The Relation of French and English as Foreign Languages in Algeria

In 1962, the call for Independence in Algeria was accompanied by the proclamation of Classical Arabic as the national language of the new Algerian nation. The French language was maintained for several reasons. Firstly, Algeria needed a prestige language like French for its worldwide communication. Secondly, a considerable number of Algerian teachers and professionals were already trained in French. Thirdly, French cooperation was needed to ensure continuity in education. After more than twenty five years of Independence, Algerian professionals, scientists and scholars who aspire to the world of science and technology soon discovered that today's password is generally English. French, one of the great languages of science over the centuries, has suffered an obvious decline in the global international arena. New elements appear to have set the Algerian linguistic scene for substantive changes. The future of French as a scientific language is inextricably bound up with what happens internationally. This point came through loud and clear in the opinions and views expressed by informants who took part in this research. The questions one might ask here are: can language like French which is declining as a scientific language retain ground in Algeria which needs to acquire western science and technology (almost always handled in English) for its economic development? Are educated Algerians changing their attitudes towards French? Is there an undercurrent in favour of English? The purpose of this study is to answer these questions by examining the conflicts over national language planning, by analysing how the policy of Arabization affected in the long term the status of French in Algeria and how educated Algerians react to the use of French and English. It is also our task here to discuss the sociolinguistic issues related to the maintenance of French and the possibility of a shift towards English