Effets de l'enseignement de la langue arabe en classe ELCO (Enseignement des langues et cultures d'origine) sur les performances scolaires et langagières en français

Abstract

This study examines the language and school skills effects of Arabic-language learning on bilingual children from Maghrebi and Arabic-speaking communities attending ELCO (Education in Languages and Cultures of Origin) classes. In France, ELCO is the only primary-school program providing weekly 3-hour courses in first languages to bilingual Franco-Arabic children. 179 children enrolled in 1st and 2nd year of primary school were compared using 4 indicators of school success: phonological awareness, reading, resolution of arithmetical problems and reading comprehension (for the 2nd year of primary school). Results reveal that learning Arabic language at school has a positive effect on school performance in the 2nd year of primary school whereas no significant difference is found in 1st year.