Academic Year :2013-20134 Department :English Language and Literature Filière :TEFL Master program Semester : 3, MODULE 9 Course : ESP Faculté des Lettres
ESP AND MOROCCO
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English is growing in popularity among younger Moroccans, driven by a perception that it improves improves career prospects, There is an increasing exposure to social media me dia such as Facebook and Twitter, which predominantly use English as an international medium.
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The next biggest driver for English language comes from young Moroccans hoping to pursue higher education in countries such as the UK, the US and Canada;
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The tourism sectors has traditionally been one of the driving forces of the Moroccan economy, Nowadays, the government is keen to diversify the economy by developing new tech-led industries, such as aeronautic equipment manufacturing, and offshoring, The country’s proximity to markets in the EU as well as lower production costs (especially in terms of labour) is proving attractive, and a variety of multinational companies have set up operations in the Kingdom.
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The Financial Times’ specialist division FDI Intelligence named Morocco the African Country of the Future 2011/12 due to its ongoing success in attracting foreign direct investment (FDI);
The government is seeking to attract more FDI and multinational companies to Morocco, with the aim of developing the country’s position in the global economy.
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English skills are a primary tool in the new global market, and there is growing recognition by the government that levels of English will need to be improved within the country’s business environment in order for this to happen.
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Although French remains the principal language of business in Morocco, English is becoming more Popular; This is a result of the growing number of companies actively seeking to have working fluency in English in support of their international operations, as well as the dominance of English in new technologies, notably IT;
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With growing urbanisation, demand for English is also expected to rise in Morocco, as the working environment in cities increasingly requires English skills for the best jobs. The strongest demand for English tuition therefore currently comes from private individuals. The government is keen on improvign the quality of public education; However, it seems that only private educational institutions in Morocco are more able to offer their students quality foreign language education, including English; However, most Moroccans cannot afford private education due to the high costs involved.
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Eighty-five per cent of Moroccans consider speaking English beneficial for the country; While acknowledging the importance of Arabic and French, many Moroccans agree that speaking English will be beneficial for Morocco at a national level; The reasons being that it enables them to carry on: –
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international business, and International trade, along with facilitating effective international dialogue with non-Arab countries
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With many foreign investments currently taking place in Morocco, most Moroccans believe that learning English will contribute to the overall development of the country
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Moroccan English speakers in 2011: 14% of the total population Salary gap between someone who can speak English and someone who cannot: 12% Ranking of benefits of English in the workforce (1= not beneficial at all and 5= very beneficial): 3.25 Level of English required for recruitment: – – – –
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14% (1/7) Fluent 29% (2/7) Good 29% (2/7) Intermediate 28% (2/7) Basic
The improvement of the Moroccan economy is likely to increase the attraction of Morocco for multinational companies, further reinforcing increased demand for English in the future.
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Broadly speaking, English is the fourth most commonly spoken language in Morocco; Key tourist destinations and large cities such as Casablanca, Rabat, Tangiers, Marrakesh, Agadir and Fez have larger numbers of English speakers compared to other parts of the country, This trend reflects their status as both economic centres and tourist destinations
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the key factors driving the increase in the number of English speakers in Morocco are mainly: –
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Demographic changes, growing urbanisation, and the increasing number of women seeking education
We can also note that there has been a surge in the use of English, especially among younger Moroccans using the language when browsing the internet,
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English is the fourth most important language in Morocco after Arabic, French and Berber for the obvious reasons we know of; There is a gradually emerging trend for English study at higher education level; Graduates become more aware of the benefits of the language; There is a widely held view that English skills are more likely to open opportunities to international business careers.
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The role of the government is limited in promoting English education in Morocco; Demand for English tuition essentially comes from individuals seeking to learn the language; They need it to communicate via social networking sites; They also need it to improve their employment prospects with multinational companies both within and outside Morocco;
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Morocco has very few higher education institutions where courses are taught exclusively in English; One exception to this is Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane; This university is based on American higher education standards, and English is the key medium of instruction;
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An officer of a leading American non-profit organisation dealing in education, training and development in the MENA region declared : “We’re now seeing the government sending its employees to learn English; about half of them pay for their courses, with the other half subsidised by the state. Awareness of the benefits of learning English is gradually gaining importance, noticeably among the younger population in Morocco.”
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Because of the benefits they get from their nearshoring policy, international companies such as Air Liquide, Colgate-Palmolive and Nestlé are now looking at expanding their businesses in Morocco because of : –
the country’s political stability,
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economic stability, and
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the low operating costs that it offers;
The establishment of company operations such as these will create more employment opportunities for Moroccans with good English-speaking skills; English is a key recruitment criterion for multinational companies; This, in turn, will boost demand for the provision of English language tuition in Morocco; Out of 10 multinational companies interviewed, eight emphasised the benefits of English language skills, which helped them widen their client base and expand their business internationally.
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demand for English over the next 5-10 years will rocket in the next 5-10 years mainly because of the following: –
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anticipated technological advancements as a result of government investment; An increase in the number of IT companies in Morocco; that the number of Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) users had increased to 1.62 million by the end of 2011; social networking gaining popularity among young Moroccans;
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Some 58% of the total population lives in urban areas, attracted by greater employment opportunities and higher standards of living; The density of schools and higher education institutions is greater in cities than rural areas; Television and media access is higher in urban areas; Moroccans living in these areas are more aware of the benefits of English because of their greater exposure to global trends;
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English speakers are therefore mainly found in urban areas due to the dual effect of having more private schools as well as them imparting better quality English education than public schools; Moreover, young adults living in urban areas view foreign languages such as English and French as tools that will assist them in travelling abroad for higher education and improved employment prospects. Most English speakers are concentrated in cities such as Casablanca, Rabat, Tangiers, Marrakesh, Agadir and Fez. Access to English education is highest in urban areas, as the number of schools and universities per resident is high compared to rural areas where educational centres may be more remote.
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a leading telecommunications company: With social networking becoming increasingly popular in the Middle East and African region, we’re seeing growing interest among youngsters, especially in cities, in learning English since it boosts their social position within their society; Moroccans also consider learning English as a tool that will help them access better standards of living through employment opportunities in countries such as the United Arab Emirates
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A key recruitment agency specialising in managerial positions across most of the key industries in Morocco: “When hiring for board positions of large companies, English is a prerequisite. Whatever business the company is in, these positions require strategic thinking, networking on a global level, and managers to be aware of the industry’s global trends and competitive environment. All of these require fluency in English. “
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Of the 50 job advertisements, 45 required English only as a second; Most private companies however stated that English is a key requirement for middle- and senior-level executives and for employees in marketing, sales and research departments. Companies in all sectors typically require their Managing Directors, CEOs and Board Members to be proficient in English;
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Interview with one of the key pharmaceutical companies in Morocco: About 95% of our employees are Moroccan and hence the first language is invariably Arabic; As most Moroccans are fluent in French, the first additional language required is French, and English is the second language; Spanish is also a key language required in the northern territories of the Kingdom such as Tangiers and Tetouan
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Seven out of ten Moroccans consider speaking English very important or important
