TWO FOREIGN LANGUAGES IN ALGERIAN PRIMARY EDUCATION: COGNITIVE OVERLOAD AND PSYCHOLINGUISTIC CONFUSION

Asma Djaidja and Lakhdar Dourari
Additional contact information
Asma Djaidja: Associate Professor PhD, Research Laboratory in Sociodidactics of Foreign and Mother Languages in Algeria, University Center of Barika, Algeria
Lakhdar Dourari: Full Professor PhD, Research Laboratory in Sociodidactics of Foreign and Mother Languages in Algeria, University Center of Barika, Algeria

Annals of the University of Craiova, Series Psychology, Pedagogy, 2026, vol. 48, issue 1, 366-379

Abstract: The Algerian educational system is going through a modernisation phase marked by the introduction of English from the third year of primary school, alongside French and Arabic, the official language of instruction. This orientation reflects a political and institutional will to bring younger generations into a multilingual dynamic, in keeping with the demands of a globalised world. Yet this early triple linguistic exposure raises crucial questions at the cognitive, affective, and pedagogical levels. The article examines the effects of teaching two foreign languages simultaneously alongside the official language, and highlights the risks of cognitive overload, identity confusion, and difficulties in school adaptation. It questions the relevance of this strategy and proposes more gradual alternatives suited to the Algerian context, such as the delayed introduction of foreign languages or the adoption of pedagogical approaches that favour a smoother linguistic transition. The aim is to reconcile international openness with respect for pupils' learning capacities, so as to build a sustainable and balanced educational model.

Keywords: Cognitive overload; Simultaneous language learning; Algerian primary education; Multilingualism; Translanguaging (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Z0 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://aucpp.ro/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/27.DJA ... sue_1_pp_366-379.pdf (application/pdf)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:edt:aucspp:v:48:y:2026:i:1:p:366-379

DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.21058599

Access Statistics for this article

Annals of the University of Craiova, Series Psychology, Pedagogy is currently edited by Florentina MOGONEA and Alexandrina Mihaela POPESCU

More articles in Annals of the University of Craiova, Series Psychology, Pedagogy from Teacher Training Department, University of Craiova
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Dan Valeriu Voinea ().