English set to replace French at Algerian universities

In the latest sign that the French language and influence are on the decline in the former North African colony Algeria, the authorities are reportedly set to replace French with English at Algerian universities, starting with the new academic year in September, reports the Middle East Monitor.

According to Asharq Al-Awsat, on 1 July the Ministry of Higher Education’s secretary-general sent a letter to university directors requesting a meeting to form pedagogical teams ahead of the summer vacation in order to make preparations for the adoption of English as the language of instruction for the new semester.

The decision follows similar developments last year, after Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune instructed that primary schools start teaching English. “French is a spoil of war, but English is an international language,” he said at the time. French being replaced with English is seen as evidence of France’s waning soft power and diminishing sphere of influence in the country, which is the third-largest French-speaking country in the world.
Full report on the Middle East Monitor site