Bilingualism and Language Attitudes in Algerian Higher Education: Arabic and French as Languages of Instruction

Abstract

This research raises the issue of formal instruction offered in the French language in medical and scientific university streams while pre-university education is undertaken in Standard Arabic. One crucial aim is to question this dilemma in the present Algerian educational system and the legitimacy of bilingualism in higher education and we attempt to suggest a valid way out of the issue university students are faced with. Data are collected to investigate their linguistic behaviour and attitudes towards the two competing languages and the results reveal a high degree of discrepancy as to students’ competencies in French and their attitudinal behaviour. In fact, depending on the students’ socio-cultural milieu and their educational background, success or failure in their studies depend on their competence in French; and this definitely requires better language planning and perhaps a real bilingual education.