Language Debates and the Changing Context of Educational Policy in Morocco

Taoufik Jaafari, Hassan II University, CasablancaFollow

Publication Date

11-15-2019

Abstract

Language is a critical basis of local identity and a vital tool for global communication. In multilingual Morocco, the issue of language instruction has been highly politicized, a factor that has contributed to poor educational practice. This article aims at providing a brief description of Morocco’s linguistic landscape together with the language policies first established in Morocco by the French colonizer. It goes on to further assess the evolution of language education policy and makes recommendations for strengthening Morocco’s multilingualism.

Author Bio(s)

Taoufik Jaafari is a Professor of English in the English Studies Department at the Faculty of Letters and Humanities Ben Msik, Hassan II University of Casablanca, Morocco. He holds a Master of Arts in Descriptive and Applied Linguistics from the University of Essex, England. He also holds a Doctorate in Applied linguistics from Hassan II University of Casablanca and the University of Newcastle. His research interests include Language Planning; Language Policy; Education Policy; Language Learning; Applied Linguistics and Study Skills.