Teaching Phonetics

Abstract

Since 2003, Algerian higher education has gone through a reform that aimed at increasing the financial and academic autonomy of the university. A shift occurred from a classical system shaped on the French model to a three-tiered pedagogical architecture known as LMD. ‘L’ stands for licence degree, a culmination of three-year or six-semester educational programs, ‘M’ stands for master degree requiring two-year or four semester educational programs after the licence degree, ‘D’ stands for the final degree, Doctorate, calling for at least three years or six semesters. The reform took place at a time when a general dissatisfaction was felt with the classical system. The latter revealed various shortcomings, among them: its failure to answer the socio-economic needs of our society, a rate of success significantly low, a mono-disciplinary approach which led to students’ limited general knowledge, teachers and students’ lack of motivation. As a result, the LMD reform came in o to overcome the limitations of the previous system. It was designed so that learners become active and autonomous participants in their learning. With this regard, learners are encouraged to not confine themselves to the information provided by teachers. Instead, they are required to perform individual work outside the classroom and they are supported by their teachers in this task via tutoring sessions. The contents as well as the methodologies of this system should aim at answering the socioeconomic needs of our society