CONVERGENCE AND DIVERGENCE OF SOCIO-CULTURAL BACKGROUND ON LEARNER IDENTITY

Abstract

This work aimed at investigating the potential effects of the socio-cultural factors on foreign language learning in Algeria. It evaluated the impact of these factors on third year secondary school pupils who live in rural speech communities. This endeavour was based on qualitative and quantitative approches that examine thouroughly the data collected. In this prospect, a triangulation method is used with a sample of 90 pupils, final classes, and 8 teachers from the Secondary School of Laaroussi Larbi Sidi Housni. The findings revealed that pupils from rigid communities are affected by their socio-cultural background and their parental inherited complexity. Rigidity is backgrouded behind their attitudes, even though a clash may arose between generation Z which is open to change and the old generation that is still drowning in convergent traits and ethnocentricity. In this vein, divergence should be viewed as a positive aspect towards flexibility and ethnorelativism.