Shawiya language
Shawiya, or Shawiya Berber, also spelt Chaouïa (native form: "Tacawit" ), is a Zenati Berber language spoken in Algeria by the Shawiya people. The language's primary speech area is the Awras Mountains in Eastern Algeria and the surrounding areas ,including parts of Western Tunisia, including Batna, Khenchela, Sétif, Oum El Bouaghi, Souk Ahras, Tébessa and the northern part of Biskra. It is closely related to the Shenwa language of Central Algeria. Language. The Shawiya people call their language "Tacawit" ("Thashawith") ( or ). It is also known as Numidian Berber. Estimates of number of speakers range from 1.4 to 3  million speakers. The French spelling of "Chaouïa" is commonly seen, due to the influence of French conventions on Algeria. Other spellings are "Chaoui", "Shawia", "Tachawit", "Thachawith", "Tachaouith" and "Thchèwith". In Shawiya, the leading – pronounced in that phonetic environment – is often reduced to an , so the native name is often heard as "Hašawiθ". Shawiya Berber was, until recently, an unwritten language and rarely taught at school. As the Shawiya people were predominantly rural and secluded, they often code-switch to Algerian Arabic, French or even English to discuss non-traditional technology and sociological concerns. Recently, the Shawiya language, together with the  Kabyle language, has begun to achieve some cultural and media prominence thanks to the Berber cultural and political movements in Algeria and to the introduction of Berber language education in some public schools.