By Elizabeth Strachan
The Storymap “Language and Society: An Exploration of the Lasting Impact of Colonialism on Language in Morocco” seeks to explore the many different languages spoken in Morocco and understand their significance in the cultural history as well as in the memory of the people of Morocco. While the government of Morocco promotes an education and employment system based in Standardized Arabic and French, the people of Morocco speak the dialect of Moroccan Arabic, also called Darija, and the indigenous Amazigh language. Although Darija is mostly a spoken language, it is historically the language used by the Moroccan people for centuries, it is not valued by the government, which chooses to prioritize the standardized languages as a practical way to globalize their economy. Darija also includes components of French and Spanish from the colonial period, as it is a language that has grown and changed with its people. Instead of honoring this language, the government chooses to attempt to westernize and become closer allies with their former colonizers, leading to the creation of a system of inequality based on knowledge of multiple languages, rather than standardizing the language of their people. The Amazigh language was also not recognized until 2011, and speakers of this language struggle in a country based in Arabic and French. The timeline included within this map will show the major events relating to language from the time of the French protectorate to the modern period, and how there have been both positive moves forward and many stalemates in change. The timeline also will show how the Amazigh language gaining recognition was a massive milestone, but also showed just how underrecognized Darija is. Though there are some practical benefits to this attempt to Arabize and Westernize, it is an erasure of culture and leads to complex social issues. This StoryMap will portray the different languages of Morocco, how they are taught in schools, and how the lasting effects of this disconnect between people and government impacts Moroccans.