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By Zoë Faircloth
As a monolingual person, I often feel like an absolute dolt while traveling abroad. I hesitantly stammer my way through basic phrases, desperate to make myself understood and leery of offending the native speakers with my poor pronunciation. To my relief, I have found most people in Rabat to be gracious and kindly responsive to my cluster of hand gestures, poorly pronounced Darija, and likely misremembered French phrases.
English speakers are in a place of privilege in a world where global news and entertainment media, street signs, and hospitality interactions are often presented in a language that we understand. When in a situation where I am unable to communicate or comprehend, I find myself both frustrated and humbled. I believe that humility is an innate gift of travel because there are certainly plenty of chances to practice it!
(View of Parliament from the Avenue Mohamed V. Our MACECE leaders are seen to the left- Ahlam in maroon and Hafsa in black)
On Monday, our group had the opportunity to visit the Moroccan Parliament. While we thought we would just have a quick tour, we were actually seated in the viewing gallery and watched as parliamentarians - men and women dressed in formal business suits, some women in high heels, some in headscarves, many in both - streamed into the chamber. The room is a semicircle: gold and orange seats face a dais where leaders sit, flanked by Moroccan flags and backed by beautiful tile inlaid with the royal seal. The statements began, conducted primarily in Moroccan Standard Arabic. Despite not understanding the content, it was initially enthralling to see the passion with which the officials stated their positions. However, after twenty minutes in the still air of the upper gallery, listening as person after person delivered speeches that were unintelligible to our group of non-Arabic speaking Americans, a certain sleepiness descended.
(left- door detail from the Parliament building)
As I felt my eyelids droop, I felt a rush of sympathy for my English Learning (EL) students, particularly new arrivals who sit through lecture after lecture in nuanced and academic English that is not within their grasp. After we were shuffled out of the room in order to move to our next agenda item, the guide explained that we had just experienced a speech by the Prime Minister, the political head of the kingdom. What?! This was an experience that most native Moroccans will never have; while the literal meaning of the speech was absolutely lost on us, I hope that the experience as a whole was not. Language is a powerful force for learning, for expression, and it is used routinely as a tool for inclusion and exclusion.
Due to its unique geographic location and colonial and religious history, multilingualism is the norm in Morocco. Five languages seem to dominate the language landscape- Darija (Moroccan Arabic, commonly spoken), Standard Arabic (Moroccan Version, used in schools and religious practice), Amazigh (language of the indigenous Amazigh people, three different dialects or three entirely different languages exist, depending on whom you ask), French (used in higher education and business), and increasingly English (growing role in higher education and business). Many Moroccans are conversant in at least three of these languages, a feat that I find incredible. However, the power dynamics and logistics inherent in this linguistic diversity are incredibly complex and not without challenges. In the coming days, we will be diving into the relationships and tensions present in this network of languages, and I am sure that my colleagues will continue to write about this theme.
(left- This portrait of King Mohamad VI is omnipresent in both government and secular establishments in Rabat. This one stands in the foyer of the Parliament building)
For today though, I am simply reflecting on my experience as an observer in the audience of that arresting chamber. Throughout this month, I anticipate that there will be many moments in which I will be an outsider, both culturally and linguistically. My goal is to be persistent despite the discomfort and to be fully attentive and engaged in these spaces where I don’t have the privilege of a linguistic landscape catered to me.
Thank you for reading a few thoughts from the first day of our journey!
(above- view from the front steps of Parliament building onto the Avenue Mohamed V)
(left- An ornate garage door allows entry for politicians and diplomats to park in the inner courtyard. Black, window-tinted Mercedes packed the small space.)
All text and images on this page are from Zoë Faircloth, Fulbright-Hayes participant 2022.
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