English in Education and Academic Research in Tunisia - In Memory of the Late Professor Tahar Labassi

Oct 15, 2026

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This paper examines the status of English in Tunisia’s education system, emphasizing its role in Research Publication Purposes (ERPP) and English for Specific Purposes (ESP). It reviews the history of English teaching in a country situated in the Outer Circle of Kachru’s Model, then analyzes English within Tunisia’s language landscape and the effects of contemporary language policy dynamics. Drawing on Tahar Labassi’s intellectual work, it also outlines conditions for improved language teaching and greater visibility of Tunisian researchers.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages25

Reading Time1 h 3 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Background on English’s role in science and research

Tunisia’s shifting language policy and education reforms

Labassi’s contributions to debates on English and ESP

Education and Career

English in Education and Academic Research in Tunisia: In Memory of the Late Professor Tahar Labassi Arab Journal of Applied Linguistics e-ISSN 2490-4198 Vol. 06, No. 02, 2021 © AJAL [http://www.arjals.com](http://www.arjals.com) Marii Abdeljaoued1PhD Student, University ofSfax, Tunisia Abstract This paper discusses the status of English in the education system in Tunisia with a particular focus on the use of English for Research Publication Purposes (ERPP) and English for Specific Purposes (ESP) . It begins with a brief account of the history of teaching English in Tunisia as a country belonging to the Outer Circle of the Model of English as pioneered by Braj Kachru. Then, it comments on the status of English within the language landscape in the country and the contemporary dynamics of language policy in Tunisia. The discussion of the language landscape in Tunisia, the status of English in general, and its use for research purposes draw primarily on the intellectual work of late Professor Tahar Labassi (1956-2020) . The paper also provides a road map for better language teaching in Tunisia as well as conditions for better visibility of Tunisian researchers as diagnosed and developed by Professor Labassi. Keywords: Language policy; Tunisia; English; French; Professor Labassi; ESP; ERPP 1 Corresponding author: [abdeljaouedmarii@gmail.com](abdeljaouedmarii@gmail.com) Introduction Within the research arena, English enjoys an unparalleled and unrivaled position asthe default language of science. It is "the premier vehicle for the communication of scholarship, research, and advanced postgraduate training" (Mauranen et al. 2010, p. 634) . Such ubiquity of English raises questions about the possible "privilege" of Inner Circle scholars and the possible "disadvantage" of scholars from Kachru's (1985)"Expanding Circle of English" or the Outer Circle. Indeed, such demarcation needs arevisit since the recent literature has contested the accuracy of such demarcation. This demarcation seems less marked when it comes to the use of English for Academic Purposes (EAP) and English for Research Publication Purposes (ERPP) (Hyland, 2019; 2016) . This paper attempts to find a trade-off between these divergent perspectives with reference to late Professor Labassi's perception of the debate among scholars in the Tunisian context. The debate about the status of English and languages in contact, in general, is not new as it dates back to the early days of independence. The language policy in Tunisia has always been shifting grounds. This seems tobe triggered by the cultural and sociolinguistic development in the country as well as the top-down linguistic policy, which swings in favor of one language or the other (Abdeljaoued & Labassi, 2020; Battenberg, 1997). By and large, the linguistic policy in Tunisia is characterized by instability, lack of a clear vision, and 'fashionability'. In the 1970s and 1980s, English was taught at the secondary school level for four years. At the university level, training in the English language stops for most students except for those majoring in English. The 1980s witnessed a turning point change in the language situation. First, the language situation was marked by the escalating functional rivalry between English and French (Daoud, 2001) . Second, it was also marked by a commitment to the promotion of science and technology and a growing interest in English as a necessary tool to access science and technology from original resources rather than relying on translation into French (Battenberg, 1997; Daoud, 2001) . This culminated in the introduction of ESP courses to all students after the passing of the controversial 1998 education reform (Labassi, 2009b; 2010). The late Professor Labassi (10 December 1956-26 January 2020) was involved in the debate about the status of English in general and English for Specific Purposes (ESP) in particular. Professor Tahar Labassi was a scholar of the highe

FAQs

What is the central focus of the paper regarding English in Tunisia?

The paper focuses on the status of English in Tunisia’s education system, especially its use for ERPP and ESP.

How does the paper describe the history and evolution of English teaching in Tunisia?

It traces English teaching to earlier periods, then highlights shifts triggered by rivalry with French, and later policy changes including the introduction of ESP courses after the 1998 education reform.

What role does Professor Tahar Labassi’s work play in the paper?

The discussion on English for research and the language landscape draws primarily on the intellectual contributions and perspectives of late Professor Tahar Labassi, and the paper proposes a roadmap building on his diagnoses of language teaching and researcher visibility.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Dipper