What place for Arabic in France?

The teaching of Arabic in France takes place in a complex socio-political context, marked by debates on integration, cultural diversity and language policy. Although Arabic is the second most spoken language in the country, it remains shrouded in controversy and significant challenges. This study day aims to assess the current state of Arabic language teaching, examine public representations of its speakers and discuss avenues of reflection for greater recognition in the French education system.

Research on Arabic language teaching in France is abundant but fragmented. It mainly addresses migratory and religious aspects, often from the angle of social integration and bilingualism. Studies such as those by Yayah Cheikh (2010) and Chantal Tetreault (2021) have explored educational policies and institutional attitudes towards Arabic, highlighting a tension between the needs of the Arabic-speaking population and national language policies. Alexandrine Barontini's (2013) work examines the sociolinguistic representations, language practices and transmission processes of Maghrebian Arabic in France. In particular, she emphasizes the importance of the social and political contexts that shape the dynamics of linguistic and cultural transmission, highlighting the profound transformations of French society and current debates around the colonial legacy and the memory of immigrations. In addition, work by young researchers such as Alexis Ogor (2023) has highlighted the diversity of profiles among learners of Arabic, and their socio-professional trajectories.

Despite this research, several grey areas remain. Firstly, there is a lack of empirical data on the long-term results of teaching Arabic on the social and professional integration of Arabic speakers in France. Secondly, the dimension of public perception of Arabic, often associated with issues of national security and communitarianism, requires a more nuanced and detailed analysis. Thirdly, the impact of the media and political discourse on the teaching of Arabic and its speakers is still insufficiently studied.

This study day aims to fill these gaps by bringing together experts from diverse backgrounds for an interdisciplinary dialogue. It will seek to better understand how educational policies can be aligned with the multicultural realities of contemporary France, and how Arabic can be promoted not only as a heritage language, but also as a strategic resource for the country. By addressing these questions, we hope to contribute to a more balanced and pragmatic reflection on the teaching of Arabic in France, shedding light on both current practices and future opportunities.

Program

10:00 am I Welcome of participants

10:30 am I Introduction

• Mathias Hoorelbeke, Director of the Department of Arabic Studies at Inalco

11:00 am-12:30 pm I Panel 1: Arabophones and Arabic speakers in France: realities and representations
Moderated by Isabel Ruck, CAREP Paris
The panel aims to examine the realities and perceptions of Arabic speakers and those who have learned Arabic in France. While Arabic speakers, mainly from North African and Middle Eastern immigration, face integration challenges, often amplified by media representations oscillating between cultural valorization and stereotyping, Arabic speakers often follow a different trajectory. The work of historian Alain Messaoudi has identified a certain permanence of Arabist representations in scholarly circles and the senior civil service, intrinsically linked to the colonial political objective of developing intermediary elites that would ensure contact with the Muslim population. What is the situation today? Can the Arabic language free itself from the colonial and post-colonial undertones it carries?

Speakers:

• Alain Messaoudi, Université de Nantes
• Catherine Pinon, Université Aix-Marseille
• Patrice Paoli, former diplomat

12:30 -2:00 pm I Free lunch break

2:00 - 3:30 pm I Panel 2: Teaching Arabic in France (this panel will not be broadcast live)
Moderated by Mathias Hoorelbeke, Inalco
This panel looks at the teaching of Arabic in France, usually approached from migratory and religious angles.Faced with challenges such as lack of resources and qualified teachers, the teaching of Arabic is sometimes marred by political controversies that influence educational policies. The way in which the complex status of Arabic and the controversies surrounding its teaching in France also manifest themselves in the organization of academic programs and in the social pathways of the students who take these courses at university. And yet, learning Arabic offers opportunities for social integration and intercultural dialogue, strengthening students' ties with their heritage while opening up perspectives on a language of great international importance. Promoting an objective approach to teaching Arabic could also contribute to social cohesion in France.

Contributors:

• Fouad Mlih, lecturer in Arabic language and culture. Full member of the HISCANT-MA laboratory (History and Culture of Antiquity and the Middle Ages) at the University of Lorraine.
• Nisrine al-Zahre, director of the Centre de Langue et Civilisation Arabes at the IMA
• Alexis Ogor, doctoral student at the University of Limoges

3:30pm - 4pm I Coffee break

4pm - 5:30pm I Panel 3: Lobbying for the Arabic language 
Under the moderation of Akram Belkaïd, Le Monde Diplomatique 
This final panel will bring together political and professional players to discuss the enhancement and promotion of Arabic in France. It aims to explore the prospects of Arabic not only as a language of communication but also as a tool for social and cultural integration. Participants will discuss the challenges associated with teaching Arabic, and the prejudices faced by Arabic speakers. They will also address the role of the media and politics in the perception of this language.

Speakers:

• Nabil Wakim, journalist at Le Monde and author of "L'arabe pour tous. Pourquoi ma langue est taboue en France" (Seuil, 2020)
• Nada Yafi, former French interpreter and diplomat in Arab countries

6:00 pm - 8:00 pm I Screening-debate of the documentary film Mauvaise langue 
With director Jaouhar Nadi and Lamiss Azab, political scientist, translator and Director of Sciences Po's Paris campus (subject to confirmation)

Selected bibliographical references

BARONTINI, A. (2013). Locuteurs de l'arabe maghrébin-langue de France : Une analyse sociolinguistique des représentations, des pratiques langagières et du processus de transmission, Dissertation Linguistique, Institut National des Langues et Civilisations Orientales - Inalco Paris.

BOURDIEU, P. (1991). Language and symbolic power. Harvard University Press.

CAUBET, D. (2008). Immigrant languages and languages of France. In M. Barni and G. Extra, (Eds.), Mapping linguistic diversity in multicultural contexts, Walter de Gruyter, pp. 163-193.

CHEIKH, Y. (2010). L'enseignement de l'arabe en France. Les voies de transmission, Langues et migrations, n°1288, pp.92-103. DOI : https://doi.org/10.4000/hommesmigrations.870

HELLER, M. (2007). Bilingualism as ideology and practice. In M. Heller (Ed.), Bilingualism: A social approach. Palgrave Macmillan, pp.1-22.

MESSAOUDI, A. (2015). Arabists and colonial France. Savants, conseillers, médiateurs (1780-1930). Paris, ENS éditions.

TETREAULT, C. (2021). What is Arabic Good For?: Future Directions and Current Challenges of Arabic Language Educational Reform in France, Journal of Belonging, Identity, Language, and Diversity (J-BILD), Special Issue: Boundaries and Belonging: Language, Diaspora, and Motherland, - Vol. 5(1) - 60-82. URL: https://bild-lida.ca/journal/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/J-BILD_5-1_Tetreault.pdf

YAFI, N. (2023). Plaidoyer pour la langue arabe. Paris, Éditions Libertalia.

Organizing committee

• Isabel Ruck, CAREP Paris, isabel.ruck@carep-paris.org
• Matthias Hoorelbeke, Inalco, mathias.hoorelbeke@inalco.fr