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In Tunisia, the French language has long dominated public life, institutions, and higher education. Today, however, a profound shift is underway: Tunisian youth are showing a growing interest in English, which has become the reference language for science, technology, and global trade.
According to the latest data, around 63% of Tunisians still speak French, but younger generations—especially those connected to social networks and streaming platforms—use English more frequently in their daily lives. TV series, mobile apps, video games, and online educational content have all reinforced this natural exposure to the language of Shakespeare.
English, the language of opportunities
Studies confirm this trend: a 2024 survey revealed a strong correlation (r = 0.773) between motivation and young people’s positive attitude toward learning English, widely perceived as a tool for academic and professional success.
In higher education, the trend is clear. The Tunis Business School, founded in 2010, paved the way with programs taught entirely in English. Other institutions have followed: the Faculty of Medicine of Sousse (2019–2020) and the Faculty of Dentistry of Monastir (2022) now also offer English-language curricula.
Students associate English with international mobility, scientific careers, and technological innovation, while French remains largely confined to traditional fields such as medicine, law, or culture.
A visible shift in society
On the streets, in the media, and even in Tunisian dialect, English borrowings are multiplying. Increasingly, companies favor bilingual Arabic-English communication, sidelining French.
For many young people, English is perceived as the language of the future—the one that opens the doors to a globalized world. French, by contrast, is often associated with the colonial past or with a traditional elite, making it less attractive to a generation eager for modernity and openness.
What does this mean for France?
This linguistic shift goes beyond academics: it reflects a broader geopolitical and cultural realignment. For France, long regarded as a linguistic power of influence in Tunisia, the consequences are significant:
– Loss of cultural influence: French, once a vehicle of soft power, is giving way to English, diminishing the impact of francophone media, cultural institutes, and universities.
– Economic weakening: French companies operating in Tunisia will have to adapt to an environment where English is becoming the norm, particularly in business and new technologies.
– Redefinition of bilateral relations: As Tunisia aligns more with English, it opens itself further to Anglo-Saxon partnerships, reducing Paris’s centrality in its diplomacy and cooperation.
A pragmatic choice reshaping the landscape
Tunisian youth are thus confirming a clear trend: English is gradually supplanting French as the language of the future.
This pragmatic choice—driven by academic, professional, and technological opportunities—is reshaping not only Tunisia’s educational landscape but also the balance of cultural influence.
For France, the decline of French in Tunisia represents a major strategic challenge in a region where its linguistic and cultural legacy was, until recently, taken for granted.
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