Morocco Announces Plans to Broadcast News in English Language

Rabat – Amid the growing interest in the English Language in Morocco, the country’s Minister of Culture, Youth, and Communication Mohamed Mehdi Bensaid has announced Morocco’s plans to broadcast news in English on the country’s public channels.

Speaking at a parliamentary session on Thursday, Bensaid highlighted the “language policy” that Moroccan state-owned channels plan to adopt, with a focus on the English and Spanish languages. He highlighted the policy’s role in strengthening Moroccan diplomacy at the global level, a reflection of the country’s new foreign policy paradigm.

The minister gave the example of news broadcasting in Spanish, which Morocco launched nearly 34 years ago, noting that the language is spoken by more than 500 million people worldwide.

According to Bensaid, this strategy has helped increase Morocco’s popularity among Spanish-speaking people, as well as attract Iberian tourists. The North African country is Spanish tourists’ top travel destination outside of the European Union, he said.

Likewise, expanding the use of the English language in the Moroccan media landscape is expected to increase the country’s popularity among the language speakers, as well as promote it as a tourist destination.

English is the most spoken language in the world, with a total of more than 1.4 billion speakers.

The Moroccan minister noted that state-owned Al-Aoula Channel is currently working on a new project to pave the way for news broadcasting in the English language. This will include covering international events inside and outside Morocco, as well as conducting interviews with English speakers.

In recent years, Morocco has made significant strides in expanding the English language at various levels, starting with education, reflecting Moroccans’ growing interest in the language.

The country plans to make English a mandatory subject in primary schools. In addition, the number of public and private schools offering English as a second language has grown substantially.

The trend has expanded to Moroccan media, with many major Moroccan newspapers and outlets having launched English-language versions of their publications.

In addition, Moroccan officials are increasingly using English in their communications and interactions with foreign countries and organizations, as well as while speaking during international events and conferences.

Earlier this year, Morocco’s Delegate Minister for Investment, Mohcine Jazouli, delivered a speech in English during the OECD ministerial meeting in Paris.

The shift toward English reflects Morocco’s recognition of the importance of the language in today’s world and the need to prepare for a rapidly changing global landscape.

Last year, a report by the British Council found that 65% of young Moroccans regard English as important, while 62% feel similarly about Arabic and 47% about French. The report, for which the British Council surveyed 1,211 young urban Moroccans, aimed at providing an insight into the opinions on English as a language as held by young urban Moroccans.