In English, young Moroccans carve a place for themselves internationally

Do you speak english And more and more Moroccans are saying “yes!” The English language is increasingly appealing to young people who are vocal about making French the first foreign language in the country. In this sense, it is time for them to show more interest in social networking with #Yes_for_english_instad_of_french_in_Morocco (Yes to English instead of French in Morocco.) Maghreb. , ”Read the tweet released on September 29th.

According to a report released last April by the British Council in Morocco entitled “Convert to English in Morocco” two-thirds of young Moroccans believe that French should be their main language from Morocco within 5 years. The study says that 74% of the 1,200 young Moroccans surveyed (15 to 25 years old) want to make English their first foreign language.

An important asset in today’s world

According to a British Council report, 74% of respondents believe that switching to English will benefit the country’s aspirations to become an international hub for business. Some proponents of this major change believe that English is “a language that transcends all boundaries” and, if accepted, will expand the borders of Moroccan youth. In fact, English, an international language, has become indispensable in the professional world, but also the language of science, business, the Internet and the future.

Sabrin Abanuas, co-founder of digital agency Paragraph 9 Studio, needs to use English: “We use English primarily in our communications to stay as close as possible to the most international international audience in the digital industry. “But the demand not only came from outside, Morocco loved Shakespeare’s language more and more.” Most of our customers in Morocco choose English for their communication, “says Sabrin Abanuas.

School, the key to going international

In Morocco, students and high school students are asked to learn English. To meet this growing demand, English-speaking institutions such as the British International School in Casablanca or the London Academy are proliferating in the country’s major cities and coming into direct competition with the French network, which still dominates foreign schools.

However, the English-speaking network logically enables access to the international scene. To Sabrine Abanouas, “Including more English in school for future generations will open more doors and give them more opportunities by giving our youth better access to the World Wide Web”.

In fact, many new high school students want English to be high in the education system. Nora, 17, explains: “I have loved learning English since I was a child. I did not grow up in an environment conducive to this learning, but progressed on my own through movies, music and books.

This linguistic war is part of the logic of gradual and continuous evolution towards globalization, along with the economics and competitive arguments. The French, on the other hand, have nothing to fall for. The Framework Act, adopted in 2019, strengthens the French language in the educational system, paving the way for the gradual incorporation of most specializations to better prepare students for higher education.