Deconstructing the English Linguistic Practices in EL HARAK’s Slogans; Bi/Multi-lingual Requisite or Plurilinguals Proficiency: Tiaret Speech Community as a Case Study Critical Discourse Analysis.

Abstract

The ultimate objective behind the current research is an attempt to deconstruct and decode the implicit messages behind the English linguistic practices used in Algerian Al-Hirak’s slogans. This work seeks to find the factors and the reasons that push these protesters to use such slogans in English besides to French and Arabic. Moreover, it investigates whether this phenomenon reflects a Bi/Multi-lingual requisite or plurilinguals proficiency. It also aims at examining how Al-Hirak movement reflects people attitudes towards English as lingua franca and the impact of globalisation. Furthermore, it examines the sociolinguistic situation in Algeria, which is a heterogeneous society. In order to conduct this study, a mixed method is adopted, viz., qualitative and quantitative investigation tools. In fact, owing to the imposed sanitary measures, the questionnaire, encompassing 19 questions was put online. Besides, a structured interview was disseminated via social media. The gleaned data consist of fifty-four (54) questionnaires and five (5) interviews. It is worth highlighting that the interviewees are specialised in psycholinguistics and sociology working at Ibn Khaldoun University. The findings reveal that those who use English written slogans, mottos, banners, etc. in Al-Hirak movement are plurilinguals rather than bilingual individuals regarding to the status of foreign languages in the Algerian sociolinguistic sphere (French and English are neither national nor official). Moreover, the motives behind the English linguistic practices might be due to personal, political and, especially, the hegemony of the English language in all spheres of life within the impact of Globalization. In so doing, the Hirakists want their protests to reach maximum number of people around the world. It is quite significant to say that mass media played a fulcrum role in bringing to a large number of world people notice of the Algerian protests.