Morocco's Linguistic Landscape

This book adopts an historical analysis of the events that have shaped Morocco’s linguistic landscape and informed its identity, reflecting on the current language situation. Since Morocco’s independence and even before, generations of Moroccans have been exposed to and practiced a variety of languages. This book analyzes the role of languages and language planning in the changes that Morocco has witnessed over the last five decades. Despite the official status of Arabic language, other languages, such as Tamazight (or Berber) and Hassanya, have been recognized as part of the Moroccan cultural fabric. Many professionals used or came in contact with various languages during social encounters, while at work, during their educational experiences, when dealing with government officials or while reading or listening to the media. These experiences have had an important impact on many generations because of the constant changes in language policies that followed political and ideological shifts in the country. These changes in language policies and planning in Morocco have been instrumental in shaping not only individuals’ experiences but also their attitudes towards languages and identity. These experiences have transformed how identity and languages are perceived in Morocco and they may influence Moroccan’s attitudes towards languages and identity for years to come. This book explores the ideological undercurrents that are shaping the sociolinguistic landscape in Morocco. As the country takes a new direction in language planning by reinstating French as a Mode of Instruction and reversing years of Arabization, it aims to help elucidate some aspects of the current socio-cultural and sociolinguistic changes and shed light on potential future developments.