Attitudes Towards The Overuse of French in Everyday Speech: Case of Tlemcen University Students

Abstract

The Algerian linguistic situation is complex because of a number of factors, namely historical, political, and socio-cultural ones. The country had long been a meeting ground for a number of invasions, conquests, cultures, etc, and hence languages. Among the most significant historical events that have resulted in prolonged linguistic effects is the French occupation which lasted for more than one century and thirty years. The French imposed their language during the colonial rule. After regaining independence, French continued to play an important role in all domains, ranging from activities of the government to everyday communication among the Algerians. This has resulted in a bilingual speech community. The current research circled students‟ attitudes towards the French language. It was also meant to examine their daily linguistic behaviour and the extent to which French is used. It took place at the University of Tlemcen where students from different departments were subject to investigation. It is built on a mixed questionnaire and a semi-structured interview to collect data. The results demonstrated that students have positive attitudes when it comes to learning and speaking French, on the other hand, negative attitudes reflected the overuse of the language. The results also revealed that learners‟ attitudes are strongly associated with the influence of the element of prestige in the French language, and its impact on the Algerian society.