Algeria to teach primary school students English

As a new academic year starts in Algeria, third graders returning to primary school Wednesday will be taught English, as well as French, as a foreign language. President Abdelmadjid Tebboune announced in June that the Arabic-speaking North African country would gradually begin to expand English to 20,000 primary school children nationwide.The linguistic shift is the latest pivot away from France, with Algiers in recent years choosing against renewing transportation and water contracts with French companies and awarding them to regional firms instead. As it stands, French will remain the main second language in the country of almost 44 million. High school students this year will continue receiving five hours of French instruction and three hours of English a week. In primary schools, third graders will be taught 90 minutes of English a week in addition to their five hours of French. Tebboune has emphasized the move is not about replacing ties with France, but modernizing Algeria.