Over the years, I have met and befriended many Algerians, partly because the Algerian community in Montreal is so large, but also because I have been living in an area of the city called St. Michel for over 10 years, an area which has come to be known as “La petite Mahgreb”. I have gotten to know local store owners quite well and have always been treated like a member of their family. They know my name and always ask me how my family is doing – some even try to speak to me in my native tongue (Italian).
Thus, I have always felt that I could relate easily to Algerians who have made Quebec their home. Being a Quebecer of Italian origin and a child of immigrants, we share a common ancestry (Roman heritage, especially among the Cabili Algerians) and a strong attachment to family, a passion for literature, and several spoken languages.
Through my many years connecting, discussing and exchanging with Algerians, I have become aware of many misconceptions people have about the languages spoken and valued in Algeria. Algerians from all over the country actually value the English language a lot more than we think.
Although Algeria (a Maghreb region of North Africa) has been an independent country since 1962 and French is its unofficial language (yet still widely used among the people in business, hospitals, government institutions, and schools), there is a fourth language that has been re-emerging within this multinational country; indeed, that language is English.
What is surprising is that the presence of English in the country is not something new; the British Council identified English as Algeria’s third language in 1984. After the Civil War of the 1990s, English has made a comeback. Since the early 2000’s, English has become more evident in universities and in government institutions, specifically in areas of research. This re-emergence of English is interesting: Is it thanks to globalization or was this a deep rooted need that eventually resurfaced in society?
Algeria’s culturally and linguistically diverse nation can be compared to our very own province here in Quebec. In his 2018 publication, , scholar and instructor of English as a Second Language (ESL), Kamal Belmihoub, PhD., argues that there is also bilingualism among Algerian users of English, referred to as “Berglish” or “Derjish”, a linguistic phenomenon easily comparable to the “Franglais” we know so well here in Quebec.
Dr. Belmihoub also argues that it is common among the people of Algeria to code switch often, from Berber to Arabic and French and back. This, too, is comparable to the multicultural community here in Quebec. As a Quebecer of Italian origin, I have been code switching most of my life with family members and friends – from English to French to Italian.
According to an article by journalist Lamine Ghanmi in The Arab Weekly on March 8, 2019, Algeria’s Higher Education Minister Tayeb Bouzid declared that “the French language does not get us anywhere” and ordered the country’s 77 universities and higher education institutes to use English rather than French. These may be harsh words, but they demonstrate a change that is happening in Algeria.
Indeed, it has become increasingly more convenient for North African countries in general to invest in learning English. It may not be sufficient in and of itself to open the doors of foreign investment for the region, but it has been indisputable for some time that English is the “universal language”. In an article in the Gulf News in 2012 entitled “Strong Case for English proficiency in North Africa”, journalist Oussama Romdhani argued that for Maghreb countries, English is necessary for job seekers wishing to work outside the country – be it in Europe, North America and even other Middle Eastern nations.
Wide access to social media has also been a powerful factor driving the spread of the English language. In the last few years, the Ministry of Defense, for instance, has been encouraging employees to learn English in order to better communicate with foreigners.
Considered one of the most renowned English language schools in Algeria, The Berlitz Language School - Algiers ranks as the third best language centre in the world, and its general manager since 2010, Tahar Yahiaoui, stresses the necessity of the English language for success in the job market.
To fulfil the demand for quality English instruction, the US Embassy in Algeria teamed up with the Berlitz Language Center to launch a new language program in 2013. According to details in “English in a multilingual Algeria” published in 2018 by Dr. Belmihoub (referenced above), the program offers free classes to everyone.
Whenever I have asked my Algerian friends and students if learning English has any kind of impact on their cultural identity, their response has always been the same: Learning English in Canada is a long awaited privilege. Further, many say that they wish nothing more than to be able to communicate internationally as learning the English language will not only open new doors professionally but also personally.
We are left with an important question: Will increased command of English have a negative impact on the cultural identity of the peoples of North Africa? According Oussama Romdhani in “Strong Case for English proficiency in North Africa”, the answer is no.
From my perspective, based on over two decades of interaction with Algerians, it will surely not. This re-emergence of the English language has not only opened new doors of opportunity for most Algerians living in North America, but it has given them a stronger claim to a rich cultural and multilingual identity. Language is power and it can spear through any darkness.
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About Anna Panunto Anna Panunto has a Bachelor of Arts Degree and a Master's Degree in Educational Studies, both from Ă山ǿĽé. She has been working as an Adult Education teacher at the English Montreal School Board and Ă山ǿĽé, School of Continuing Studies for 20 years. She is also a freelance writer having published poetry books, short-stories, and articles. She speaks three languages: English, French, and Italian. |
