l’Apprentissage du Français dans le Contexte Plurilingue Marocain = The Learning of French in a Moroccan Multilingual Context

Abstract

Since the era of colonialism, French remains a living language in Morocco. However, its presence changes perpetually in form and competes with the other languages at work in the linguistic field in the country, namely the Arabic language. It ensue that French passes from a status combining the language as a school subject and the language as medium of instruction to another status of a language taught at the primary and the secondary school on one hand, and a language as medium of instruction at the university on the other hand. Admittedly, at the beginning, the competition was only between French and classical Arabic; but the gradual rise of the Moroccan Arabic dialect and the official integration of the Amazighe enrich and complicate at the same time the linguistic panel where other foreign languages constantly assert themselves at different degrees. Such a linguistic situation raises questions in terms of education, communication and the labor market on the role, status and value of co-existing languages, namely French.