Academic literature on the topic 'Tamazight language'

Abstract This article examines language attitudes among Algerian first and second year engineering students at an Algerian university. A sample of 101 participants responded to a 51-item questionnaire. The results of the questionnaire showed a strong preference of Modern Standard Arabic (MSA), English, and French by native speakers of Algerian Arabic (Derja). Native speakers of Tamazight (a Berber language) preferred MSA, English, French, and Tamazight. Participants were divided on many questions regarding MSA and Tamazight. It was also found that respondents favored English as a useful vehicle of economic opportunity and knowledge transfer. An overwhelming majority of respondents viewed multilingualism in Algeria positively. Interestingly, both Derja and Tamazight native speakers unanimously rejected promoting Derja to an official political status, and they indicated support for the teaching of English and French in school. Possible motives behind the attitudes are discussed and implications are suggested.

Morocco is a multilingual country with rich antiquity. Seemingly, the sociolinguistic status quo in Morocco is marked by its diverse tongues, which are in regular contact. Given this assortment and variety in its linguistic landscape, Morocco opted for teaching Tamazight language in some of its elementary schools since 2003. The current paper brings to the forepart the status of Tamazight in Moroccan elementary schools to know the attitudes of Moroccan elementary teachers towards the teaching of Tamazight in Moroccan Elementary Schools. This study is based on structured interviews targeting Moroccan elementary teachers in different districts of Morocco, using content analysis as the primary method to process the data of this study. In undertaking the aim of this study, this paper addresses the following research questions: (i) what is the status of Tamazight in Moroccan schools? (ii) What is the nature of Moroccan teachers’ attitudes towards Tamazight in Moroccan elementary schools? To see whether Moroccan elementary teachers clutch favourable or unfavourable attitudes towards the teaching of Tamazight in Moroccan elementary schools and to what extent those teachers are ready for this change that touches upon the instructive Moroccan context. The findings of this study highlight that Moroccan elementary teachers hold positive and strong attitudes toward Tamazight and its use in Moroccan elementary schools. Participants stated that Tamazight witnessed a period of high-spiritedness and vivacity.

Abstract In the present study, I argue that post-posed topic specification (PTS) across the Sahara is an areal phenomenon and that in the case of Southern Tamazight (i.e., Tuareg & Zenaga) it is an innovation generated by pattern replication. On the other hand, the required matter for PTS formation in Southern Tamazight is generally provided by Tamazight itself by means of system-internal developments involving the following predominant grammaticalisation track, that is, [*modality markers > topic specifiers]. I also show that full convergence has taken place in these Southern Tamazight languages, which has affected their linguistic typology on the morphological, syntactic, and pragmatic level. Moreover, the study accounts for the significance of the functional parameter of contrast in the development of these topic specifiers and hence confirms the importance of system-based factors in language change.

Abstract 
 This article presents a study on the language practices of Algerian Berber-speaking students. The latter come from a minority linguistic group, in the sense that their language "Tamazight" is used in Algeria by a smaller number of the population than that which uses Arabic (darija). For our survey, which focuses on languages transmitted within the family and those practiced outside the family context, we chose 4 Berber speakers from the Ouargla region, having as their language of origin a variety of Tamazight, Righie in Blidet Amor and Tagargrent in Ksar in Ouargla.
 Résumé
 Cet article présente une étude sur les pratiques langagières d'étudiants algériens berbérophones. Ces derniers sont issus d'un groupe linguistique minoritaire, dans le sens où leur langue « le tamazight » est utilisée, en Algérie, par un nombre inférieur de la population au regard de celle qui emploie l'arabe (la darija). Pour notre enquête, qui se focalise sur langues transmises au sein de la famille et celles pratiquées hors contexte familial, nous avons choisi 4 berbérophones de la région d'Ouargla, ayant comme langue d'origine une variété du tamazight, la Righie à Blidet Amor et le tagargrent au Ksar d'Ouargla.

L’Algérie est considérée comme un pays plurilingue en raison de la présence sur son territoire d’un ensemble de langues et dialectes tels que le tamazight, le chleuh, l’arabe dialectale et surtout le français entre autres. Or, il se trouve que toutes ces « langues » ne jouissent pas d’un statut bien déterminé au regard de la politique linguistique algérienne, et ce pour des raisons souvent non déclarées. Et pire encore, dans la politique linguistique éducative algérienne on ne fait mention que de la langue arabe, le tamazight et de certaines langues étrangères. Ce qui nous pousse à débattre dans cet article de l’importance et de la place qu’occupe les langues étrangères et plus particulièrement le français dans la loi d’orientation de l’éducation nationale algérienne ainsi que de l’impact de l’identité sociolinguistique dans l’apprentissage du français langue étrangère. Abstract Algeria is considered a multilingual country because of the presence on its territory of a variety of languages and dialects such as tamazight, chleuh, Arabic dialect and especially French among others. However, it turns out that not all of these "languages" enjoy a welldefined status in Algerian language policy for often undeclared rea-sons. Worse still, in The Algerian educational language policy only mentions the Arabic language, Tamazight and certain foreign lan- guages. This leads us to debate in this article the importance and place of foreign languages and especially French in the law of orientation of Algerian national education as well as the impact of sociolinguistic identity in learning French as a foreign language.

Since independence, Morocco has adopted Arabization, a monolingual policy that entails the use of Standard Arabic as the sole medium of instruction in public schools. But recent policies have advocated for a multilingual education that promotes mother tongues’ use in early instruction in public schools and foreign languages. In 2003, a National Education and Training Charter called for teaching the mother tongue Tamazight. As a result, Tamazight was recognized as an official language and was integrated into the school system. Although Moroccan Arabic or Darija is also the mother tongue that most Moroccans learn to speak since their birth, and the language of daily communication, it is overlooked in the education sector. Recent debates have advocated for its use in public schools and for its standardization to obtain an official standing with Standard Arabic and Tamazight. This paper aims to contribute to discussions about mother tongues education and attempts to shed light on the importance of both mother tongues, Moroccan Arabic and Tamazight in Morocco. First, I will provide a description of Moroccan linguistic landscape considering all languages spoken, their status and their use. Secondly, I will discuss different past and present linguistic and educational policies focusing on the current one advocating for mother tongue Moroccan Arabic. Thirdly, I will examine challenges and problems that could face the implementation of this mother tongue policy. Finally, I will end this paper with recommendations for using Moroccan Arabic along with Standard Arabic and Tamazight in public schools. Keywords: mother tongue policy, Moroccan educational policies, implementation assessment

SUMMARY From Duality to Complementarity: The Case of Bilingualism in Morocco Because of the numerous cultural contacts it has undergone, Morocco has become a territory in which a large variety of languages intersect. In fact, it has always known one form of bilingualism or another. Among the dialects currently in use are Tarifit, Tamazight and Tashelhit. Although Arabic remains the only official language, it neither rejects the acquisition of French nor threatens the presence of Tamazight. The complexity of the situation regarding the diversity of languages in contact is one of the most striking characteristics of Moroccan society and culture. This linguistic mosaic reflects an important force in society despite the diversity of thought. The contact of cultures articulated through these various languages allows Morocco to assign value to a bilingualism that is not perceived as a kind of rivalry but rather as complementing the development of modern cosmopolitan Moroccan society. RESUMO De dueco al komplementeco: La kazo de dulingvismo en Maroko Pro la multaj kulturaj kontaktoj kiujn gi spertis, Maroko farigis teritorio en kiu granda diverseco da lingvoj intertusigas. Efektive, gi ciam estis iel plurlingva, pro la ceesto de malsamaj etnolingvaj grupoj. Inter la dialektoj nun uzataj estas Tarifit, Tamazíht kaj Taselhit. Kvankam la araba restas la sola oficiala lingvo, gi nek forpelas la francan nek minacas la ceeston de Tamaziht. La komplikeco de la situacio rilate la diversecon de lingvoj en kontakto estas unu el la plej trafaj karakterizoj de la maroka socio kaj kulturo. Tiu lingva mozaiko konsistigas gravan forton en la socio spite de la multaj pensofluoj. La kontakto de kulturoj esprimita per tiuj diversaj lingvoj permesas al Maroko la atribuon de valoro al plurlingvismo, kiun oni ne perceptas kiel ian rivalecon, sed kiel komplementon al la evoluo de moderna kosmopolita maroka socio.

Recent language policy developments in Algeria have attempted to promote multilingualism through encouraging foreign languages (French and English), acknowledging Tamazight as an official language and incorporating it into some regional schools. However, the competition between the official languages and the �foreign� ones even in educational settings continues to (re-)shape the sociolinguistic profile of the public domain. This paper discusses these language policies, how they are reflected through language practices inside and outside the classroom, the challenges facing multilingualism, and the politics behind it. The analysis highlights the link between language practices and the lack of social justice and equal access to resources and power. Informed by onsite fieldwork, including questionnaires, interviews, and ethnographic observations, the study discusses the wide division of opinion in relation to these ideologically driven policies and socially constructed practices due to their connection to issues of identity, nationalism, (de-)colonialism, and globalisation.