Michelle Saks on Multilingualism in Morocco

By: Michelle Saks

March 29, 2011

Any elementary student of the Arabic language quickly confronts a daunting reality: learning Classical Arabic will not allow one to bargain in an Arab marketplace or direct a cab driver. Furthermore, one must acknowledge that the ability to communicate in one dialect may only make it possible to function effectively in one Arab nation. Thus, it is probable that knowledge of Moroccan darija will be less useful in Egypt than English. Proving to be irksome to foreign students of the language, this reality presents Arabs with undoubtedly more serious problems.

Throughout the Arab world, debate ensues regarding the future of the Arabic language and the growing discrepancy between its classical form and colloquial dialects. Bewilderment regarding the future of the Arabic language is assuredly not a new phenomenon. Scholars, linguists, and anthropologists continue to debate the deterioration of Classical Arabic, the prevalence of colloquial vernaculars, and the effects of foreign languages throughout the region. While Classical Arabic appears in newspapers, literature, and television broadcasts, it does not function as an oral form of communication. From my experience, Egypt’s linguistic difficulties, although significant, pale in comparison to Morocco’s extremely complicated language situation.

Depending upon geographic location, social status, and personal inclination, Moroccans generally use several languages on a daily basis. Consequently, Arabic, Berber, and French dominate written and oral communication. Although the official language of Morocco is Classical Arabic, the mother tongue of most Moroccans is the non-written, colloquial variant known as darija or Moroccan Arabic. The widespread use of Spanish and English as well as three different dialects of Berber further exacerbates the situation.

As a result of French colonization and socioeconomic demands, French maintains a prominent, almost hegemonic place in Morocco. In Rabat, French and Arabic are almost completely interchangeable. From listening to news broadcasts to reading magazines and holding conversations with shop owners and waiters, one finds that French is ubiquitous. In many Moroccan cities, one may even argue that knowledge of French is more useful than Arabic.

Although some Moroccans see French as a reminder of colonization, most view it as an opportunity for advancement and an integral component of Moroccan culture. Taught alongside Arabic in schools, French dominates higher education. Furthermore, in a study of Moroccan students and teachers, an overwhelming majority responded that they did not think Arabic could replace French in a scholarly setting. This reality begs important questions about the future of the Arabic language in Morocco and the notion of “mother tongue” in the Arab world. Will French and English overtake Arabic as the formal language of instruction in all universities? Will Moroccan Arabic gradually integrate more French words?

The Moroccan government’s implementation of educational reforms reflects a deep, official concern for the potential risks posed by Morocco’s language situation. However, my conversations with Moroccans reveal opposite feelings towards the many foreign and native languages utilized in homes, schools, and suuqs. In reality, Moroccans point to their linguistic prowess and ability to speak many languages as their greatest strength. Interacting with Moroccans, young and old, serves to underscore the embrace of multilingualism as an integral component of Moroccan national identity.

Moroccans’ historical opposition to French attempts to “divide and concur” native Arab and Berber populations as well as their present hostility towards such notions further emphasizes Moroccan satisfaction with their linguistic diversity. While other Arabs and students of the Arabic language may find the existence of distinct spoken dialects of Arabic and the influx of foreign languages troubling, Moroccans are not troubled by these issues. For them, it is simply not a problem or mashee mushkal in Moroccan Arabic.

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