EL teaching and learning:

Do learners have the

choice?
Rachid El Ouardi

On the status of English in Morocco

English usage has
been growing
rapidly throughout
Morocco, as the
country further
opens to the larger
world and youth
seek out better
educational and
employment
opportunities.

Despite the widespread

interest and general
support for English in
Morocco, little
empirical research
has been conducted
on the growth of
English in Morocco
and its expanding
influence and role in
the country.

Nonetheless, there is a growing body of literature on

students motivations for studying English (Buckner, 2008;
Ennaji, 2005; Sadiqi, 1991). In general, these studies have
found that Moroccans motivations for studying English
are primarily instrumental, as English is required both to
pass the high school graduation exam and makes youth
more competitive in the labour market. Other important
reasons for Moroccans interest in English include: to
pursue higher education abroad or at Al-Akhawayn,
Moroccos elite English medium university, Euro-med
University which requires English for the admission, to
access the internet, and to communicate with tourists and
foreigners. There are also important cultural elements to
students motivations for learning English, as many
Moroccan youth seek to understand American media and
become familiar with foreign cultures.

it seems to be a
serious rival of French
in higher education
(particularly in
scientific research
matters);
It is used in a number
of domains such as
call centers, scientific
writings,;
It is taught in high
schools + there are
an number of famous
English private
centers ()

Yes, English is there, strong and needed, as

a global lge. Global lge means it is It is
widely considered that the English
language has become the lingua franca,
the language used for communication
between peoples living in different
countries in the world.
As a global lge, English has managed to
infiltrate into Morocco as a lge of
international communication, lge of
scxentific research, lge of internet, lge of
business, so to speak. So, Morocco, like
many other countries, has, by force or
choice, to accommodate this linguistic
fact.
Needless to say, globalization boosted the
need for English lge proficiency amongst
people, in particular those willing to excel
in the field of IT and business affairs.

Reasons and motivation behind English learning

Given that Morocco has historically

been a multilingual country, it is
expected that Moroccans are more
open to learning foreign languages.
What are the reasons and motives?