Page 11 - ELG2207 Jul Issue 481

NEWS
Is English about

to boom in Algeria?

By Melanie Butler

Algeria is to introduce English
lessons in primary schools, PHOTO BY SHUTTERSTOCK
President Abdelmadjid Tebboune
has announced. The former
French colony has insisted all
schools teach in Arabic since
the 1960s, although since 2016
an exception was introduced for
Tamazight, the language spoken
by the Berber people who make up
over a quarter of the population.
Could this be a new growth
market?
The short answer is probably,
providing you’re a language
school franchisor looking for an
overseas operation or if you’re
willing to travel and are a native
speaker teacher or French-English
bilingual. There is also likely to be
a good market for English medium
degrees, especially at Master’s
level, because academic study students, faculty and non- Further, they share a focus on programmes in language schools,
in English is seen as increasing academic staff. Messekher sees education, something that is perhaps delivered, as they often
job prospects in a country with this student demand as fuelling perhaps less often found in some are outside Europe, as after-
a very high rate of graduate the rapid growth of the local other Arabic-speaking countries. school classes which take place
unemployment. language school market and There is, however, one big in the classrooms of their regular
In the case of language the calls for universities to run difference between these two mainstream schools.
travel, however, only short-haul intensive English classes. North African countries: their Native speaker teachers are
destinations like Malta and Ireland This may be good news for attitude to private education. likely to be in demand, as are
with work rights for language pathway programmes. Indeed, One in seven of all Moroccan bilinguals who also speak French
students are poised to benefit. NCUK, the university consortium children are enrolled in private or Arabic or both. Currently,
Although the UK press are which offers foundation-year primary and secondary schools, levels of pay are attractive – the
likely to hail this as a victory for the courses, is already offering its most of them teaching bilingually same or a little more than Spain
English language, French, which courses through a private sector in Arabic and French. The young and Italy, but in countries with
is taught as a foreign language in partner in Algiers. The Algerian learners market for English has much lower costs of living.
schools, but used as the language school has a franchise agreement been mainly catered for by the In the short term the biggest
of instruction in many university with another NCUK partner, private school sector, which market is likely to be students
departments, is likely to remain British Study Centres, which run increasingly offers intensive aiming for English medium
the second language. the NCUK foundation course English language in French Arabic, universities and the biggest
As Algerian Professor of English in London. primary with trilingual programmes beneficiaries will be the local
Hyat Messekher points out in a And it is not just Algeria. introduced at secondary level. private language schools.
recent LSE webinar, this is not the NCUK’s newest partner-run Less than 2% of Algerian Remember that for Algeria, the
first promise of primary English. centre is in nearby Morocco, children are enrolled in private aim is to achieve multilingualism,
An attempt to introduce English another Francophone North school and, with the strict laws not to replace one colonial
in primary schools in 1993 failed, Africa country which recently on Arabic medium education, language with another.
because parents were asked to adopted primary English. a boom in English medium or As Hyat Messekher puts it: “We
choose between English and At first glance, the two have bilingual schools is unlikely to have to depoliticise the language
French, and most opted for French. a lot in common, and not just emerge. Even CLIL may be hard aspect. It is not to choose one
“Parent’s wanted to make sure because of their colonial past. to introduce. language at the expense of
they could support and follow They are both upper-middle- And, since there is a shortage another, or add English and
their kids,” Messekher explains. income countries, according of local English teachers, English subtract other languages.”
“Also, they knew there was no to the OECD, and both have graduates are too in demand to And, she emphasises, it will
proper plan, no books and no a GDP per capita of around remain in the classroom for long, so take time. “The environment
teacher training.” US$11,000 a year, putting them state school provision may be poor. for developing English is very
This time the push towards between Romania and Bulgaria All this is likely to increase favourable, but the ecosystem is
English is being led by university in terms of economic strength. the demand for young learners not ready yet.”
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