French language in Morocco
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
French is one of the languages spoken in Morocco. The use of French is a colonial legacy of the French protectorate (1912–1956).[1] French has no officially recognised status in Morocco,[2] but is often used for business, diplomacy, and government,[3] serving as a lingua franca with non-Moroccans and non-Arabs.[4] Aleya Rouchdy, author of Language Contact and Language Conflict in Arabic, said that "For all practical purposes, French is used as a second language."[5] In recent years the influence of French has been challenged by that of English.[6][7] Nevertheless, French continues to serve as a means of bridging the country "not only to Europe but also to Francophone Africa.".[8]
Estimates of French speakers in Morocco vary by sources. According to the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie, 33% of Moroccans spoke French in 2007, 13.5% being fully francophone (fluent speakers) and 19.5% partially francophone.[9]