Learning English in Algeria Through French-based Background Proficiency

Abstract

With globalization leading to an ever-increasing connectedness of the world, learning a foreign language has become a requirement rather than an indulgence. Yet, learning a second and/or a third language may present a challenge and the issue in Algeria is no exception. In addition to the mother tongue (Arabic or Berber in some regions), French is the second most spoken language in the country, and thus, its relatedness with other Western languages facilitates the learning of English as a third language. Already acquired, not only in the primary school process but also in the community's linguistic practices, French helps learners to develop proficiency in English through the transfer of their French-based background, in particular the typological (syntactical and lexical) similarities between French and English. The aim of the study is to show that the learners’ prior linguistic experience in L2 may be a facilitator to learn an L3. In this study, a group of 25 male learners aged between 20 and 30 years old was chosen. Their L1 is Arabic. The participants are bilinguals (Arabic/French) with different levels of competence in French. They had to translate an English text into the language of their choice, i.e., either Arabic or French. The results have shown that learners who already know French find it easy to learn English because of their ability to use resources in L2 to learn L3.