A Comparative Study of the Teaching of Writing in English and Berber classes. The case of Abane Ramdane Secondary School in Tizi-Ouzou (Algeria)

Abstract

The present research attempts to investigate the teaching of the writing skill in English and Berber classes. The study takes place in Abane Ramdane secondary school in Tizi-Ouzou (Algeria) including third year teachers as the case of the study. For the sake of collecting data, an interview is conducted with six third year level teachers and a questionnaire is handed to fifty (50) of their students. The results of the investigation are analyzed using the mixed method research, that is; the qualitative data are interpreted using qualitative content Analysis (QCA) and the quantitative ones are analyzed drawing on the rule of three. As far as the results are concerned, it is reported that the teachers of Berber and English apply various strategies to teach their students writing; among these strategies group work, extensive reading, free writing, summarizing etc. Also, it is found that the teachers of Berber use almost the same writing techniques as English language teachers. Besides, the present investigation is framed by Hillocks’ theory about teaching writing as a reflective practice, thus the discussion of the results draws mainly on the mentioned theory including the analysis of the notions of discussion and reflection which are essential principles in Hillocks’ theory. To conclude, it is recommended for researchers in the field of languages to deal with the Berber language in their studies since there is no much research concerning the teaching of this language in Algerian schools.