FAMILY LANGUAGE POLICY: Attitudes of Algerian Parents Towards Children Pre-school Enrollment in Private Foreign Languages Teaching Institutions

Abstract

Many people around the world seek to learn languages in order to develop their linguistic repertoire. But it would be better if this learning begins from an early age, as this is more advantageous for the learner. In Algeria, some parents take such matter into consideration, and expose their children to foreign languages at an early age, enrolling them in kindergartens and private institutions specialized in teaching languages. The purpose of this work was to explore parents’ attitudes toward children pre-school enrollment in these private foreign languages teaching institutions. To research this end, a case study was conducted in IZED institution for professional education and training in its two branches; the first branch was in El Kiffan, and the second one was in Oudjlida (Tlemcen). The research relied basically on a mixed questionnaire for data collection. Data were analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively. The outcomes revealed that the main reasons that prompt parents to enroll their children in foreign language teaching institutions are basically associated with the value of foreign languages. Building on the notion of ‘language instrumentality’, some parents showed extremely positive attitudes towards exposing their children to English as it is the now the most important language in the world. Some other showed a preference to introduce their children to French on the premise that French remains the far important in the Algerian speech community.