Moroccan Language Policy and Amazigh Language Revitalization
Submitted by:
Yamina El Kirat El Allame
Abstract:
The Moroccan Language Policy and Amazigh Language Revitalization
Abstract
Due to the decades of stigmatization and marginalization the Amazigh language has been subject to in Morocco, the transmission of the language has been abandoned in favor of the second mother tongue, namely colloquial Arabic, known as Darija. As a result, some Amazigh varieties have lost their vitality in favor of Darija. Recently, however, with the change in the attitudes of the authorities, the establishment of the Royal Institute of the Amazigh Culture, the introduction of Amazigh in the Moroccan educational fabric as well as the constitutional recognition of the language as the second official language of Morocco, the status of Amazigh has somehow improved and new prospects for its revitalization have been launched, as it is evident in the provisions of article five of the 2011 constitution.
The aim of the present study is to investigate the extent to which the changes in the Moroccan language policy have contributed to the revitalization of Amazigh at the level of education, language use and media landscape. It also purports to find out whether such changes in the language policy have influenced peoples’ attitudes and awareness of the Amazigh issue. The study makes use of triangulation where of both quantitative and qualitative paradigms are used. A sample consisting of 200 participants from the region of Rabat - Sale has been considered on grounds of convenience. The sample represents different age groups, gender, educational background as well as mother tongues. The study puts forward the premise that the state’s language policy has not really contributed to a change in peoples’ attitudes towards Amazigh due to The State’s lack of will to implement the provisions of article five of the 201 Constitution. In order to meet the objectives set for the research, the study addresses three research questions
(i) To what extent have the changes in the Moroccan language policy contributed to the revitalization of Amazigh? (ii) What is the impact of the Moroccan language policy on peoples’ attitudes towards Amazigh? (iii) To what extent have such changes influenced peoples’ awareness of the Amazigh issue?
The data analysis and interpretation will shed light on the revitalization issue and the process of loss the Amazigh language has been undergoing.
Key words: Language Policy, Amazigh language Revitalization, Amazigh Officialization, Language Attitudes.
References:
Boukous, A. (2012), Revitalisation de l’amazighe. Défis, enjeux et stratégies, Rabat, Publications de l’IRCAM.
EL KIRAT. Y. (2008b). Bilingualism, Language Teaching, Language Transmission and Language Endangerment: The Case of Amazigh in Morocco. In Endangered Languages and Language Learning. Frysky Academy, It Aljemint, Ljouwert/Leeuwarden, the Netherlands.
Errihani, M. (2008). 'Language attitudes and language use in Morocco: effects of attitudes on 'Berberlanguage policy'', The Journal of North African Studies, 13: 4, 411 — 428