Language Conflict in Algeria From Colonialism to Post-Independence

Benrabah presents a compelling and meticulously documented analysis which illustrates that language conflict in Algeria has always been a proxy for political conflict, brought about through authoritarian, anti-democratic, 'top-down' language planning that has ignored popular sentiments. True democracy will only be possible in Algeria once language policy is developed through a 'bottom-up' process which embraces the country's diverse ethnic and language groups. A fascinating and enlightening look at issues of global relevance. James Coffman, Malaysian-American Commission on Educational Exchange (MACEE), Malaysia Since the colonial era, the politics of language has been one of the most corrosive and divisive issues in Algeria. Mohamed Benrabah's detailed and wide-ranging study addresses each aspect of the question, from everyday language attitudes, through the problems of policy and planning, to education, popular culture, and literature. In providing an essential and enlightening analysis of the problem, he also suggests a forward-looking resolution to Algeria's language conflict, both recognizing the real linguistic issues at stake and exposing the ways in which language and identity have served as proxies for other conflicts, in whose own resolution the acceptance of Algeria's vibrant 'multilinguality' has an essential part to play. James McDougall, University of Oxford, UK