A third scenario is something in-between: The language used at school is related to the home language but is a significantly different variety. As a result, students must develop literacy in Modern Standard Arabic, a language that diverges to a significant extent from the native vernaculars. For example, while Tunisian Arabic has seven subject pronouns (eight in some varieties), Modern Standard Arabic has twelve, including the dual pronouns that don’t exist in vernacular Arabic. In addition to Modern Standard Arabic, schools in Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco introduce French as a second language, usually in elementary school. Modern Standard Arabic on the other hand is closely associated with the national religious and cultural heritage and pan-Arab ideologies.

Source: The North Africa Journal February 05, 2020 10:30 UTC