to maintain a position of a particular foreign language –French- over another foreign language, which is English among the Algerian speech community. This study will contribute to the reconsideration of the language policy of the government, the status of English as a foreign language, and the foreign language curricula. Yet, it bears a particular significance to the sociolinguistic situation in Algeria and its relationship to English as a foreign language context. It suggests the importance of promoting English to meet up the escalating waves of globalization.
Keywords: foreign language curriculum, higher education reforms, ideology, linguistic history, the foreign language hidden curriculum
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