Language Contact in Algeria and the Leading Factors towards Language Death: Modern Standard Arabic

Abstract

The aim of this present research is to shed light on the language contact and it outcomes towards language death in Algeria. The Algerian linguistic situation is very complex due to several factors, some of which being historical, others political and others socio-cultural. This diversity of language manifestations can cause damage to the native language. What foreigners think about Algeria’s language is not applicable when they once come and see, there is an absolute fact that in addition to Arabic and Berber, French has an effecting role in Algeria and in changing the linguistic profile of the country. Algerian Arabic or Algerian Dialect is specific to the Algerians. It is a mixture of more than one language at the time; it is the mother tongue of the Algerian citizens. In fact except Berber, Algeria has a coexistence of many languages, cultures and civilizations that have shaped the language of the country. This study tries to show how the phenomenon of language diversity will lead to, the sociolinguistic and sociocultural reality of the Algerian society and the real language practices deny totally the idea of one language distribution. The research tools used had revealed that there is much more adaptation and much less preservation in terms of the linguistic heritage of the country, which can results language loss and gradually language death.