Survey: Young People in Casablanca See English as Critical to Economy

British political advisory firm Hardcastle conducted a survey in Casablanca to collect young people’s opinions on the importance of English to Morocco’s economic development. They also sought to gauge whether English is the preferred language of Moroccan youth.

The survey targeted young people between 18 and 25 years old.

Data shows that a staggering 86% deemed English more important to the economic development of Morocco than French.

This reinforces a recent study by the British Council released in its ‘Shift to English’ report, in which 82% of Moroccans “considered speaking English as beneficial.”

The survey’s results are important data to consider as the Casablanca region is considered to be the heart of the Moroccan economy.

A staggering 33% of national industrial exports come from the Casablanca metropole. The city hosts a vital sector of the national economy: the Moroccan banking network and Casablanca Finance City.

In a recent column for the Arab News, Moroccan-British political adviser and Managing Partner at Hardcastle Advisory, Zaid M. Belbagi argued the economic case of better integrating English into the education system.

“Of the many indicators used to measure a country’s prospects for development, perhaps the most overlooked is that of language,” he said.

Belbagi further noted that governments looking to secure “competitive advantages are facing critical decisions about linguistic policies” across the world.

“This is nowhere more so than in Morocco. The focus should be on creating jobs that better integrate Morocco with international markets — an objective that cannot be reached with the French language,” the Hardcastle Advisory managing partner argued.

The recent launch of the country’s new investment strategy with the unmistakably English marketing slogan “Morocco Now” is reflective of a wider shift taking place across Morocco. Many current billboards are plastered with English words such as “love,” “life,” and “enjoy.”

Belbagi further argued that Morocco will “continue to rely” on Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) “in the form of cheques that are written largely in English,” sustaining economic progress in the long term.

Observers believe that the Moroccan government needs to build on the structural changes introduced in recent years to continue to support English language learning.