Algeria is the largest black content country in terms of area, located in North Africa. In 1962, the state gained independence from France, and despite the fact that only Arabic was proclaimed the state language of Algeria, French is still widely used in the country.
Some statistics and facts
- The constitutional amendments of 2002 recognize the Berber dialects as the "national" languages of Algeria. Berber is spoken by almost 28% of Algerians.
- The most common Berber dialect is the Kabyle language.
- Arabic is considered native by about 72% of the country's inhabitants, and more than 85% speak its local version.
- Despite the lack of official status in France, print media are published on it, teaching is carried out in elementary schools, and performances are staged in theaters.
Linguists point out that the spoken language in Algeria is Arabic with a lot of borrowings from French.
Arabic in the Maghreb
The official language of Algeria, literary Arabic, is actually very different from the spoken Algerian version. Local Arabic is part of the Maghreb dialect population and is very similar to Moroccan and Tunisian.
Despite its state status, literary Arabic is not a school subject, and therefore colloquial Algerian is more common. It is somewhat simpler than the literary version, but even so, a very small percentage of Algerians can write or read in it.
Colonial legacy
But the situation with French in the country is exactly the opposite, and it is part of the standard school curriculum. Almost 20 million people can read and write in the language of the former colonialists, which is about 50% of the total population. Two-thirds of Algerians are able to speak and understand French. All business and science courses at local universities are taught in French.
Tourist notes
Given the status of English as the language of international communication, the government of Algeria tried to draw special attention of the population to its study. In secondary school, English was introduced into the curriculum as the second compulsory foreign language, but at the end of the last century, the situation changed again. Students now have the right to choose whether to study it or French, and most have leaned towards the familiar.
When planning a trip or excursion, it is better to use the services of an English-speaking guide to avoid problems with communicating with the locals.
