¹Abderazaq ICHOU,²Said FATHI

¹PhD candidate, Laboratory of Languages, Literatures and Translations, Faculty of Arts & Humanities Mohammedia, University Hassan II, Casablanca, Morocco

²Professor of English & Linguistics, Laboratory of Languages, Literatures and Translations, Faculty of Arts & Humanities Mohammedia, University Hassan II, Casablanca, Morocco.

DOI : https://doi.org/10.47191/ijsshr/v5-i8-49

Google Scholar Download Pdf
ABSTRACT

It has been almost two decades now since the Amazigh language has been integrated in the Moroccan education system. Morocco decided, after the King Mohammed the sixth famous speech in Ajdir in 2001, to make Amazigh language officially taught in Moroccan schools. Amazigh language started as a school subject in 317 primary schools in 2003, with the hope of covering all the Moroccan schools in 2010. However, the reality nowadays is completely the opposite. Even after another decade Amazigh language covers only 5% of Moroccan schools. This state of fact shows that there is a wide gap between official discourse at the macro level about the Amazigh educational policy and the implementation of this policy at the micro level. The objective of this paper is to investigate the manifestations and effects of the gap between macro and micro levels of language policy and planning concerning Amazigh language in Moroccan education system. The central questions that this paper is trying to answer are the following: i) how is the gap between macro and micro levels of language policy manifested in the Amazigh education policy? ii) How does this gap affect the status of the Amazigh language in Moroccan primary schools? To achieve the focal objective and answer the central questions of this paper, first we will analyze the vision of the policymakers at the macro level to enact the full integration of the Amazigh language in Moroccan schools. Second, to tackle the implementation part of the Amazigh education policy at the micro level, a questionnaire is addressed to Amazigh language teachers at primary schools. The focus of the questionnaire is twofold: a) have a clear image of the situation of Amazigh language at the micro level. b) Derive the challenges that hamper the implementation of the macro level policies at the micro level.

KEYWORDS:

Amazigh language, education policy, macro planning, micro planning, teachers.

REFERENCES

Articles and books
1) Bamgbose, A. (2000). Language planning in West Africa.

2) Baldauf Jr, R. B. (2006). Rearticulating the case for micro language planning in a language ecology context. Current Issues in Language Planning, 7(2-3), 147-170.

3) Berardi-Wiltshire, A. (2017). Endangered languages in the home: the role of family language policies in the revitalisation of indigenous languages. Revista Linguística/Revista do Programa de Pós-Graduação em Linguística da Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro. Volume, 13(1).

4) Bouziane, A. (2020). Linguistic diversity in the Moroccan education system :( un) equal opportunities. Plural Morocco: Multiculturalism and Identity, 39-54.

5) Carspecken, P. (1996). Critical ethnography in educational research: A theoretical and practical guide. New York, NY: Routledge. Castles, S, 56, 109w-126.

6) Ferguson, C. A. (1959). Diglossia. Word, 15(2), 325-340.

7) Fishman, J. A., & Ferguson, C. A. (1968). Language problems of developing nations (p. 146). J. Dasgupta (Ed.). New York: Wiley.

8) Haugen, E. (1966). Dialect, language, nation 1. American anthropologist, 68(4), 922-935

9) Hornberger, N. H. (2006). Frameworks and models in language policy and planning. An introduction to language policy: Theory and method, 24, 41.

10) Lewis, E. G. (1981). Bilingualism and bilingual education. Oxford: Pergamon.

11) Liddicoat J.A. and Baldauf Jr., (2008). Language Planning in Local Contexts: Agents, Contexts and Interactions.inLanguage Planning and Policy: Language Planning in Local Contexts, Liddicoat J.A. and Baldauf Jr (Ed.), MULTILINGUAL MATTERS LTD Clevedon • Buffalo • Toronto

12) Liddicoat, A. J., & Taylor-Leech, K. (2014). Micro language planning for multilingual education: Agency in local contexts. Current issues in language planning, 15(3), 237-244.

13) Nekvapil, J. (2011). The history and theory of language planning. In Handbook of research in second language teaching and learning (pp. 871-887). Routledge.

14) Pennycook, A. (1994). The Cultural Politics of English as an International. Language. London: Longman.

15) Ricento, T. (2006). Language policy: Theory and practice–An introduction. An introduction to language policy: Theory and method, 10, 23.

16) Ricento T., (2000). Historical and Theoritical Perspectives in Language policy and Planning. Journal of Sociolinguistics 4/2, 196-213.

17) Richard B. Baldauf Jr (2006). Rearticulating the Case for Micro Language Planning in Language Ecology Context, Current Issues in Lnaguge Planning, 7:2-3, 147-170, DOI: 10.2167/clip092.0

18) Shohamy, E. (2006). Language policy: Hidden agendas and new approaches. Routledge.

19) Spolsky, B., & Shohamy, E. (2000). Language practice, language ideology, and language policy. Language policy and pedagogy: Essays in honour of A. Ronald Walton, 1-41.

20) Spolsky, B. (2004). Language Policy. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

21) Spolsky, B. (2009). Language Management. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

22) Tollefson, J. W. (1991). Planning language, planning inequality. New York, 12

23) Zouhir, A. (2014). Language Policy and State in Morocco: The Status of Berber. Digest of Middle East Studies, 23(1), 37– 53. doi:10.1111/dome.12039

Documents
1) Berber Decree, 1930.

2) Ministry Circular 116, 26 September 2008: Organisation of the Teaching of Amazigh Language.

3) Ministry Circular 133, 12 October 2007: Integration of Amazigh Language in school.

4) Ministry Circular 130, 12 September 2006: Organising the Teaching of Amazigh Language and providing trainings for its teachers.

5) Ministry Circular 90, 19 Aout 2005: Organisation the Teaching of Amazigh Language and provide trainings for its teachers.

6) Ministry Circular 82, 20 July 2004: Organisation of Training Sessions in Pedagogy and Didactics of Amazigh Language.

7) Ministry Circular 108, 1 September 2003: Integration of Amazigh Language in school.

8) Moroccan consititution, 2011, official Press, Series of “legal Moroccan Documents”, 2011 edition

9) Organic law 26/16: The Steps of Enacting the Official Character of the Amazigh Language and Ways to Integrate it in the Education Sector and other Priority Areas of Public Life.

10) Royal Decree, 17 October 2001: Creation of the Royal Institute of Amazigh Language and Culture.

11) Royal speech, 20 August 1994.

12) Royal speech, 30 July, 2001.

13) Royal speech, 31 October, 2001.

VOlUME 05 ISSUE 08 AUGUST 2022