TEACHERS' AND LEARNERS' ATTITUDES TOWARDS ENGLISH AS A MEDIUM OF INSTRUCTION: THE CASE OF BIOLOGY DEPARTMENT AT THE UNIVESRITY OF TLEMCEN

Abstract

The linguistic situation in Algeria is strongly characterized by its diverse varieties, each serving distinct purposes and holding significance within the speech community. English is globally recognized as the language of science and development. It has been the subject of numerous investigations regarding its status in Algeria. This research aims to illuminate the attitudes of teachers and students towards English as a medium of instruction. To explore these attitudes, the researcher employed questionnaire and interviews as research instruments. The questionnaires were distributed to (45) scientific students from Biology department, while online interviews were conducted to (09) teachers from the same academic stream. The data gathered reveals that the majority of students hold positive attitudes towards English. The results demonstrated that the status of English in Algeria is increasing. Another finding is that the reasons behind students’ positive attitudes towards English as medium of instruction are due to historical, social, and psychological factors.