Language in Morocco

Language in Morocco is very interesting. Depending on how you look at it, there are 4 languages in use.  First is Arabic, with two variants, the local spoken version and the standard written one.  Then there is French, which most students learn in high school, and which is the language of commerce and instruction in almost all the universities (I'm teaching in Franglais, which most of the technical terms in English, and the general discussion in French).  There is also Amazir (Berber), which is an official language but is spoken only by the Amazir people--in one of my classes, only one of the 20 students speaks Amazir.  Finally, the country knows what the international language of the world is, and is increasing instruction in English.  And all clothing (t-shirts, sweatshirts, and baseball hats) with text is in English.

Tram station in Rabat.  The tram is a great way to get around.

Sign at the station, in three languages.  Arabic, on the right, occurs where an Arabic speaker would look for it, since Arabic reads right to left.  French on the left reads left to right.  Amazir is left with the center position.

Faculty of Sciences, Mohammed V University.

Signs at the university only have French on the left, and Arabic on the right.  This is a sort of equality of the languages, where both occur where a native speaker would look for it, and no one feels their language is secondary.