Linguistic Code-Switching in the Context of Algeria

2nd session of CEFRES in-house seminar
Through the presentation of works in progress, CEFRES’s Seminar aims at raising and discussing issues about methods, approaches or concepts, in a multidisciplinary spirit, allowing everyone to confront her or his own perspectives with the research presented.

Location: CEFRES Library and online (to get the link, write to cefres[@]cefres.cz)
Date: Tuesday, October 20, 2026 at 4:30 pm
Language: English

Speaker: Lucia BRAZDILOVÁ, CEFRES / Faculty of Arts, Comenius University, Bratislava
Discussant: Ali AL MOUSSAOUI, CEFRES

Abstract

Algeria’s sociolinguistic landscape is defined by profound diglossia, long-term language contact, and the vibrant coexistence of multiple language varieties. Navigating between Modern Standard Arabic (MSA), Algerian Arabic (Darja), Berber languages (Amazigh), French, and increasingly English is an everyday reality for many speakers. In this context, individuals frequently move across language varieties, negotiating various social situations through linguistic code-switching.

This doctoral seminar explores how multilingual speakers actively manage these linguistic boundaries, zooming in on the phenomenon of code-switching in everyday communication. Prompted by the complexities of this multilingual setting, the presentation outlines a mixed-methods research framework designed to capture both the social and pragmatic dimensions of language choice. It examines how code-switching practices correlate with key social variables, such as age, gender, education, profession, and regional or religious affiliation, across diverse communicative contexts.

By combining the assessment of participants’ multilingual repertoires with experimental tasks that elicit cognitive decision-making, this ongoing research aims to shed light on the mechanisms driving language alternation. Ultimately, the seminar provides a theoretical and methodological foundation for understanding how the coexistence of these distinct varieties shapes the communicative realities of contemporary Algeria.

Please find the complete program of 2026–2027 seminar here.