Languages of Algeria | |
---|---|
Official | Arabic Tamazight |
Regional | Hassaniya Arabic (unrecognized) Korandje (unrecognized)[1] |
Vernacular | Varieties of Arabic (81%)[2]
Berber languages (27.4%) |
Immigrant | Turkish |
Foreign | French 70% English 8% |
Signed | Algerian Sign Language |
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Arabic, particularly the Algerian Arabic dialect, is the most widely spoken language in Algeria,[3][4] but a number of regional and foreign languages are also spoken. The official languages of Algeria are Arabic and Berber,[5] as specified in its constitution since 1963 for the former and since 2016 for the latter.[6][7] Berber has been recognized as a "national language" by constitutional amendment since 8 May 2002. In February 2016, a constitutional resolution was passed making Berber an official language alongside Arabic. Arabic is spoken by about 81% of Algerians,[4] while Berber languages are spoken by 27%.[3][8] French, though it has no official status, is still used in media (some newspapers) and education due to Algeria's colonial history. Kabyle, with 3 million speakers, is the most spoken Berber language in the country, is taught and partially co-official (with a few restrictions) in parts of Kabylie.
Malika Rebai Maamri, author of "The Syndrome of the French Language in Algeria," said "The language spoken at home and in the street remains a mixture of Algerian dialect and French words."[9] Due to the number of languages and complexity involving those languages, Maamri argued that "[t]oday the linguistic situation in Algeria is dominated by multiple discourses and positions."[9]
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