Le Bilinguisme Franco-Arabe en Algérie

Abstract

Franco-Arab Bilingualism in Algeria

The objective of this article is to give an overview on key historical moments that have implemented the two most used languages currently in Algeria, namely, Arabic and French. First, the Arab civilization implants and spreads with Islam. The French colonization spared no effort to impose its language to Algerians. The French language considered an effective means of war which will allow France to set up on Algerian territory according to the French Ministry of War. Then, scientists are stepping up to define the concept of ̋bilingualism” to better circumscribe the scope of research. Finally, can we say that there are two categories of bilingual in Algeria, compounds bilingual and coordinated bilingual. At the end of this article, we can say that the notion of bilingualism is a topical notion that deserves more interest. Indeed, Franco-Arab bilingualism in Algeria has its reasons because the Arab and the French have coexisted together for more than a century. It has become above all a language choice of the Algerian speaker. Also, there is no perfect bilingualism and it would be absurd to impose the notion of competence in both languages. The current situation in Algeria requires the speaker to use both linguistic codes. This is why we say that it is up to the speaker to choose the languages he best handles in his communication and that bilingualism is vital for Algerian speakers from the same socio-cultural background. As a conclusion, we would like to ask these questions which could open up other fields of research in the field of bilingualism: Could bilingualism be perceived as a translation process in Algeria? And Could bilingualism enhance the cognitive and linguistic flexibility of an early learner?