Parents and Teachers attitudes towards Amazigh language and its teaching

53 Pages·2021·0.67 MB·English

Parents and Teachers attitudes towards Amazigh
language and its teaching

By
Abd samad Moutaafif

Prof Hassan Belhiah, Advisor

End-of-studies Project Manufascript Submitted to
The department of English Language and Literature
In partial Fulfillment of the requirements for
The Degree of Bachelor of Arts

MOHAMMED V UNIVERSITY
RABAT
MOROCCO

June, 10, 2016

I
Acknowledgment

First of all I would like to thank our god for leading me to the right path to
complete my research paper and to thank my advisor Prof Hassan Belhiah who
assisted and guided me to choose this research topic.
Not to forget all my family members especially my father and my mother who
financially and morally supported and motivated me to complete my research paper as
well as my daughters’ aunt who allowed me to stay in their second house without
paying any rent or taxes.
Also, my thanks go to all the informants who have filled and shared their attitudes
and views towards this topic.
Last but not least, I would like to express my appreciation to the regional director
Abd rahman Belyazeed, the department of educational affairs in Sale who gave me
the authorization to make a field research to visit elementary and middle schools in
region of Sale such as Fatima Lfihrya school, Ibno Toumart school, Hmman Lftwaki
school, Ibno Aabad school, and Abo Bakr Lkaderi school.

II
Contents
Abstract………………………………………………..……....1
INTRODUCTION………………………………………….....2
CHAPTERI:REVIEW Of LITERATURE………...…......…6
1- Introduction……………………………………………………………………..….7
2- key concepts Defintions…………………………………………………………....7
2-1- language shift……………………………………...……………………..........7
2-2- Language planning……………………………………………………..…...…8
2-3- Language policy ……………………………………………………..………..8
3- The linguistic situation in Morocco…...…..…..........................................................8
3-1- Introduction………………………………………………………….……......9
3-2 - Multilingualism ………………………………………………..….……......10
3-3 - Official, national and minority languages…………….…….........................11
3-4- Varieties of Amazigh and Arabic languages……………………………...…13
3-5- Foreign languages…………………………………………………………....19
a- French……………………………………………………………………...20
b- English…………………………………………………………………….21
c- Spanish….....................................................................................................21
4 -- Language Attitudes………………………………………………………...…..22
4-1- Introduction……………………………………...…………………………...22
4-2- Language Attitudes in Morocco……..……………..…………………….…..23
4-3- Attitudes towards amazigh language ………………………………….……..23
4-4- Attitudes towards teaching Amazigh language…............................................24
4-5- Conclusion……………………………………………………………………26
CHAPTER II: DATA AND METHODOLOG…………….27
A- Introduction…………………………………………………………...….……28
B- Research questions ………………………………………………...…….….....28
C- Method and research design……………………………………..….……...…..28
D- Research instrument……………………………………………………………28
1- The questionnaire………………………………………………………...….29
2- Interviews…………………………………………………………………....30
E- Research variables………………………….………………………………......31
F- Conclusion…………………………………………………………………...…33
CHAPTER III: Findings….……….………...………………34
A- Introduction.……………..………………………...…35
B- Parents and teachers attitudes towards Amazigh and its teaching……...……35

C- Discussion…………....…………………………………………………….....42
CHAPTER IV: CONCLUSION……………………………………………………...45
REFERENCES……………………..………………...…..….48
Questionnaire…………..……………..……...……..……….49
III
-Appendix 1: English version…………………….………………………………..49
-Appendix 2: Arabic version…………………………………………………..…...53

IV
Abstract
This paper discusses the attitudes of parents and teachers towards Amazigh language
and its teaching in Morocco. The purpose of this study and the research I’m
investigating is to get attitudes of parents and teachers towards this language and
teaching it in educational schools.
Teaching Amazigh language is considered to be a legitimate right and an
instrument for achieving great goals that will serve our educational system, cultural
and social integration among different components of the society. In other words,
learning this language and Amazigh culture is not only a goal as far as it is the main
value for achieving many purposes which will generally benefit the learner
generations and specifically Moroccan people.
In reference to the result of this study, it was claiming that the majority of teachers
and parents hold positive attitudes towards Amazigh language and its teaching, in
that they agreed to be taught in schools and used in media and teachers believed that it
should also be used in hospitals and why not in parliament or government.
Learning this language can develop identity pride and values of citizenship.
Furthermore, it will enable learners to engage in many different areas of life, and also
to be open to the existence of other cultures and civilizations. In the same way,
Amazigh is introduced in technology and scientific subjects in Moroccan schools and

universities.

CHAPTER I: Introduction
1
The discussion will revolve about attitudes of parents and teachers towards
Amazigh and its teaching in the educational institutions in Morocco. The main goal of
teaching this language is to protect its linguistic and cultural diversity in region or
states. Morocco is seen as a multilingual country that is controlling different effective
languages and teaching Amazigh will strengthen its significance as part of Moroccan
identity.
Berber or Amazigh language is the indigenous language of morocco. It may die
because of the impact of global linguistic diversity that is written and spoken by few
communities. Amazigh language was indirectly marginalized since independence in
1956. The reason behind this marginalization was maybe because amazigh people
were isolated from other communities, or there was a lack of integration in the
development of their countries, or because the arrival of the Arabs prevented the
Berber language from developing a written form. However, because of the decline of
Amazigh, linguists and the authorities created an academic institution of amazigh
culture for the revitalization of language and its culture. Samantha Rose said in her
Book ‘the Mother Tongue in Morocco: the politics of an Indigenous Education’ that
“In 1994 King Hassan II advocated local dialects in primary education, prompting
King Mohammed VI (his son) to set up l’Institut Royal de la Culture Amazigh
(IRCAM) to preserve the indigenous language and culture, and promote fuller
integration of the indigenous populace into mainstream Moroccan society”. The
Royal Institute for Amazigh Culture (IRCAM) was created on October 17th 2001
declaring that Amazigh language is a significant component of culture heritage of the
main Moroccan identity and therefore it is the monarchy’s responsible to protect and
promote its culture (Venema and Mguild 2003 p. 37)
2
Language shift, language planning and policy and language attitudes in morocco
are the main topics of the study related to this research paper. In this research I will
try to answer three questions. To begin with, (1) what are parents and teachers
attitudes towards Amazigh language? 2-What are parents and teachers attitudes
towards teaching Amazigh language? 3- What are the stimulating factors behind these
attitudes? Also the research variables will be included in this study starting with age
variable, gender variable and mother tongue variable and not to forget the region of
Sale and Rabat where the study will be investigated on the attitudes of parents and
teachers.
This paper is divided into three chapters. In the first place, it represents the review
of literature in which will shed light on the definitions of key concepts such as
language shift, language planning and policy and the linguistic situation in Morocco
which contains official, national and minority languages; phenomenon of
multilingualism and foreign languages. Later on we will deal with the concept
language attitudes, teachers and parents attitudes towards amazigh language and its
teaching.
The second chapter is dealing with data and methodology of this study. We will be
explaining research questions and design that are used to investigate on the research
problem namely quantitative approach which focuses on questionnaires and
interviews to collect data and to find out information. Also, the questionnaire
Interviews are involved in this study as a research instrument. Teachers and parents
are the main Participants we will focus on in elementary and middle schools regarding
their responses.
3
The aim of this quantitative method is to get attitudes of people in a structured way so
that we can produce hard facts and get reliable statistical results in a large number.
The intention behind including this part is to highlight the overview linguistic for the
reader.

CHAPTER II:
4
Review of Literature

1- Introduction
The chapter is divided into three parts: First there is language shift, language
planning and policy. Second part is concentrated on linguistic situation in Morocco
which includes official, national and minority languages; phenomenon of
multilingualism and foreign languages. The last part will revolve about language
attitudes, parents and teachers attitudes towards amazigh language and its teaching.
2- Language shift, language planning and language policy
Language shift is very common and has a universal rule for all languages. It refers
to a speech community that share a native language but abandon it and shift to
speaking another language. It is taking place over time for linguistic and
sociolinguistic markers by replacing speaking language from public to private
domains such as family or neighborhood. Simply put that language shift refers to
language replacement or language assimilation. For that reason, language planning
and policy are very significant for every language to maintain and preserve its
linguistic rights from shifting or extinction.
Language policy is referring to decision-making processes and the setting of goals
by Government officially or politically in how languages are used, whereas language
planning referring to the implementation of such plans for achieving these goals. That
is to say the policies are stated but not implemented. (Language and education by
Gibson Ferguson, chapter Two: the practice of language planning)
5
In this manner, language planning is the process in which language is used and
formed in particular society. It is an interesting issue as well as a situation in which
linguistic experts or the authorities create rules and guidelines of language such as
Grammar rules, dictionaries and vocabularies.
There are three types of language planning:
 Status planning: change the way language is used. To put it differently
making language an official one, it is often used for creating a writing
system of a spoken language. Status planning is focusing on functions of
language in a country in different domains like education and
government.
 Corpus planning: is focusing on the social standing of a language
creating new words, expressions or changes of old words .Also creating
standard language such as spelling, grammar or dictionaries. It is
focusing on language form such as graphization, standardization,
modernization.
 Acquisition planning is concerned with goals to influence aspects of
language learning and literacy via education. Language acquisition
planning is included as the main reason for reviving a language for
example students in the elementary and secondary schools studying
through Welsh language as their native or second language.
3- The linguistic situation in Morocco
3-1- Introduction
6