DOI: https://doi.org/10.36719/2706-6185/52/194-202
Ouahiba Laib
University of Algiers 2 - Algeria
https://orcid.org/0009-0008-2276-9394
ouahiba.laib@univ-alger2.dz
The Use of Folk Tales in the Algerian School Textbook:
The Fifth-Grade Arabic Language Textbook
Abstract
Folk heritage represents the story and collective memory of a nation. Whether tangible or intangible, it is a vivid reflection of cultural existence and interaction, mirroring the individual's reality within society. With respect to stories, poetry, drawings, songs, or other forms of human expression and social coexistence, such heritage could not have been transmitted from one generation to the next except through its custodians, either in written form or orally. This article explores the presence of one aspect of Algerian folk heritage in a type of educational publication designed for nurturing young learners: the Arabic language school textbook. The study focuses on selected primary school textbooks as a model for applied research, adopting a descriptive–analytical approach to address the following central question: How has the folk tale been employed in Arabic textbooks for the primary education stage? The main questions arising from this inquiry concern the texts incorporated into the schoolbook and their potential to foster and strengthen cultural identity in today’s children, who will one day proudly and confidently carry forward the culture of their nation.
Keywords: folk heritage, educational folk tale, schoolbook, identity and belonging, educational and linguistic value, oral and written comprehension