Algeria and Arabisation.

The Algerian Constitution states that Arabic (Classical Arabic) is the sole official language of the nation, which is supposed to be used by all members of the Algerian community.  Berber (Tamazight) is enshrined in the Constitution as a national language. French is considered as a foreign language and it is taught starting from the fourth year of primary school.

The diglossic situation in Algeria is characterised by the use of Arabic and French as high (H) languages, used in formal and public speech situations. However, Algerian colloquial Arabic and Berber, with its different varieties, are considered as low (L) languages, and are used in informal speech situations.

Generally, in public domains, Arabic is present and used everywhere, especially for writing, at different levels. In certain domains like education and environment (signing), Arabic is widely used. In other domains as economics, Arabic and French are used side by side.

This linguistic reality is the outcome of many years of work devoted to the launch of the intense Arabisation campaigns, and to the execution of important political and financial decisions taken just after independence in order to promote the status of Arabic and to restore the Arabo-muslim identity.

In fact, the Arabisation process has practically affected all the spheres of the public life that precedently was characterised by the use of French as the unique language.The impact of the Arabisation process was important in certain domains, like education and environment, and less important in other domains as in the university, particularly in medicine and science departments, where French is the most effective means of instruction and communication.

Arabisation policy  has been largely criticised, and among these criticisms figures the insufficiency of human and financial means as well as the absence of a real strategy that takes into consideration the political and sociolinguistic realities of the Algerian community.