Macro-Structures Framing Language Policy in Morocco - Which Discourse? Whose Discourse?

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by dawugda

Today, discourse power is presented as incontestable in language policy and planning (LPP). Viewing language policy (LP) as discourse, the paper investigates how macrodiscourses of crisis, quality, equity, equality, and change structure Morocco’s language policy. Using corpus-assisted critical discourse analysis, it scrutinizes official policy texts to reveal the strategic, “manipulative” use of these discourses to rationalize expanding foreign-language dominance over national languages. Findings show crisis discourse legitimizes urgent change while sidelining key questions; quality, renovation, and modernization align with promoting foreign languages; equity rhetoric can justify biased decisions and intensify educational inequities.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages22

Reading Time55 min

AccessFree to download

Macrodiscourses of crisis, quality, equity, equality, and change

Discursive power in official language policy texts

Implications for educational equity and language dominance

education policy analysis archives A peer-reviewed, independent, open access, multilingual journal Arizona State University | Volume 32 Number 46 | August 20 , 2024 | ISSN 1068-2341 | | --- | --- | --- | Macro-Structures Framing Language Policy in Morocco: Which Discourse? Whose Discourse? Khalid Laanani Hassan II University, Mohammedia Morocco & Said Fathi Hassan II University, Mohammedia Morocco Citation: Laanani, K., & Fathi, S. (2024). Macro-structures framing language policy in Morocco: Which discourse? Whose discourse? Education Policy Analysis Archives, 32(46) . [https://doi.org/10.14507/epaa.32.8533](https://doi.org/10.14507/epaa.32.8533) Abstract: Today, the power of discourse is incontestable. Within the field of language policy and planning (LPP), language policy (LP) has been conceptualized in various ways. One paradigmshifting conceptualization is viewing LP as discourse. The discursive power of language policies is quite real as it can be contested in official state discourses about language and language-related issues. This paper employs corpus-assisted critical discourse analysis to examine the macrodiscourses of crisis, quality, equity, equality, and change in Morocco’s language policy. The study scrutinizes these discourses and explores their “manipulative” use in official policy texts. It contends that these macro-discourses are strategically used to rationalize the spread and strengthening of foreign languages to the detriment of national ones. Specifically, the analysis shows that crisis discourse serves as a powerful strategy to legitimize change and create a sense of urgency that often sidelines crucial questions about the nature and beneficiaries of the proposed changes. Furthermore, the discourse of quality ties educational “quality” to the mastery of foreign languages. Likewise, renovation and modernization discourses are found to align systematically with the promotion of these languages. Also, the rhetoric of equity in language-in-education policy appears to justify biased decisions that favour foreign language instruction, risking the perpetuation and exacerbation of existing educational inequities. Consequently, this study implies that more attention should be paid to the intricate dynamics of language policy, especially its discursive power, which could potentially amplify disparities in education systems instead of eliminating them. Keywords: language policy; language planning; corpus-assisted critical discourse analysis; Morocco Macroestructuras que enmarcan la política lingüística en Marruecos: ¿Qué discurso?¿El discurso de quién? Resumen: Hoy en día, el poder del discurso es incontestable. En el campo de la política y planificación lingüísticas (PPL), la política lingüística (PL) se ha conceptualizado de diversas maneras. Una conceptualización que ha cambiado el paradigma es considerar la PL como discurso. El poder discursivo de las políticas lingüísticas es bastante real, ya que puede ser cuestionado en los discursos oficiales del Estado sobre la lengua y cuestiones relacionadas con ella. Este artículo emplea el análisis crítico del discurso asistido por corpus para examinar los macrodiscursos de crisis, calidad, equidad, igualdad y cambio en la política lingüística de Marruecos. El estudio examina estos discursos y explora su uso "manipulador" en los textos de política oficial. Sostiene que estos macrodiscursos se utilizan estratégicamente para racionalizar la difusión y el fortalecimiento de las lenguas extranjeras en detrimento de las nacionales. En concreto, el análisis muestra que el discurso de crisis sirve como una poderosa estrategia para legitimar el cambio y crear un sentido de urgencia que a menudo deja de lado cuestiones cruciales sobre la naturaleza y los beneficiarios de los cambios propuestos. Además, el discursode la calidad vincula la “calidad” educativa al dominio de lenguas extranjeras. Asimismo, se hadescubierto que los discursos de r

FAQs

What is the paper’s core approach to understanding language policy?

It treats language policy as discourse and analyzes how power operates through macrodiscourses. Corpus-assisted critical discourse analysis is used to examine official policy texts in Morocco.

Which macrodiscourses are examined in Morocco’s language policy?

The study examines macrodiscourses of crisis, quality, equity, equality, and change. These are analyzed for how they frame policy arguments and priorities.

How do the findings explain the impact on national versus foreign languages?

The paper argues that these macrodiscourses strategically rationalize the spread and strengthening of foreign languages at the detriment of national ones. It further shows how urgency, quality-linked outcomes, and modernization narratives support this direction.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by dawugda