Međujezički uticaji pri istovremenom učenju francuskog i engleskog jezika među učenicima trećeg razreda osnovne škole u Alžiru
Cross-Linguistic Influences in the Simultaneous Learning of French and English Among Algerian Primary School Third Graders

Summary/Abstract: Multilingual reforms increasingly place young learners in classrooms where two new languages are taught concurrently. Yet little is known about how such contexts shape cross-linguistic influence (CLI) at the very start of formal instruction. This study examines Algerian Grade 3 pupils’ simultaneous acquisition of French and English following the 2022 reform, which introduced English alongside French in primary schools. A mixed-methods design combined diagnostic tests with 372 pupils, questionnaires with 48 teachers and interviews with 60 parents to capture both transfer patterns and the conditions in which they arise. The findings show that CLI is systematic more often than random. Pupils consistently defaulted to French, producing predictable lexical (32%), phonological (28%), and orthographic (22%) transfers. These patterns reflected structural overlap between the languages but were also reinforced by the entrenched dominance of French language in Algerian education. Teachers frequently relied on French to formulate the instruction, while parents, lacking English competence, provided support mainly in French. The study advances theory by showing that CLI is not only cognitive but also socially conditioned. Pedagogically, it highlights the need for teacher training in multilingual methods and contrastive pedagogy, and on the policy level, it emphasizes that a symbolic promotion of English requires sustained investment in resources and teacher development.

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