Reasons for code -switching in an algerian setting:case of first year students of arabic at belhadj bouchaib university centreIman

Abstract

The principal purpose of this research work is to show the extent to which the sociolinguistic phenomenon of code-switching pervades the mother tongues of most of the Algerian population with a special reference to the first year master students studying in the Arabic department. Our research work also aims at showing the main reasons that stand behind the presence of code-switching among them. The theoretical part of this study consists in the presentation of the different sociolinguistic phenomena that exist in Algeria with a special focus on codeswitching. The practical side of the present study puts an emphasis on the description and analysis of the students’ questionnaire that has been handled to the informants in order to scrutinize the phenomenon of code-switching. It also explores the main reasons that push them to switch between Arabic and French. Therefore, the findings reveal that the majority of our respondents tend to mix between the two codes in their daily conversations considerably.