From Ideological Struggle to Technical Debate: Algeria’s Higher Education Language Policy Shift from French to English

Abstract

Algeria’s higher education sector has recently embarked on an ambitious , contested linguistic transition, shifting from French to English as the primary medium of instruction and scientific research Drawing on a rigorous documentary analysis of macro-level policy texts, constitutional provisions, and ministerial directives, alongside a critical engagement with language policy and English-Medium Instruction (EMI) literature, this article traces how the Algerian sociolinguistic debate has evolved. Specifically, it examines the shift from an intense, historical ideological struggle rooted in colonial legacy and the post-independence Arabisation project, toward a technical, pragmatic discourse centered on pedagogical efficacy and institutional readiness. Our macro-political and pedagogical analysis advances three critical, central arguments regarding this systemic reorientation. First, the hegemony of English in global scientific publishing and academic metrics provides an objective rationale that tempers the historical, identity-driven resistance that undermined earlier initiatives, notably the abortive 1993–1994 reform. Second, the current top-down velocity of implementation, paired with insufficient scaffolding for faculty and student linguistic proficiency, risks inducing transitional systemic shocks and declines in academic achievement, echoing the Rwandan shock-therapy transition while contrasting with Malaysia’s more successful gradualist strategy. Third, English operates as a mediating variable rather than a standalone determinant of institutional visibility; its capacity to elevate university rankings depends entirely on parallel structural reforms in research funding, digital infrastructure, and international network integration. We conclude that mitigating pedagogical risks and ensuring a sustainable linguistic transition hinges on adopting an evaluation-driven, gradualist implementation model nested within a broader, comprehensive strategy of higher education modernisation and systemic integration into the global knowledge economy.