Biography
Leila Aouam is an Algerian researcher and doctoral scholar affiliated with the Department of English Language at Abdelhamid Ibn Badis University of Mostaganem, Algeria. Her academic work focuses on English for Specific Purposes (ESP), applied linguistics, and the integration of educational technology in instruction. In her published scholarship—including studies on co-constructed AI policies in specialized learning contexts—she examines student and instructor attitudes toward AI-enabled learning, academic integrity, and participatory policy-making. In addition to her academic research, Leila serves as the Director of an annex of L'Office National d'Alphabétisation et d'Enseignement pour Adultes (ONAEA) in Algeria, where she actively champions second-chance literacy and adult education. She regularly engages with national and international conference networks and research forums to advance modern instructional methodologies. Through her ongoing scholarly endeavors, she aims to bridge traditional language pedagogy with emerging digital tools, advocating for practical, collaborative, and learner-centered approaches across both specialized English and adult education.
Conference contributions 1
THE MANDATORY MIRAGE:
Algorithmic mediation and compulsory language self-rescue among adult Algerian learners in CNEFD distance education
Adult basic education across the Global South typically excludes foreign languages. In Algeria, the Office National de l'Alphabétisation (ONEA) delivers this education exclusively in Arabic; however, graduates entering the Centre National de l'Enseignement à Distance (CNEFD) face a concealed structural contradiction: French and English are compulsory examination subjects, despite learners having no prior foreign language instruction. This qualitative study investigates this institutional barrier, introducing the concept of compulsory language self-rescue—a condition where digitally marginalized adult learners must construct improvised, invisible learning ecologies to survive systemic exclusion. While research addresses distance learning efficacy, empirical gaps remain regarding how Arabic-medium CNEFD enrollees navigate these mandatory foreign language demands. This study examines their autonomous strategies, specifically focusing on algorithmic mediation via translation tools alongside peer networks and pattern memorization. Employing Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) and the Critical Incident Technique (CIT), the study explores the lived experiences of 30 purposively sampled ONEA graduates across Algeria, encompassing both examination passers and dropouts. Data collected through semi-structured interviews map educational trajectories, examination preparation rituals, and decisive crises where institutional absence intersects with algorithmic survival tools. The findings expose the concealed costs of linguistic exclusion, demonstrating that self-directed and resilient behaviors emerge from structural necessity rather than pedagogical preference. Practically, the study reveals that basic literacy credentials function as a trap disguised as opportunity, offering direct implications for ONEA curriculum reform, CNEFD policy, and broader ethical dialogues surrounding algorithmic dependency in marginalized educational settings.