Introducing: Language Services with Crossroads Cultural Exchange

Mar 13

We are pleased to announce that Crossroads Cultural Exchange is acquiring Arabophon Languages Services, effective April 1, 2022. Crossroads Cultural Exchange will now offer language study in English, Modern Standard Arabic, Moroccan Arabic, French, and Tamazight. We will also offer cultural services and experiences, which will allow us to better serve our students and clients. Arabophon Language Services has been operating in Fes for eleven years, and will now continue as part of Crossroads Cultural Exchange. We are humbled to continue this legacy of offering the best language options to the community in Fes and beyond.

We (Michael and Cailyn Wheatley) have studied with Arabophon continuously since January 2019 (and co-owner Karen Pretorius also spent several years studying at Arabophon when she arrived in Morocco). From the time we started Crossroads Cultural Exchange (CCE), we have sought ways to partner with Arabophon in our cultural offerings, because we continued to feel an affinity toward the language center and a belief that what they have to offer is something special. When the opportunity arose for us to assume operations of Arabophon as part of CCE, we were honored to be considered, and excited for the benefits that increased partnership provides our clients. Our mission as a business from the beginning has been “To create a cultural exchange where cultures come together for mutual understanding, education, and growth.” May this continue as we expand our language services and reach within Morocco!

The Ultimate Guide to Learning Arabic

Students of Arabophon will be able to continue with the same teachers, in the same location in Fes, or online. We will still offer the proprietary Salam program in Moroccan Arabic as well as courses in Modern Standard Arabic, Tamazight, and French. CCE will now have a center in Fes from which to operate cultural tours and experiences. We hope to expand our cultural exchange services and build bridges in Morocco and beyond with this new venture.

Study language online or in-person in Morocco, with flexible scheduling options available. We offer courses in Moroccan Arabic, Modern Standard Arabic, French, Tamazight, and English. Through our structured material that focuses on communication and cultural awareness, our experienced teachers will help you learn language in a way that works for you.

Learn More

Blog

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 Fez 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.

Cailyn Wheatley

Introducing: Language Services with Crossroads Cultural Exchange

Related Articles

Marrakech City Primer

About French in Morocco

Crossroads Cultural Exchange