French language in Morocco

French and Arabic coexist in Moroccan administration and business.

French is one of the languages spoken in Morocco. The use of French is a colonial legacy of the French protectorate (1912–1956).[1] French has no officially recognised status in Morocco,[2] but is often used for business, diplomacy, and government,[3] serving as a lingua franca with non-Moroccans and non-Arabs.[4] Aleya Rouchdy, author of Language Contact and Language Conflict in Arabic, said that "For all practical purposes, French is used as a second language."[5] In recent years the influence of French has been challenged by that of English.[6][7] Nevertheless, French continues to serve as a means of bridging the country "not only to Europe but also to Francophone Africa.".[8]

Estimates of French speakers in Morocco vary by sources. According to the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie, 33% of Moroccans spoke French in 2007, 13.5% being fully francophone (fluent speakers) and 19.5% partially francophone.[9]

  1. ^ Miller, Susan Gilson (2013). A History of Modern Morocco. New York: Cambridge University Press. p. 139. ISBN 978-1-139-62469-5. OCLC 855022840.
  2. ^ "Constitution". Maroc.ma. 2013-04-11. Archived from the original on 2018-11-10. Retrieved 2020-03-14.
  3. ^ "Morocco". CIA World Factbook. Archived from the original on 2021-01-09. Retrieved 2021-06-03. French (often the language of business, government, and diplomacy)
  4. ^ "Bitter Fruit: where Donegal's jobs went". Irish Independent. January 16, 1999. Archived from the original on March 14, 2020. Retrieved October 15, 2012. Behind the locked gates and the sign saying `Interdit au Public' (forbidden to the public) French is the lingua franca in Morocco)[...]
  5. ^ Aleya Rouchdy (2002). Language Contact and Language Conflict in Arabic: Variations on a Sociolinguistic Theme. Psychology Press. p. 73. ISBN 978-0-7007-1379-0. Archived from the original on 2020-01-26. Retrieved 2016-10-18.
  6. ^ "Moroccans want English to replace French as country's first official foreign language". Middle East Eye. Retrieved 22 September 2021.
  7. ^ "Asma Invest Puts Its Weight Behind English Education In Morocco". Morocco World News.
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference Pieprzakxxvii was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ La Francophonie dans le monde, 2006–2007 [La Francophonie in the world, 2006–2007] (PDF) (in French), Paris: Nathan (for the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie), 2007, p. 16, ISBN 978-209-882177-4, archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-12-24, retrieved 15 October 2012