Language Policy and State in Morocco: The Status of Berber

Abstract

Moroccan society has had a long tradition of multilingualism. It is socially and linguistically diverse, and its cultural makeup is one of the richest in North African countries. Its strategic location at the crossroads of Africa, Europe, and the Middle East has made Morocco open to a variety of linguistic influences. Morocco has been invaded by Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Greek, Romans, Vandals, Byzantines, Arabs, Spanish, and French. All these civilizations have deeply influenced Moroccan language policy and cultural diversity. The cultural and linguistic context of Morocco is characterized by the significant use of Arabic, as well as the presence of Berber, French, Spanish, and English. Berbers are the indigenous populations of Morocco and have existed in North Africa since time immemorial. Despite its complexity, the language policy of Morocco reveals an overarching monolingualism, with the hegemony of Classical Arabic as the only official language of the country. Recently, however, language education policy in Morocco has attempted to accommodate multilingualism. The linguistic situation of Berber has taken a new twist as it has been incorporated into the realm of Moroccan schools. The new Moroccan constitution also represents a historical turn in that it has acknowledged Berber as an official language, a move that has raised several questions with regard to the real motivation behind it. Berber implementation policy was based on an entirely topdown bureaucratic model of language policy. Moroccan policymakers and the state seem to be aware of how other dramas are playing out in Morocco and around the world as theories of multiculturalism and effects of globalization are influencing their decisions. However, this language policy encounters many hurdles, from the improvisation to lack of qualified teachers. This article is an attempt to understand the intricate diversity and plurality of Moroccan language situation and the role of the state in Berber language policy. It also examines the invisible politics behind implementing it.

Reframing Language Roles in Moroccan Higher Education: Context and Implications of the Advent of English

“…While Darija, widely known as Moroccan Arabic, and Amazigh are in principle used in informal domains, Modern Standard Arabic, French, and English are the languages of the formal domains. Many researchers (Marley 2004 ;Sadiqi 2006 ;Elboubekri 2013, Zouhir 2014 claim that Morocco is a model of multilingualism and multiculturalism thanks to its rich language system. Morocco's language diversity and cultural pluralism has resulted from Morocco's rich history and geographical position as the gate to both Africa and Europe has enriched its linguistic landscape.…”

The Historical and Social-Cultural Context of Acculturation of Moroccan-Dutch

“…Morocco is home to many different cultures (e.g., Arabs, Berbers, Africans, and Jews), but almost half of the Moroccan population is Berber (Zouhir, 2014).…”

“…The first lives in Berberophone rural areas: they speak one of the three distinguished Berber languages (Tarifit, Tamazight or Tachelhit) as their first language and learn Modern Standard Arabic and French at school (Zouhir, 2014). The second are Moroccans who live in urban places that are mainly Arabophone, such as Casablanca, Rabat, and Oujda.…”

“…This process started right after the independence of Morocco in 1956 whereby French, the language of the colonizer, was replaced by Arabic (Zouhir, 2014).…”

Learning a Language: the Gateway to Cosmopolitanism

“…Despite this Amazigh renaissance, however, Arabic is still seen as a more prestigious language than Tamazight. (Zouhir, 2014). Zouhir explains that this prestige stems from the fact that Arabic is the language of the Quran, as well as the primary language of the public domain, including business and education (p. 42).…”