Moroccan darija - popular language or lost in translation?

Noureddine Ayouch affirms that Darija is the language of Moroccans and is spoken  by 95% of the population.He asserts that Darija is not only used orally but is widely used in the creative arts,novels and plays and is,he says the way Moroccans express themselves.


He wants Classical Arabic and Darija to exist in harmony . He says that the Moroccan child is forced to learn languages that do not benefit them such as Arabic,French,English and Spanish.


The child does not know what to learn and is lost. Darija should be the language of instruction from school through to university. The ZEF is developing  a darija dictionary and a teaching manual. Darija should be used in all fields; scientific, economic, cultural, media, educational and literary.  Noureddine Ayouche concludes that the elevation of  Darija as a written and oral language  is now a necessity to reconcile Moroccans  with themselves.


In a recent issue of Jeune Afrique ( JA ) the magazine tackles the issue of dialects in an article entitled : Tamazight, Darija, French? Morocco is "lost in translation". It notes that the lanuage issue is a topic of hot debate in Morocco with the formalisation of Tamazight, the rehabilitation of Darija and the place of the French language in Morocco.


The fact that a majority of Moroccans also speak or understand Tamazight, the local Arabic (Darija) is itself widely Long denied by education institutions, linguistic diversity is primarily a social fact. This fact has also produced an interesting concept: the tamaghribit. This neologism coined by mimicry with the Amazigh language refers to the irreducible part of the Moroccan identity.


However multi linguism also creates problems according to JA. It affects  social cohesion, academic learning and employability, it says. The language question has also moved into the political arena with the islamist PJD trying to reduce the use of the French language and promote the use of Arabic. Politics to be successful must use the majority language, a commentator points out.


Large portions of the country are still considered  Berber: the classic division distinguishes tarifit countries (North), one of tachelhit (Centre) and that of Tamazight (South Souss, Anti-Atlas), which provide many variations of the Berber language. Portugese,Spnish and French have also entered the Darija dialect. The effect of so many linguistic influences on the Moroccan education system has been profound.The educations system is mainly French with the exception of Arabic letters, theology and part of the law.


The Moroccan middle class insist on a French education preferably taught by French institutions, JA says.French is not an official language as Arabic and Tamazight are but  it is the preffered language of power and the elite and  crucial for employment prospects. This clashes with the increasing Arab awareness of Moroccans,artists
and Intellectuals  and the media support the increasing use of Darija, JA notes upgrading it in the education system as the main means of expression  edarija has absorbed many languages but will its use as an official language further isolate Morocco , especially in the Arab world ? JA concludes.