Maghreb studiesPolitical studies

Language and identity in Algeria in the era of globalization: Towards an exploration of the relationship


The relationship between language and identity in the era of globalization is among the study topics on both the academic and practical levels, and in the Arab context, it represented a deeply rooted dialectical relationship due to the historical, cultural and social specificity, and in turn, it raised many questions that focus on the call to preserve the Arabic language as the national language And the incubator of the identity pot in the age of risk.

There have been calls to say that language has become the very existence in an era in which the question of identity is urgently asked “Who am I and who are we?” and language has become one of the important pillars in the political, economic, social and cultural construction. It seems that the principle of the German philosopher Heidegger clearly established this fact that any society should be aware of: “My language is my home, it is my home and my settlement.

On the other hand, the question of language and identity in Algeria arises, given the historical cumulativeness and cultural specificity that characterized it. Factors such as the colonial legacy and the sedimentation behind it that left their imprints clear and clear in the linguistic reality, in addition to the ideological conflict that also overshadowed its shadows during the phase of state building, so that globalization came and found a suitable ground for penetrating the most important cultural component and one of the fundamental pillars in building national identity, as well as The loss of any people to use their mother tongue and the replacement of other foreign languages ​​will inevitably lead to the obliteration of its cultural identity and the elimination of its identity. Perhaps this tripartite relationship presented in this research paper will attempt to answer the following question: How does globalization affect identity through the entrance to the language in Algeria?

To address this question, we will proceed from the following hypotheses:

  •  The linguistic crisis in Algeria is a product of the remnants of the colonial phenomenon, and this relationship constitutes a manifestation of the identity crisis.
  •  Cultural/linguistic globalization constitutes a pivotal entry point in deepening the identity crisis in Algeria.
  •  The language policy based on rationality is an important mechanism in facing cultural globalization and achieving linguistic security in Algeria.

First: Language, Identity, and Globalization: An Epistemological Approach

Both language and identity have central roles in the life of societies, and it is undeniable to say that the historical development of human societies bears clear indications of this articulating duality in human life, because language as a social phenomenon has existed since human existence. It is a means of communication between nations and peoples throughout the ages, and a tool to distinguish one identity from another, because the language of a human gathering at one time refers to a nation and a civilization. In short, the fact that identity is a linguistic issue at its roots today needs careful review. In a simple question: Has the Arabic language become an expression of the Arab national identity? On the other hand, is the American national identity now expressed in the English language? A belief that needs a judgment that finds its explanation in the fact that a mediating variable representing citizenship has become an intruder between identity and language in the second case.

Language studies have been linked within the context of linguistics for a large period of time and focused around the building from that (sounds, morphology, grammar, and syntax) far from the social context, and this has prevailed in the traditional stages of social knowledge in general, and with the development of scientific knowledge, especially the behavioral revolution. And the impact it had on the natural sciences, we witnessed a qualitative shift in studies, both in terms of their epistemological, ontological and even methodological basis. In the last fifty years, there has been a radical change in the concept of language and its functions with the advent of sociolinguistics and its crystallization, and the realization of language as an open system that affects and is affected by what is around it. According to this concept, the social context became essential in understanding and studying language, and later influenced the applied sciences of language (Applied Linguistics). Language performs many functions in our daily lives.[1] .

Most importantly, language is a social event, so the political, historical and social conditions are very necessary for the study of language and an understanding of its status, and the performances it performs. In this sense, language is not only the carrier of material and value culture, but it is part of the essence of this culture, because language is not the channel through which the values, culture and civilization of societies pass, but is the basis of all of that, and the absence of language from all of that makes it lose its status, and even its cultural and historical presence. [ 2] .

The last detail leads us to the fact that there is a fundamental relationship between language and identity, especially in the social content of language within the historical and cumulative civilizational process of the component of culture in its manifestations. Language is one of the important indicators of identity that contributes to its formation and strengthening. Social identity, on the other hand, is the compass for groups and societies, and it is the vessel that preserves their vitality and continuity in this universe. The relationship between language and identity is very close and intertwined [ 3] . In this, others argue that language is one of the main components used by groups as a symbol of identity and cultural belonging, as well as language is seen as a unifying factor of a particular culture, and a strong symbol of collective identity [ 4] .

The close link between language and national identity was established at the end of the nineteenth century with the advent of nationalism, especially in Europe (German nationalism, Italian nationalism), and similarly Arab, Turkish and other nationalities. Language is believed to be one of the most important indicators of individual and collective identity, and one of the main components that define groups and shape their identity. At the same time, it also affects the nature of relations between different ethnic groups. In this regard, Bush says: “Language is often the most prominent symbol of ethnicity, because it carried the past and expresses present and future trends and ambitions” [ 5] .

The relationship between language and identity is not always clear, because many questions arise regarding the nature of this relationship, as language plays an important role in the formation of national identity and a factor of communication within society, as Deutsch believes that when language is allied with many other factors, it Together, they help create complementary channels of social communication [ 6] .

The topic of the relationship between language and identity gravitates two main directions. The first tendency is to deny the direct and necessary link between language and identity, and claim that the relationship between them is casual, such as Abel and Mikeson [ 7] ; While the second trend, such as Fishman, believes that language is a means of identity, which is the main criterion along with cultural heritage, assumptions, values ​​and beliefs [ 8] .

Within this proposition, saying that language is a very important component of identity raises an area for discussion, because this importance varies from one group to another, as it may be of great importance to the first, and less important to a second group, in addition to the circumstances and social contexts that are determined by Or the last of this importance for each group, and within this proposition Leibkind believes that language is not the only important criterion, and it is not necessarily the most important criterion for all social groups [ 9] .

On the other hand, the phenomenon of identity in general can be understood as a linguistic phenomenon, and moreover, an essential part of research in various fields of sociolinguistics, social psychology, and social and linguistic anthropology indicates the central importance of the connection between language and identity. Benedict Anderson, in his prominent work, Imagined Communities, referred to the constitutive role of national languages ​​in shaping national identities [ 10] . In that, John Joseph goes to say: “The linguistic sign embodies the social relations of its users.” Within this concept, social identity is present in the language itself [ 11] .

We believe, in this context, that the concept of language cannot be simplified and reduced, as it naturally implies deep meanings that cannot be limited to the communicative function, or to the form of belonging and culture, or as a mechanism for thinking, creativity, embodying things and giving them their symbolic meanings. We put a stereotyped picture of the concept of identity and give it the significance of the identity card, but that language is the nerve of identity and the main component in it, which was confirmed by the Language Rights Document in its preamble added to the “Cultural Diversity Charter” at UNESCO by saying: “Language is not only a tool for communication and acquiring knowledge. Rather, it is a basic manifestation of cultural identity and a means of strengthening it, whether for the individual or the group” [ 12] .

The issue of identity and language is of great importance in the era of globalization, and perhaps many factors confirm this proposition, including the change of the cultural and human scene; From the conflict of ideologies between the eastern and western camps within the framework of the Cold War to a conflict focused on the identity variable, in addition to the revolution of concepts and values ​​brought about by the accelerating technological movement and thus eliminated the elements of civilizational belonging by trying to standardize the world politically, economically and socially, despite its undisguised features as a link Connect between peoples. This importance increases with regard to the relationship of identity to language in the attempt of globalization to eliminate privacy and establish cosmopolitanism, which ultimately aims to achieve universalism with the aim of hegemony and the consolidation of Western and American values ​​alone. There is no doubt that the international system is undergoing profound transformations, and there is a great focus in the field of international relations on language and identity to win the bet of control and subjugation to a single and one pattern. This labor is the basis for the question of identity, who are we? Confronting the other, and within this context, the idea of ​​a clash of civilizations and a dialogue of civilizations is presented in a context governed by comprehensive globalization, and the bet is self-preservation in the face of the danger of penetration of many forms, perhaps the most prominent of which is the cultural and linguistic approach. This reality undoubtedly imposes a foundation for the immunity of confrontation in the midst of a conflict that is attracted by identities on the one hand, and language on the other. This labor is the basis for the question of identity, who are we? Confronting the other, and within this context, the idea of ​​a clash of civilizations and a dialogue of civilizations is presented in a context governed by comprehensive globalization, and the bet is self-preservation in the face of the danger of penetration of many forms, perhaps the most prominent of which is the cultural and linguistic approach. This reality undoubtedly imposes a foundation for the immunity of confrontation in the midst of a conflict that is attracted by identities on the one hand, and language on the other. This labor is the basis for the question of identity, who are we? Confronting the other, and within this context, the idea of ​​a clash of civilizations and a dialogue of civilizations is presented in a context governed by comprehensive globalization, and the bet is self-preservation in the face of the danger of penetration of many forms, perhaps the most prominent of which is the cultural and linguistic approach. This reality undoubtedly imposes a foundation for the immunity of confrontation in the midst of a conflict that is attracted by identities on the one hand, and language on the other.

In this context, the linguistic field will be the first area from which globalization enters to destroy the nation’s own elements, and thus morale collapses in all aspects of cultural and social life, and the nation then has no choice but to submit to the conqueror or to the strongest language and knowledge, and a formula emerges: the defeated is fond of the conqueror in his language and dress. and industry, followed by plans to exclude mother tongues from their citizens, and to disappear national identities on the grounds of globalization [ 13] .

Within that, the issue in this vein is mainly related to the issue of cultural diversity, as the mechanisms of imposing globalization in one way or another exclude identity, diversity and pluralism and work to penetrate them, including the axis of language, which is one of the major axes of work within the general pattern of globalization in its cultural dimension by imposing In this regard, the former Secretary-General of the United Nations Ban Ki-moon says: “The process of globalization facilitated by the rapid development of new information and communication technologies, although it poses a threat to cultural diversity, creates the appropriate conditions for establishing a renewed dialogue among cultures and civilizations. » [ 14] .

The world, with its contemporary mechanisms, is now experiencing the throes of linguistic pluralism, despite the tyrannical unilateralism of savage globalization that imposes patterns of linguistic and cultural behavior confined to one direction, with the emergence of new linguistic modes of translation and immigrant words, and from modern machines and means that invaded the public space, carrying with them labels alien to our society and our language. The mother, and thus leads to a new linguistic pattern, the result of which is linguistic hybridization [ 15] .

Accordingly, globalization is trying to impose new grammatical and semantic patterns that work to eliminate the origins in national languages, and thus, in one way or another, it works to destroy national cultures from within by eliminating privacy by questioning the nation’s constants. The cultural invasion, with its value and symbolic connotations, has shaken and destabilized many of our cultural beliefs and the constants of our intellectual, social and linguistic life, and perhaps the most dangerous of these is the linguistic approach. Among the manifestations of alienation is the tyranny or invasion of a foreign language over a nation, and it will destroy – after a while – the identity of that nation, because language is the last element in the trench of defending being, for language is what remains after states collapse politically and militarily [ 16] .

Second: Language and Identity in Algeria: The Legacy of the Past and the Deformations of the Future

The historical events rooted in the collective memory of Algerians indicate that the French colonial policy in Algeria focused strongly on the cultural dimension by working to combat and marginalize the Arabic language and popularize the French language in an attempt to obliterate the components of Algerian identity. There is another more dangerous approach when talking about the obliteration of the Islamic religious component through language, because the Arabic language is the vessel of Islam, and preserving it means preserving Islam and Arabism. In this, one of the most prominent figures of the Association of Algerian Muslim Scholars, Sheikh Al-Bashir Al-Ibrahimi, says: “The problem of Arabism in Algeria is rooted and caused by French colonialism, and it is a blatant enemy of the Arabs and their Arabism, and their language and religion is Islam… And to explain this from the brief that French colonialism is a crusader inclination, since since the occupation of Algeria has worked On the erasure of Islam… and on the erasure of the Arabic language; Because it is the language of Islam” [ 17] .

The thing that takes us to confirm this fact lies in following the hostile language policy followed by the French colonizer, and the aim of the procedures related to preventing the teaching of the Arabic language was to weaken the national character and work to dissolve it in the French identity and personality within the system of Western values ​​in the aspect of linguistic dominance and the generalization of the culture pattern This policy has been relatively successful, and the evidence for this is that this issue has continued to this day, and raises a great intellectual debate in the Algerian community between the trend of Arabization and France, and it seems that the achievement of political and economic independence has been achieved, in contrast to the continuity of French cultural dominance in the cultural field. Social and linguistic in Algeria.

In confirmation of this, one of the greatest defenders of the Arabic language, Othman Saadi, says in his book Language and Identity: Between the Algerian Revolution and the Vietnamese Revolution: “Any revolution cannot consider itself successful unless it achieves two goals: the liberation of the land and the liberation of the self. The Vietnam Revolution achieved Monday: it liberated the land and liberated the self by imposing the supremacy of the Vietnamese language over Vietnamese life, abolishing the French language that had dominated Vietnam for eighty-three years, eliminating the residue it left on the Vietnamese soul, and adopting English as a foreign language.” [ 18]. Othman Saadi refers to the idea of ​​liberation from the linguistic dependence of the colonizer with the liberation of the self, which is the biggest battle waged by any people in order to break out of a mold I want them to live in, and it is an essential task in any starting point for building and construction, and in that he says: “The fate of the language is always linked with the fate of its people, and it is impossible for a people to change its destiny for the better by means of a language foreign to it, and if a national language remains backward, its people will remain backward” [ 19] . It is an inferiority compound that colonialism tried to instill in every way in the spirit of the Algerian identity, as Malik Haddad goes by saying: “Colonialism wanted this, colonialism wanted me to have this deficiency, I cannot express it in my language” [ 20] . This is an indication of the influence in one way or another on the Algerian identity and tampering with the Algerian self, because any development of a nation must be based on self-knowledge and frankness, to know who I am? And what I want?

Despite these attempts, the Algerian society continued to preserve the Arabic language thanks to the corners and mosques that played distinct roles in empowering the young people with their language, and then the Association of Algerian Muslim Scholars played an important role in the Arabic language due to the efforts of its scholars, headed by Sheikh Abdul Hamid bin Badis, In defending it, which is the reformist trend that emerged as a reaction to the distortion of the national identity, and the linguistic reality that the French language policy worked to copy, which had positive repercussions in preserving the linguistic component and pushing Arabization efforts during and after the colonial phase, and the restoration of consideration into Arabic.

The issue of language and identity in Algeria has been raised vigorously, as the issue of language and identity is the most prominent component of the state-building crisis in Africa and the Arab region, including Algeria, albeit to varying degrees. In this regard, the former Minister of Education, Ali bin Mohammed, confirms in the “Without Borders” program, saying: “The battle over language and identity in Algeria did not erupt, because it never subsided and was always present” [ 21] .

In the same context, the linguistic conflict was strongly present in the phase of independence and the building of the national state in Algeria, including the struggle of the Arabized and French elites, in a direction that wanted to preserve the language of the colonizer, and in another wing influenced by Arab nationalism and tried to bring framers from the Arab Mashreq from Egypt and Syria to An example for starting the process of education, localization and construction. The case is that this conflict extended to the conflict within the administrative and economic institutions, and we calculated that this conflict had a significant impact on the issue of development, because we immersed ourselves a lot in trends and ideologies, as it affected the ultimate goal, which is the political, social and economic structure.

Another question that arises strongly, in our opinion, is mainly related to the effect of the adopted language policy and its influence on the French language, and it has unquestionably influenced the issue of distribution; Whether related to the political aspect and even what went to social status. For example, intellectuals in the Arabic language do not have great opportunities to hold high political positions in the state, and this is due to the fact that the majority of administrative documents and transactions are in French, which we do not see as a defect in the language, whether it is Arabic or French, but the defect is in those who employ the language for ideological reasons. Even more dangerous when language is used as an exclusion factor. This conflict is linked in one way or another to the generational conflict in Algeria. The first generation that governs is educated in the French language, and a second generation linked to the first generation and influenced by the same language governs the administrative and economic institutions, in contrast to a third generation whose first nucleus is the youth component included in Arabization, and is excluded from this process, even if the last generation benefited in one way or another from openness on languages, especially English[22] .

Among the negative effects of the colonial legacy and globalization is another, more serious issue, which is that our linguistic reality is characterized by bilingualism [ 23]. (Darija – Standard, French – Standard, and Darga – French), where the Algerian researcher Nasser Djabi describes it as a persistent crisis, and goes on to say that: “The crisis was reproduced after independence by the institutions of the national state itself and its elites. Otherwise, how do we explain that the student studies all his life? For example, in Arabic when he is a student in exact sciences and mathematics, and when he wants to go to university, he is asked to learn another language, which is French, which he studied very little. The same request is directed to the graduate university student who studied in Arabic, and we ask him to deal in the industrial establishment, administration and other labor institutions in the French language when he graduates, a language he does not master, and did not originally learn it among the popular groups in the south, for example, and imagine the consequences of this linguistic situation The patient, take, for example, the scandals that appear when writing official documents, including names” [ 24] .

Referring to the idea of ​​generational conflict in Algeria that was presented before in this article, it has somewhat eased with the younger groups (the third generation), but the older generations that control the political and economic decision-making institutions are the ones that often reproduce their expanded production. It is still present, and explains many of the positions of the individual and the institution, penetrating the political, ideological and intellectual, like regionalism in Algeria, in the words of Nasser Djabi [ 25] .

Accordingly, the bilingualism that society suffers from, and even educational schools and universities in Algeria, represented by the use of French and colloquial language, is the first reason for the destruction of the Arabic language, and therefore the latter is besieged by the French language, which is the language of science and modernity, and a predominant language within government departments and departments on the Despite the attempts of Arabization since independence, and from the vernacular and local dialects in the home and public life, and some fields of education, and perhaps this finds its explanation that the speaker of Standard Arabic is considered strange in a medium that sees that the characteristic of culture and the symbolism of progress and modernity is to speak in French, and it is impossible to find A person who speaks the Arabic language in the conduct of his daily affairs at work or the market or in his contact with members of the community.

In this we find a strong presence of the vernacular in this regard, but the matter goes beyond that to the university space, especially in the scientific and technical disciplines, with the predominance of the French language and the vernacular in providing lessons and in interaction with students. Colloquial and even French, and the teacher may find it difficult to teach in Arabic due to the students’ weakness in absorbing simple terms or even the weakness of the framed ones. This duality is strongly present in the Algerian linguistic scene, and most dangerously, in the ranks of the intellectual and scientific elites, and it is the problem that finds its source in the elementary educational stages. This defect also applies to newspapers, television channels, advertisements and brands [ 26] .

Third: The relationship of language to identity in the context of the globalization system in Algeria: immunity in the face of penetration

When discussing globalization in this study, we will not go into many definitions, and therefore we cannot present globalization as a single concept. Rather, the phenomenon of globalization needs to formulate a multi-dimensional model so that we can approach its essence in a real way. These dimensions represent most of the prevailing definitions of researchers specializing in globalization studies, and we can define globalization from the angle we look at (political, economic, social, media, technological, and cultural), as it is mainly among the definitions that are not agreed upon, like most concepts in Social sciences in view of the ideological and scientific overlap in launching the term.

Accordingly, we refer to the dimension that focuses on studying the definitions of globalization that are commonly used by academic researchers in four categories:

1 – Globalization is a historical stage.

2 – Globalization is manifestations of economic phenomena.

3 – Globalization is a victory for Western and American (cultural) values.

4 – Globalization is a social and technological revolution.

This study will attempt to focus on cultural globalization based on cultural invasion and breach of cultures that are compatible with the Western and American cultural pattern by working to standardize the world according to one political, economic, cultural and value form by spreading a global culture that cancels the other and establishes Western centralism. Within this framework, there is a danger to the Arabic language as one of the basic elements of the Algerian cultural identity.

Among the negatives that arise in the context of globalization is the phenomenon of linguistic alienation, as the Arabic language has become a foreign language in its own backyard, and in this we do not call for inclusion in the self, and the rejection of every newcomer term, because linguistic borrowing is present in all languages, and it is scientifically and historically proven that The Arabic language lent more than it borrowed, as well as trying to keep it separate from the field of science and technology [ 27]As a result of comprehensive globalization and great scientific development, most of the scientific research is written in foreign languages ​​in exchange for the scanty Arabic writings, which imposes kinetics in the field of translation. The situation in Algeria falls within this context by noting the great momentum in foreign writings in the academic field, in contrast to the weakness of Arab writings, especially in the scientific and technical field. There is a fragmentary view that sees the Arabic language unable to be the language of science, while history proves the opposite, because Arabic flourished a lot in the Abbasid era and the movement of translation from Arabic into other foreign languages ​​was great in transferring knowledge and science that represent the source of prosperity and development in the West today. Within this context, if the matter is based on the idea of ​​acculturation, it would be more merciful with regard to cultural exchange and give and take between peoples to establish the culture of the self and the other, and this is a natural matter and a universal law enacted by God Almighty in His saying:

Among the manifestations of cultural/linguistic alienation and alienation in Algeria is the fascination with the language of others in exchange for contempt for the mother tongue, whether it is Arabic or Amazigh, in a kind of dwarfing the self in front of the other, which constitutes a compound of inferiority in front of it, especially in this new generation who lives the manifestations of globalization in Various forms of it, where Saleh Belaid says in this regard: “I fear for this generation and those who will come after it to melt and plunge themselves into the illusions of the “linguistic harragas” and to resort to foreign languages ​​to reap the sparkle that does not illuminate; A foreign language misleads and does not guide, separates and does not unite, despises national languages ​​and removes them from use on the pretext of scientific incapacity…” [ 28]And this matter contains many inaccuracies, because it is fortunate for the Arabs that they have a national language that has the readiness to embrace the overwhelming knowledge revolution. Hence, Abd al-Salam al-Masadi wonders when we realize that the localization of science and the resulting technologies is absolutely impossible outside the language in which we are, and with which we identify, which is in the individual consciousness as in the collective consciousness the supreme symbol expressing identity [ 29] .

Saleh Belaid cites multiple examples in his quest for the impact of globalization on the mother tongue, and describes the value shift in today’s world that we are in a global system that constantly produces a change of concepts, works on changing curricula and puts idiosyncrasies in a crisis of choices between isolation from modernity or alienation with a dominant system, a linguistic system that markets peoples To the brink of dependence on an applied linguistic and cultural system, societies lose their identity [ 30] . There is no other way to do that than the approach of the option of achieving cultural/linguistic security, and this security is only found in the national official language. Therefore, globalization seeks to abolish the sovereignty of national languages ​​on the pretext that they are backward languages, so they must be rid of their old heritage, and move them to a contemporary stereotyping that responds to globalization and exists. In living languages, which are only those languages ​​that are consistent with contemporary data. The inference puts us in front of one option, which is that there is no way for cultural/linguistic security in Algeria in a foreign language other than the mother tongue [ 31] .

Algerian society has two eyes: the Arab eye and the Berber eye. Without Arabic, he is blind and without Tamazight is one-eyed, and what comes outside these two languages ​​is dangerous, especially if we consider that foreign languages ​​are the languages ​​of social salvation and civilized progress .. In some countries, we have explicit examples. The Hebrew language from a dead language has become a living language in its homeland, so that it is clearly dealt with in “Israel” and you find it in all fields, and the same with the German language, how it imposed itself in the face of English, at least in Germany, so that the Germans are very fanatic for their mother tongue, There is no way to integrate into German society without mastering the German language. Immigrants do not find social and economic difficulties in integration, but the difficulty lies in the need to learn the German language to ensure continuity in German society. At the same time, cultural values, identities and pride in the German language are instilled in the German child’s conscience so that he can feel and defend it, and in this embodiment of an idea that is not presented in the language of the other.

In the Arab world, especially in Algeria, it is said that the Arabic language belongs to a certain social group that Abdullah al-Arawi calls the disadvantaged class, while French or English belong to the rich classes [ 33] , which is a matter of some truth, because globalization The issue of learning languages ​​that require money deprives a large segment of learning other foreign languages ​​for economic and financial reasons related to the standard of living, which raises the idea of ​​linguistic justice or not. On the other hand, this wealthy class transcends the Arabic language once under the pretext of modernity, and on the pretext that it is not needed again. In this regard, Saleh Belaid says: “We have to face the danger coming from the consequences of the foreign language, which we did not make good use of, because we have given it the status in which citizenship is obscured by the Arabic and Amazigh language” [ 34] .

In view of the expansion of the mass media (media globalization) and the multiplicity of its channels, platforms and media, and in view of the profound and profound influence that the media exercise on language, and on life and society in general, the relationship between the Arabic language and the media in Algeria in its various forms has become a linguistic phenomenon that requires attention, It is divided into two aspects, one positive and the other negative. The first is that the Arabic language has spread and expanded its reach, and has become circulated by a large segment of Algerians; Secondly, it is represented in the prevalence of errors in language, and the wide circulation of measures, structures, formulas and methods that are not related to classical, and which impose themselves on cultural, literary and media life, and thus the hybrid language becomes the rule, and the standard language is the exception. This is a negative aspect of the phenomenon in Algeria, and it is sufficient to refer to the language circulated in the various Algerian satellite channels in all their programmes, including the elite programmes.[35] .

Another more dangerous phenomenon posed by media globalization through the media invasion of foreign satellite channels and their impact on children, which contribute to the indoctrination of children at an early age the values ​​of Western modernity. Even if we acknowledge the advantages of this on openness to other cultures and languages ​​by enabling the Algerian child to perceive other languages, however, the matter affects the linguistic pollution that affects children, especially in foreign programs and even Arabic programs that are presented in the vernacular. This inevitably affects the awareness of the Arabic language among this important segment of society. In this, Canadian children were so affected by American programs that they came to believe that they were truly Americans. An example of this is in the extraneous terms that children grab and circulate, with the belief prevailing in advanced stages that they are the original.

In another aspect of globalization in its media aspect and its impact on the mother tongue in Algeria, what is being presented in the new media through the Internet and social networks, such as Facebook, Twitter and others, from conversation programs, which provide opportunities for conversation and communication; As the majority of these conversations between Algerians or other foreigners take place in foreign languages ​​or writing Arabic in numbers, where, for example, the letter Ha is indicated by the number 7 and the letter Al-Ain by the number 3 or by the foreign letter or its abbreviation, for example: (kif 7alak = how are you), (Bekheir = fine) ), (Hmd = Thank God), (Ok = OK).

Globalization, in its economic aspect, has a great relationship with influencing the reality of the Arabic language in Algeria, especially with regard to multinational companies. Working or dealing with it requires mastery of foreign languages, and because it bears the character of multiple nationalities, we do not find an impact of the Arabic language in the dealings of these companies, because of the 200 companies considered the largest among these companies, 172 belong to the five most advanced countries [ 36] . Most of the foreign economic companies operating in Algeria deal and impose their original language, but the matter goes beyond that to introducing their companies and their names on the front in their original languages, for example Chinese and Turkish companies and before that French, American and other countries active in Algeria.

In this context, we return to the idea of ​​Chinese and Turkish laborers in Algeria, as we are supposed to receive them in our mother tongue and impose it on them, but we received them in their languages ​​or in French and English, and there is even movement in opening Chinese and Turkish language training schools. We do not say that the matter is negative, and we are not against it. Rather, it is necessary and inevitable to be open to the languages ​​of the world; But it was better for us to impose our language with the other party. And look at the Chinese and Turks how they impose their language in the countries in which they are located, or in their countries of origin by imposing their language in higher education and the training opportunities they provide for foreign students, and for example, it imposes on students, including Algerians who obtained training opportunities in Turkey, to train and learn in the Turkish language And then another foreign language, and the same thing in China, which opened opportunities for education and training, especially for African students, by imposing the Chinese language and then other foreign languages.

In the commercial aspect, the Arabic language is used to promote other foreign languages, especially on storefronts and malls, for example writing a foreign trademark in the Arabic letter in the form of (“Samsung”, fast food, sandwich), and the Arab child opens his eyes to writings in French and English on his clothes. and his family’s clothes and shoes, on toys and gifts, and on everything around him.

The adoption of the Arabic language in commercial dealings with Algeria and other countries poses another problem, as most commercial exchanges, trademarks, and import and export procedures are carried out in a foreign language. negotiation.

In terms of the tourism sector, the matter is negative, par excellence. In addition to the weakness of this sector in Algeria, it was more appropriate to introduce the Arabic language to foreign tourists, but these tourists are addressed in their original languages ​​or in another foreign language, the latter is important in bringing tourists, but it was supposed at least to introduce this mother tongue as a cultural component to define the identity of the nation in The context of scientific and cultural tourism, for example, the largest tourist country such as Turkey, the Turkish language is widely used in hotels, restaurants, airports and in directional signs [ 37] .

At the level of international relations, within the framework of what has become known as cultural diplomacy through cultural attachments and cultural centers in Algeria, countries such as France, Britain, the United States of America and China are marketing their languages ​​and then their cultural values. We do not deny their right to this and its advantages in being open to the culture and languages ​​of others and benefiting from them in construction and development, but the most dangerous is to dissolve in this episode, especially if we lack cultural immunity, and it is better for Algeria to do the same in these countries by working in the cultural attachés in the Algerian embassies Abroad, or in establishing Algerian cultural centers in these countries to introduce Algerian culture and the Arabic and Amazigh language alike [ 38] .

In the axis of political stability, globalization is working to awaken primary affiliations and narrow frameworks, which generates linguistic wars and calls for narrower loyalties than the nation and the state, on the basis of tribe, sectarian, sectarian and regionalism. with the Berbers. The matter is one of the main entrances to globalization in its political aspect by exploiting this issue to strike at the stability and cohesion of peoples and countries for purely strategic reasons, which has been implemented through the new Middle East projects for regional, sectarian, ethnic and racial goals in Sudan, Iraq, Lebanon and Syria. In the Algerian case, internal and external parties are working on exploiting this point in an attempt to portray that there is a conflict between the Arabic and Amazigh language, and it is in fact a conflict that I want to take place at a time when the internal overlaps with the external, political, historical, economic, social, cultural and religious[39] .

One of the dangerous secretions of the phenomenon of globalization in influencing the teaching curricula is the prevalence of linguistic laziness, where masters of the English language, as the living world language, do not care about learning other languages, including Arabic in Algeria, on the pretext that it is not needed, as well as the phenomenon of dependence, or mutual compatibility Between the mother tongue and the foreign language, which affects their proficiency together. A child who receives lessons in the second language before he masters his mother tongue (Arabic) will not progress in either this or that [ 40] , and the evidence for this is for primary education in Algeria, where Teaching French begins in the third year of primary school, and English in the first year is intermediate.

Globalization offers great opportunities for the Arabic language to become a cultural material that is commercially marketed around the world by working to promote it and publish scientific research in it, and to make use of the global Internet for its dissemination and circulation, and to encourage the translation movement. It seems that foreigners who come to learn Arabic from religious grounds accept it as the language of the Qur’an or as a social motive to improve social status and within the narrow scope of use, and this matter is not sufficient for the globalization of this language.

Fourth: Towards building a linguistic policy in Algeria in the face of cultural globalization

Fear for the Arabic language in Algeria has become a clear issue that is raised in many discussions due to the comprehensive globalization system, and if we do not rush to address these imbalances, the danger to the Algerian identity itself, which poses many risks that lie in wait for political and social stability. This apprehension increases due to the massive digital revolution and what it allows from the demise of borders and the extinction of the idea of ​​nationalism. We live in a society of risks, as referred to by Ulrich Beck [ 41] .

Within this, we point out that there is no way to preserve identity except by building a linguistic policy that preserves the mother tongue in light of the multilingualism in which we live, which inevitably affects social cohesion and national unity. We consider language policy to be the total of conscious choices made in the field of relations between language and social life, and specifically between language and life in the homeland” [ 42] . Whereas, according to Algene, language policy is: “The official attitudes that governments take toward the use and care of language, whether these attitudes are actually supported, such as the passage of laws or program funding, or they are supported by speeches and decisions on paper.” [ 43]. According to the two definitions, it refers to the official dealings with the mother tongue and the languages ​​used within any country. It also means: “The enactment of legislative laws that plan to create a language, and this is clear by legal texts that specify the language of the sites of use” [ 44] .

The legal framework has accompanied the promotion of the Arabic language in Algeria, including the issuance by the People’s National Assembly of Resolution No. 05-91 dated 30 Jumada Al-Thani 1411 corresponding to January 16, 1991, which includes the generalization of the use of the Arabic language, in addition to the presidential decree related to The number (226-98) dated Rabi’ al-Awwal 17, 1419 corresponding to July 11, 1998, which includes the powers of the Supreme Council of the Arabic Language, and the Algerian Constitution stipulates in Article 3 that the Arabic language is the national and official language, and the same applies to the Berber language in Article 4 [ 45] .

Despite these efforts in the field of legislation, the legal approach proved its inability to resolve the linguistic issue in Algeria, whether it is related to the Arabic language or the Berber language as a linguistic component. The matter requires a real political will to definitively resolve the achievement of national unity by linguistic unity by ensuring the presence of the Arabic language in administrations, institutions and scientific disciplines in universities, in official publications, in companies and in the economic sector.

On the other hand, there is also a relationship between language policy and language planning, and the latter is defined by “Fishman” as: “the application of a language policy” [ 46] , as it is “an official activity undertaken by the state and resulting in a plan focused on arranging the linguistic landscape in the country.” [47 ] Accordingly, this plan is drawn up by the state, and if approved by Parliament, it becomes the language policy, which the government is obligated to implement and follow up on its implementation in the field. Accordingly, the need for a language policy is associated with the issue of multilingualism in order to achieve what is called “linguistic security” and then preserve national unity.

As for linguistic preparation, despite the great overlap between it and language planning, the latter is issued by a higher authority, while the former is emanating from the participation of all groups of society to embody the decisions taken by the authorities [ 48]., until these categories find expression in it that makes them feel part of the responsibility for the success of the language project. Accordingly, the language policy is not clear on the one hand, as well as the absence of studied linguistic planning far from the ideological discourse, despite the efforts made to promote the Arabic language in Algeria since independence, but this was not accompanied by an actual application on the ground, and the issue remained trapped in discourses. Only populism, down to the almost complete absence of the involvement of societal forces in order to preserve the mother tongue, and we thought that civil society would play advanced roles in this matter, and perhaps the Algerian Muslim Scholars Association represents one of the main actors in this movement.

Within this trilogy, we refer to a group of axes in order to promote a language policy that preserves the mother tongue, which is the central component of identity preservation.

1 – Making peace with history

No one denies the impact of the colonial legacy on the Arabic language in Algeria, albeit to varying degrees, compared to Egypt, Morocco or Tunisia as a result of the length of the colonial period (130 years), as the French language became the language of composition for many Algerian writers whose circumstances imposed on them this choice, despite Most of them realized the tragedy of their isolation from their national language, and their imprisonment in a foreign language, they had to suffer the experience of adapting it to express their local national pain [ 49] . Because of the geography, history, and Amazigh origin of the Algerian population, and their embrace of Arab immigrants, Islam, and then the Arabic language, it became necessary to reproduce a foundational discourse in order to return, at all levels, to the civilizational component confined to the Arabic and Amazigh languages.

2 – Divorce the ideology

Ideological conflicts after independence affected more and more the reality of the Arabic language, despite efforts to promote the Arabic language. However, the most dangerous thing is when reform projects conceal an ideological conflict between the various components of society, as the dominant elites seek to impose their orientations and perceptions, away from any societal friction. And the conflict between France and Arabization in Algeria is the best evidence, a struggle that extended to include educational curricula. Accordingly, the success of the mother tongue promotion projects depends to a large extent on its distance from ideological conflicts, which were and are still losing the national identity. In another way, the linguistic reform did not witness a qualitative development, but rather a development in the ideological discourse [ 50] .

3- Effective localization

The discourse of Arabization dates back to the seventies in Algeria, a discourse in which, according to Saleh Belaid, an integrated conception did not take place, and the generalization of the language was not horizontal and vertical, that is, it did not include all the facilities of practical life, and represented a deviation from the choice of the National Charter of 1976, which says: “The choice between language Patriotism and a foreign language is completely out of the question, and there is no going back, and the discussion about Arabization cannot take place any longer, except with regard to content, means, curricula and stages” [ 51] .

The issue of effective Arabization that we propose is not at all dispensing with the teaching of foreign languages ​​and benefiting from them, but what is not acceptable is the substitution, and in Algeria Arabization faces many obstacles, perhaps the most prominent of which are its opponents, and perhaps their centers of influence in the university administrations and leaders occupied by many of them allowed them to descend Their personal jurisprudence is the status of national choices at the level of implementation [ 52] . This has led to the unintended consequences of the Arabization policy pursued since independence. Thus, the real Arabization must emanate from the Arabization of thought first, the belief in the formality of the Arabic language and the work to generalize it in all places and institutions as a national and international scientific language of modern value [ 53] .

4- Giving the Arabic language the advantage of the language of knowledge

There is no doubt that there is a relationship between language, education and identity. Education is a pivotal element in generating competencies and motivating development. Therefore, it is necessary to activate language advancement projects in scientific forums in Algeria and to move towards a knowledge society by stimulating publication and authorship in the Arabic language. Identity preservation. In this regard, Muhammad Makki Al-Hasani Al-Jazaery asks: What remains of the cultural identity if the educated elite does not respect the national language [ 54] ?

5- Promoting linguistic citizenship and language education

Linguistic citizenship means the use of the national tongue in all public institutions and places, and it is an extended linguistic space in which the official language takes the share, since the education of citizenship [ 55]  takes place first in the official language, and the strengthening of national culture by transmitting national concepts and values ​​to the child and spreading awareness of the history of the nation [ 56] , Accordingly, the issue of linguistic citizenship transcends more and more the legal aspect and focuses on socialization, and the latter is an important mechanism that addresses the origin in order to instill a spirit of pride in the national language, then the legislative legal system and the various mechanisms come at a later stage.

6- Developing language awareness

Linguistic sustainability and the fortification of cultural identity in Algeria will not come without the presence of linguistic awareness, which is the most prominent component of civilizational construction in its moral aspect, and awareness of the importance of the national language is what guarantees linguistic security in the context of the value revolution taking place in its globalized dimension, and there is no salvation in that except with self-awareness In the end, we have to build this awareness and establish it within the collective memory and collective awareness of the Algerians [ 57] .

7- Instilling the values ​​of language and identity among young people

The function of language in the modern era is no longer part of the communicative system only, but rather it is beyond that, as it has become a linguistic bond and the memory of society, and one of the most important components of Algerian society, and one of the basics of its cohesion and harmony and an integral part of its Arab and social identity [ 58].This identity, which has become in the era of development and information explosion, is threatened with fusion, disintegration and decay, especially among the Algerian youth, as one of the effects of the negative manifestations of globalization. Scholars and researchers on strengthening the role of social and educational institutions in instilling the values ​​of language, identity and citizenship, including educational schools, because of their great role in bringing up members of society, shaping their personalities, and transferring the heritage of Algerian society to preserve its entity and national unity and clarify the features of national identity and national belonging [ 59]. ]This identity contributes to increasing the decision  .

Conclusion

The questions raised by this research paper really need to provoke scientific discussion about them away from the chauvinistic and improvisational discourse, with the need for the ruling political elites to enjoy political governance in managing the linguistic reality and preserving identity in Algeria by working to promote and empower the Arabic language as a national/official language To play a pivotal role in political, social, economic and cultural life. Accordingly, it can be said that exploring the relationship between language, identity and globalization clearly and clearly shows the importance of the issue of upgrading linguistic policies in Algeria to preserve identity and achieve linguistic security in the era of globalization.

The study reached the following results:

– There is a correlative and historical relationship between language and identity, and research into the reservoirs of this relationship is becoming increasingly important in the context of globalization because of the challenges and great dangers it poses to the cultural security of societies.

– French colonialism in Algeria contributed to the creation of bilingualism, or a mixture of languages, and led to a deepening of the identity crisis, a crisis that manifested itself in the ideological struggle after independence. Which was reflected in the building of the national state in itself and undermined the development issue to a large extent.

– Cultural/linguistic globalization posed undisputed challenges to the Arabic language in Algeria, including its terrible decline in daily and scientific use in favor of other foreign languages ​​due to the kinetic of communicative globalization, and the flow of exotic values ​​it allows. This calls for reconsidering the status of the mother tongue and making use of foreign languages.

The language policy is one of the main approaches to confronting cultural globalization and preserving identity, provided that this policy is not satisfied with its institutional legal framework, but must focus on the involvement of formal and informal actors and societal forces to ensure optimal success.

Sources:

[1]  Muhammad Amara, “Language and Identity: Effects and Implications for Arab Education in Israel,” Dirasat (Academic College, Beit Berl, 2010), p. 25.

[2]  The same source, p. 25.

[3]  Ibid., p. 23.

[4]  Ibid., p. 26.

[5] Barbara Bosch, «Ethnicity markers in Afrikaans,» International Journal of the Sociology of Language, vol. 144, no. 1 (January 2000), pp. 51‑68, <https://www.degruyter.com/view/j/ijsl.2000.2000.issue-144/ijsl.2000.144.51/ijsl.2000.144.51.xml>.

[6]  Amara, same source, p. 26.

[7] Rene Appel and Pieter Muysken Language Contact and Bilingualism (London; Baltimore, MD: Edward Arnold, 1987), p. 213, <https://bit.ly/2ShAn1G>.

[8] J. A. Fishman, «Language and Ethnicity in Intergroup Relations,» in: Howard Giles, ed., Language, Ethnicity and Intergroup Relations (London: Academic Press , 1977), pp. 16‑53, <https://bit.ly/2UQXeOz>.

[9]  Amara, “Language and Identity: Effects and Implications for Arab Education in Israel,” p. 26.

[10]  John Joseph, Language and Identity: National – Ethnic – Religious, translated by Abdel Nour Kharaki, The World of Knowledge; 342 (Kuwait: The National Council for Culture, Arts and Letters, 2007), p. 19.

[11]  Ibid., p. 54.

[12]  The treaty was ratified on October 20, 2005.

[13]  Saleh Belaid, “The Arabic Language in the Light of the Dialogue of Cultures,” Journal of Linguistic Practices (Mouloud Mammeri University – Tizi Ouzou), No. 12 (2012), p. 23.

[14]  United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Echoes of Cultural Diversity: A Path to Development (UNESCO, 2011), p. 11.

[15]  Belaid, the same source, p. 23.

[16]  Ibid., p. 27.

[17]  Nassira Zitouni, “The Reality of the Arabic Language in Algeria,” An-Najah University Journal for Research, Year 27, No. 10 (2013).

[18]  Othman Saadi, Language and Identity: Between the Algerian Revolution and the Vietnamese Revolution (Algeria: Dar Al Umma, 2011).

[19]  Same source.

[20]  Nawal Bensalah, “The Algerian novel written in French and the liberation revolution: the struggle of language and identity,” Al Mokhbar Journal: Research in Algerian Language and Literature, No. 7 (2011), p. 221.

[21]  Review the television program on the Al-Jazeera satellite channel website in the “Without Borders” program on October 21, 2015 entitled: “The Conflict of Language and Identity in Algeria… Dimensions and Repercussions.”

[22]  On this point, see: Abdel Nasser Djabi, “The Dilemma of Political Transition in Algeria: Three Generations and Two Scenarios,” (Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies, Doha, February 2012), <https://bit.ly/2SnFPjO >

[23]  Bilingualism is a recent term for a sociolinguistic phenomenon, which is the use of two languages: the original language and a second language, and in the English language it corresponds to the word bilingualism. This phenomenon is closely related to the identity of the groups and their relations with other colonial countries. See: Abd al-Rahman al-Hajj Saleh, “Duallinguistics in relation to the Arabic language and its true descriptions: positive and negative ones,” Journal of the Algerian Academy of the Arabic Language, No. 15 (June 2012), p. 9.

[24]  Nasser Djabi, “Linguistic division has weakened the Algerian elites,” Al Jazeera Net, August 26, 2015, <https://bit.ly/2DYxOca>

[25]  Ibid.

[26]  Zitouni, “The Reality of the Arabic Language in Algeria,” p. 2163.

[27]  Zakaria Makhloufi, “The Reality of the Arabic Language in the Age of Globalization,” Al-Athar Magazine, No. 21 (December 2014), pg. 60.

[28]  Saleh Belaid, “Citizenship and its Sisters…,” Journal of Linguistic Practices, No. 11 (2012), p. 156.

[29]  Abdul Salam Al-Masdi, Arab Identity and Linguistic Security: Study and Documentation (Doha: Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies, 2014), p. 21.

[30]  Belaid, “Citizenship and its Sisters…,” p. 162.

[31]  Ibid., p. 155.

[32]  Ibid., p. 176.

[33]  Ibid., p. 157.

[34]  Ibid., p. 155.

[35]  Makhloufi, “The Reality of the Arabic Language in the Age of Globalization,” p. 62.

[36]  Said Amer, “The Arabic Language in Danger: A Reading of the Damages of Globalization,” in: Arabic in Danger (Tizi Ouzou, Mouloud Mammeri University: Publications of the Laboratory of Linguistic Practices in Algeria, 2013), p. 28.

[37]  Ibid., p. 34.

[38]  See, for example, the French Cultural Center CCF in the Algerian cities: Algiers, Constantine, Annaba, Oran and Tlemcen.

[39]  Amer, same source, pp. 39-38.

[40]  Ibid., p. 39.

[41]  Ulrich Beck, The Global Risk Community: In Search of the Lost Safety, translated by Ola Adel [et al.] (Cairo: The National Center for Translation, 2013), p. 30.

[42]  Louis Jean Calvi, Sociology of Linguistics, translated by Muhammad Yayatin (Algeria: Dar Al Kasbah Publishing, 2006), p. 111.

[43]  Nadia Maatqi, “Linguistic Politics in Algeria: Reality and Danger”, in: Arabic in Danger, p. 76.

[44]  Ibid., p. 76.

[45]  People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria, Law No. 01-16 of 26 Joumada El Oula 1437 corresponding to March 6, 2016, including the constitutional amendment, Official Gazette, No. 14, issued on March 7, 2016, p. 6.

[46]  Maataki, the same source, p. 82.

[47]  Ibid., p. 82.

[48]  ​​Ibid., p. 84.

[49]  Abdel Aziz Al-Achouri, “The Arabic Language, Cultural Identity and Arabization Experiences,” in: Ahmed Baalbaki [and others], Identity and its issues in contemporary Arab consciousness, edited and presented by Riyad Zaki Qassem, The Arab Future Book Series; 68 (Beirut: Center for Arab Unity Studies, 2013), p. 274.

[50]  Larbi Boumediene, “Education in Algeria: Between the Dogmatism of Reform and the Immediateness of the Crisis,” Al-Khobar (Algeria), 9/16/2016, p. 17.

[51]  Belaid, “Citizenship and its Sisters…,” pp. 175-174.

[52]  Al-Ashouri, “The Arabic Language, Cultural Identity and Arabization Experiences,” p. 275.

[53]  Belaid, same source, p. 175.

[54]  Nour al-Din Labseer, “Language and identity interactions between authenticity and alienation,” Jusoor al-Ma’rifa, p. 39, available at the following link: <http://www.univ-chlef.dz/djossour/wp-content/uploads/2016/ 06/V2016_04_03.pdf>.

[55]  The issue of citizenship education or education for citizenship is considered a necessary prerequisite for achieving societal and identity security, maintaining the stability of the country and protecting it from threats. See: Sameh Fawzy, Citizenship (Cairo: Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies, 2007), p. 8.

[56]  Belaid, “Citizenship and its Sisters…,” p. 161.

[57]  Ibid., pp. 162-161.

[58]  Sahraoui Azzedine, “The Arabic Language in Algeria: History and Identity,” Journal of the College of Letters and Human Sciences, No. 5 (January 2009), p. 5.

[59]  Khoni Warida, “The School’s Role in Developing the Values ​​of National Belonging,” Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences, Special Issue: The First International Forum on Identity and Social Domains in Light of Sociocultural Transformations in Algerian Society, pp. 75-76.

[60]  Abdul Qawi Al-Zubaidi [and others], “Identity Methods and Academic Deferment of Satisfaction among Omani Students,” The Jordanian Journal of Educational Sciences, Year 11, No. 3 (2015), p. 346.

(*) This study was published in the Arab Future magazine, issue 481, in March 2019.

(**) Larbi Boumediene: Professor of Political Science, Faculty of Law and Political Science, Hassiba Ben Bouali University, Chlef – Algeria.

(***) Souad Bousnia: PhD researcher in political sciences, Department of International Studies, University of Algiers 3 – Algeria.

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SAKHRI Mohamed

I hold a bachelor's degree in political science and international relations as well as a Master's degree in international security studies, alongside a passion for web development. During my studies, I gained a strong understanding of key political concepts, theories in international relations, security and strategic studies, as well as the tools and research methods used in these fields.

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