Algerian Undergraduate Students’ Uses of Algerian Arabic and Modern Standard Arabic in EFL Writing

Abstract

The L1 use while learning a new language is controversial in academia but a natural phenomenon in EFL classrooms. The current study investigates the different uses of L1 (Arabic with its two varieties, Modern Standard Arabic and Algerian Arabic) in EFL writing by undergraduate learners. One hundred Algerian students participated in a two-section survey. The first section reports on how frequently learners use Arabic in different EFL situations. The second section focuses on which Arabic variety is more suitable for each activity. Using SPSS statistics 21 program, learners’ responses revealed that there is high frequency of Arabic use in four EFL writing situations, which are mainly related to cultural context and thinking processes.Learners reported that they sometimes use Arabic in other four EFL writing activities related to word search, peers’ discussions and agency related activities. The final two activities in this survey were translation and informal writings, to which learners reported rare practice and Arabic is occasionally used. As for the second variable, which is the most suitable Arabic variety for each activity, learners associated both varieties with thinking processes and informal writings. MSA was mainly associated with Islamic-related topics, text-generating activities and translation. AA is used in cultural Algerian-related topics and for peers’ discussions. Based on these findings, the study recommends judicial L1 use in EFL writing curricula according to learners’ actual uses.