Study language in Morocco or online

Formerly Arabophon Language Services

Crossroads Cultural Exchange offers courses online or in-person in Moroccan Arabic, Modern Standard Arabic, French, Tamazight, and English.

Learn a language through a structured, communicative learning style with flexible scheduling and experienced teachers who combine language learning with cultural awareness. Whatever your learning style, you will learn quickly through sessions with the teachers, written materials, audio recordings, and printed and electronic flash cards.

The side of a mosque with intricate tilework, Arabesque shapes designed into the walls, and a large wooden door where a man is standing — Modern Standard Arabic

Learn Fossha, or Modern Standard Arabic (MSA), which is the literary Arabic used throughout the Arab world.

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Moroccan Arabic

Learn Moroccan Arabic, the dialect spoken throughout Morocco.

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French

Learn French, a mega-language used in 84 countries around the world, and very helpful for business and life in Morocco.

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Tamazight

Study Middle Atlas Tamazight, the Berber language spoken in central Morocco.

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English

Learn English with customized language instruction from a CELTA-certified teacher, in-person in Casablanca or on Zoom.

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Student at a desk writing on a piece of paper — Try a language session for free. Please contact us to schedule a trial online or in-person at our center in Fes.

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Should You Learn Moroccan Arabic or Modern Standard Arabic?

The local dialect of Arabic in Morocco is called Darija (الدارجة), which means “everyday, colloquial language.” Modern Standard Arabic (MSA/Fossha), which is the international Arabic language, is used in writing and in official communication, but often feels somewhat artificial, or stuffy, because people don’t actually speak MSA.

Five Reasons Fes is the Best Place to Study Darija

The people of Fes are known for their clear pronunciation and purity of language. When traveling or studying in other parts of Morocco, you will encounter regional words, phrases, and pronunciations specific to that region. Amidst the regionalisms of the country, Fes stands out as the place where regionalisms are fewer, and your language abilities acquired in the city will be understood wherever you travel in the country.

Most Asked Questions about Learning Moroccan Arabic

Darija is the local dialect of Arabic in Morocco. Darija means “everyday, colloquial language” and therefore has connotations of informality, mostly used in casual conversations. Moroccan Darija shares an estimated 70-75% of its vocabulary with Modern Standard Arabic (MSA).

The indigenous people of Morocco have spoken a local dialect of Berber/Amazigh for about the last 2000 years. Recent efforts to create one, standardized, literary form has led to the creation of the Amazigh language, which was constitutionally recognized as an official language in 2011. In Morocco, there are three main dialects of Amazigh: Tashelhit, Tamazight, and Tarifit.

Three Reasons Morocco is a Great Place to Study Language

A week of my life in Morocco rarely goes by without a Moroccan asking me about how I have learned Moroccan Arabic. People are always surprised and awed that I have learned the local language here. In other countries, local people would perhaps not be as impressed that foreigners have learned the language, but in Morocco, people are always amazed and excited by this.

French is a mega-language that is an official language in 29 countries across several continents, and is used and spoken in 84 countries of the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie (OIF). This truly global language is the 18th most natively spoken language in the world, the sixth most spoken language by the total number of speakers

Modern Standard Arabic (MSA or Fossha) is nobody's mother tongue, but it is the language that every educated Arab from Mauritania to Iraq understands. It is the language newspapers and books are written in across the Arab World and is used in most TV shows and radio broadcasts.

Understanding the Arabic dialect spoken in Morocco is a worthwhile challenge, but another challenge is understanding the many questions that arise out of these language studies. What is Darija? Why is Moroccan Arabic considered a dialect, and what is the difference between it and other Arabic languages?

Moroccans tend to speak and understand a variety of languages. Moroccan Arabic (Darija) is the most prevalent spoken language in Morocco, which is technically a dialect of the Arabic language. Modern Standard Arabic, or Fossha, is literary Arabic that is used in writing and in official communication. Hassaniya Arabic is the dialect spoken in the southern part of the county.