![]() The issue lost its urgency as the country became mired in crises. Macron’s recent incursion into Tunisia’s polarised political landscape through perceived support to President Kais Saied, despite his controversial handling of the political crisis since July 2021, could push the French factor to the fore.ĭuring the last decade, political activists have multiplied calls for English to replace French as Tunisia’s second language. Other measures consecrating the new status of English as a de facto second language could see the light of day.įrench culture has been no stranger to Tunisia’s identity politics. The decision of the Algerian Central Bank is unlikely to be an exception. Macron’s awkward statements about French-Algerian relations revived old wounds and set in motion a downward spiral in relations. Seeing how susceptible the French are to issues related to their cultural prestige, leaders in the region tend to push the language button when they run out of options in disputes with France.Ĭonflicts over business and political interests or interpretations of the colonial past can translate into decisions demoting the status of French or enhancing that of English. Quite a small fraction of public school graduates speaks or writes French adequately.īut French language atrophy has often been collateral damage from political tensions between Paris and Maghreb capitals. Linguistic usage in Tunisia, for instance, has increasingly made French an elite language while a process of “creolisation” installed a hybrid form of Arabic peppered with French as the common spoken tongue. The call to reclaim the past is at odds with today’s complex realities marked by the diversified economic, political and military ties of the Maghreb to the rest of the world.įurthermore, the French cannot object to the Maghrebis using English as the international language of choice when they are doing the same.įrance is also realising that across North Africa, French language proficiency has fallen through the cracks of inefficient and cash-strapped educational systems. His nostalgic overtones betrayed a desire to compete with French far-right narratives. Seeking to pre-empt blame at home, Macron pleaded for “a reconquest” by France of its lost linguistic influence. “Let’s be honest,” he said, “French is less spoken in the Maghreb today than it used to be 20 or 30 years ago.” President Emanuel Macron said the French language, despite being spoken by 321 million people, is losing ground in North Africa. This was in contrast to reassuring narratives previously put out by the International Organisation for the Francophonie (OIF). The summit of French-speaking countries, held in Djerba in November, ended up admitting that the French language is not faring well. It ranked behind English, Spanish, Chinese and Arabic. Figures show French represented a mere 3.5 percent of web content. In all of Africa, the phenomenon is being compounded by the sparse presence of French online. Still, the language of Shakespeare is a draw for young audiences. No particular educational reform was introduced to enhance the place of English. The same phenomenon is taking place in Tunisia. In a recent British Council study, 74 percent of young Moroccans said that “switching to English will benefit Morocco’s ambitions as an international business and tourism hub.” Younger generations have acquired English on their own, from the internet and online entertainment platforms. Maghreb officials are only going with the flow. The drive to upgrade English language skills is driven not by a desire to settle scores but by a quest somewhat reminiscent of the early independence leaders’ view of French as a tool for modernisation. The globalised market dictates an English language proficiency that is still lacking. English proficiency will be required of university graduates.ĭespite France’s misgivings, the demand for English language skills in the Maghreb is real. Science classes will be taught in English at primary and middle schools. But English is the international language,” said President Abdelmadjid Tebboune.Įven Morocco, whose 2019 educational reform consolidated the place of French in the country’s education, decided in the summer to increase the number of English language teachers. They saw it as another sign that Algeria was drifting away from France’s zone of influence.Īlgeria had already announced in June the introduction of English courses in primary schools. At a time when French-Algerian relations were supposed to be on the mend, Algeria’s Central Bank issued, on November 1, new banknotes which bore for the first time inscriptions in English, alongside Arabic.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |