Code Switching in the Algerian Classrooms: Case of 2nd Year Scientific Stream at Ahmed Ben Zekri Secondary School

Abstract

This research investigates code switching in the Algerian secondary school classrooms. It aims to identify to what extent teachers and pupils switch between Modern Standard Arabic, Algerian Arabic and French during literary courses in comparison to scientific ones. Moreover, it attempts to know the reasons which motivate them to switch from one variety to another. To reach the answers, a case study of Ahmed Ben Zekri secondary school of Tlemcen was undertaken. The sample included eight teachers: two teachers of Islamic Sciences and two others of History as they represent literary courses, as well as two teachers of Natural Sciences, and two others of Physics as they represent scientific courses, in addition to 38 second year pupils from the scientific stream. They were observed for eight sessions; two sessions were devoted to each of these courses. Teachers’ interview and classroom observation were used as tools for data collection. Data were analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively. The results obtained showed that switching to Algerian Arabic occurred in both scientific and literary subjects for a set of reasons. Some of those were shared between both scientific and literary subjects like filling up linguistic gaps, clarifying ideas, facilitating communication, while some others were specific only to particular subjects like: lack of register or talking about a particular topic as switching to French which was noticed only in scientific subjects. To conclude, code choice in education was tightly linked to the nature of subject.