Learning a language requires much more than just being exposed to the language structure, as a learning environment plays an important factor in the learning process. Arabic is one of the most spoken languages around the world with high demand from
foreign speakers in the western world. This language, however, highly necessitates heavy
immersion in the Arab world.
One of the most favored countries for learning Arabic as a foreign language is Morocco. The
latter has a rich background enabling it to be the bridge to a fruitful learning experience.
Moreover, what makes this country a privileged place for learning Arabic is the various
aspects that contribute to the enhancement of this learning process :
A multicultural setting is one of the criteria of international education. Morocco is known for
its multicultural society that exhibits a vital diversity. Moreover, the different aspects of
Moroccan culture co-existed in a cohesive manner.we know that Morocco is geographically
divided into different regions and each region has its prominent culture. for example, if you
go to the north you will find the Jabil culture; if you go to the east you will find the Rifi and
Jabali cultures; if you go to the south you will find the Hassani culture if you go to the south-east
or south-west you will find Amazigh culture. Further, all these cultures tend to borrow
practices and beliefs from each other, entailing a mosaic culture in the country as a whole.
This, therefore, helps foreigner entertain and integrate in a very diverse and appealing setting
while learning Arabic.
Music is a salient cultural aspect that Morocco has come to possess. Moroccan Music tend to
mirror the its diversity and restate its present and past history. This variation hinges on
which region of the country you visit. You will find Ragada and Rai in Oujda, Chaabi in Casablanca
and surrounding regions, Ahidous, Ahwach, or Andalusian in Fes, and Gnawa in Essouira. Moreover, there
are some types of music that were created to indicate Moroccan social status. For example,
Nas El Ghiwan encouraged Moroccans to change their attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors.
Suitably, this aspect may extremely be appealing for Arabic foreign learners to have an idea
about the historic character of Moroccan music and its relation to society. It also serves as an
interesting field to explore while learning languages, since it is one of the strategies that
learners use to immerse themselves in the target language.
Arabic learners tend to enjoy their learning process while exploring Moroccan food. There are
some dishes pertaining only to Morocco that draw tourists from all over the world. Moroccan
cuisine is influenced by Morocco’s intertwining with different populations, cultures, and
nations. Accordingly, Moroccan cuisine blends different dishes such as Tajine, Bastila,
Couscous, Madfona ( this is the most required dish by American students when first landing in
Morocco), Harcha, Meloui…etc. Thus, foreign students find all these variations tempting to
be encountered in the different regions of Morocco.
Morocco has sought to make its citizens as well as its foreigner student feel the safety and
comfort. There is a kind of stability in the country that allows the foreigners to integrate in the
community. this is seen in the respect of the different religions; you will find all Muslim
Moroccans are open to all kinds of religious backgrounds and races. This is also shown in the way
Morocco tends to ensure security for the temples of each religion, such as the churches.
Morocco affords different kind of churches: the catholic, and protestant. For each church, there
would be immense protection from the regime. That being the case, ensuring safety for
foreign students to learn in an environment not much far from theirs is a tenet in Morocco.
In Morocco, Standard Arabic is the official language. hence, it is used in Media, radios,
advertisements, administrations, newspapers…etc. the excessive and pure use of standard
Arabic in these settings helps foreigners grasp the language as it is used by natives without
mixing it with other Arabic varieties. Another advantage that contributes to the learning
process, is the fact that Moroccans speak a variety of Arabic that is related to the standard,
and whose structures are approximately similar. this is to say, foreigners can easily
communicate with Moroccans without any difficulties.
Morocco is an Islamic country. their religion plays a vital role in their social life. It is a kind
of channel that pertains to the Arabic language since the main source of this religion is the
Quran that is originally and historically written in Arabic. The use of language is seen in the
religious practices such as Prayers, El haj, Islamic courses incorporated in the school
curriculums, Sufi courses…etc. Therefore, all these activities reflect the use of the Arabic
language in relation to religion, which pushes foreign students to study them.
Students who study the history of the SWANA region in Arabic find it very interesting to settle in
Morocco for the sake of their study. As part of their history studies, Moroccan authentic
history resource is purely in Arabic. Besides, these resources are written graphically by their
historians and kept in the national library in Rabat. That being so, Arabic learner who have
different motifs for learning Arabic tend to choose Morocco for its material availability in
different domains of study.
We are left to say that all these aspects that serve as a motivation for foreign students to take
their Arabic journey in Morocco are of great significance in this learning process. That is,
learning a language will require its learners to intensely immerse themselves in the target
community with all its dimensions.