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EFL Current state and Perspectives in linguistically and culturally patch worked countries : Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia Case study of Algeria Dr. Salima Maouche-Ketfi

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EFL Current state and Perspectives in linguistically and culturally

patch worked countries :

Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia

Case study of Algeria

Dr. Salima Maouche-Ketfi

5.22 655651

----------------------------INFORMATION----------------------------Couverture : Classique

[Roman (134x204)] NB Pages : 46 pages

- Tranche : 2 mm + (nb pages x 0,07 mm) = 5.22 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

EFL Current state and Perspectives in a linguistically and culturally patch worked countries : Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia Case study of Algeria

Dr. Salima Maouche-Ketfi

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Abstract

The Maghreb (Algeria, Tunisia, and Morocco) has long been considered as a francophone bastion. Even after independence in the 1950s and early 1960s, countries in this region continued to use French as a tool to vehicle administrative and daily businesses and for modernization and development. Along with progress in Arabization, however, today English is emerging as another linguistic option; a language with new facets to cope with the technological progress and enter the brave new world of globalization. This article considers two interrelated positions: first, the competition between English and its cultural dimensions in the Algerian educational institutions and programs, and the national official languages along with its culture and traditions; a cultural and linguistic melting pot to consider a country as a patch work mirror. Two periods are examined in post-colonial Algeria: the introduction of English (1956–80) and the spread of English (1980 – present). Recent

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developments in Algeria in English language policy and planning suggest that the increase in English linguistic influence may be accompanied by a future increase in English political, cultural, and economic status. The second position focuses however, on the impact the English language has on the dynamic social and educational sides.

Key words: EFL, linguistically and culturally patch worked countries, current state, perspectives, language of economy, culture and industry.

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1 Introduction

Each language carries considerable and important cultural, social, historical and psycho-logical baggage. As anyone who has ever had to learn a foreign language knows that acting so in different ways alters one's and social community attitudes and the world view. To what extent, in what form and how deeply such changes actually manifest themselves in the individual learner depends on many factors, the circumstances that have led to the decision to learn the foreign language, the learner's character, intelligence, education and background. The very discovery that one can actually express the same thing in different words or look at something in totally different ways alone widens many a mental horizon. Therefore, it is obviously agreed that languages expand and shrink on the back of the social, cultural, military, scientific, technological, organizational and other strengths and weaknesses of the world.

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Furthermore, Western technologies Western ideas slip in quietly, along with Western attitudes and languages. These effects can be absorbed without abandoning however, one's cultural identity. More fragile cultures can feel seriously threatened by Westernization but if they wish to participate in the ongoing industrialization of the world they have little choice beyond making protesting noises.

They are all a real patchwork of local, regional, national, and international figures collected under widely different conditions at different times, processed through many stages by people with widely different levels of education, cultural backgrounds, loyal-ties, aims and ideas about accuracy, if not competence.

English is the most obvious example of a language on the way up. It has survived the fall of the British Empire with-out even slowing down; it has now gone beyond being the language of the world only remaining superpower, becoming the first truly world-wide lingua franca. International English has become independent of any one English-speaking country, even the USA. There is an overwhelming interest in learning English practically everywhere in the world. As clearly stated by D. Crystal, (2003, pp: 1), “English is news. The language continues to make news daily in many countries.”

As a matter of fact, it has been noticed that an enormous boom of learning English has developed all