Moroccan Arabic on the Prowl

Abstract

The developments that are increasingly taking place in the communication and technology scene are indubitably advantageous, but they are also risky. This study looks into an issue that has generated a heated debate among different actors in the Moroccan community from a different perspective though. Besides considering the cultural weight of foreign soft products, which are invading the second widely-viewed channel, 2M, this paper essentially considers the linguistic impact of 2M’s practice of dubbing many occidental broadcasts into the local dialect, Moroccan Arabic (MA). Such dubbing is fostered by the recourse of diverse businesses to MA in their advertising policy by transcribing MA using French and/or Standard Arabic (SA) script.
While it is true that customers have already extensively used MA whether in chatting platforms or when dispatching messages over cellulars not equipped with Arabic keyboards, this practice, I strongly believe, is not without any consequences. For, many academicians, such as Abdellah Läroui, are worried that these novel communication behaviors on the part of media networks, companies and consumers endanger SA, cultural heritage and identity. In accordance, I claim that this onslaught waged by Moroccan media avenues alongside firms entails both linguistic and cultural perils for the community. This paper articulates such worries, delineates the implications of both positions and proposes recommendations for redressing the situation.