Advanced English
An Opinion Piece: Indigenous Languages vs. Colonial Languages
Student Name: Hasna J. Class: Advanced English Teacher: Chris Ladd
Students in the Advanced English course work on their communication skills beyond the intermediate level. Students develop skills in reading and listening, grammar and vocabulary, writing, note-taking, oral communication, and technology. Students going to community college or planning to advance their careers will benefit from this course, as will anyone wanting to become more proficient in English.
The Amazigh people, whom I belong to, are the indigenous peoples of Morocco and of all the other North African countries. Their language is Tamazight, which has its own ancient alphabet named Tifinagh. Tamazight is divided into three distinct groups:
1. Central Atlas Tamazight: spoken in the Middle Atlas mountains of Morocco. 2. Tashelhit: my language, spoken in Southern Morocco, High Atlas, and Sous valley. 3. Tarifit: spoken in the Rif mountains of Northern Morocco.
The history of the Amazigh goes back more than 3,000 years and they have a special calendar which is linked to the regulation of the seasonal agricultural activities. Regarding that calendar, we are now in the year 2974. They worshiped the sun and the moon, but they also converted to Christianity and contributed to its enrichment, before converting to Islam, after the arrival of the Arab armies in North Africa. Some historians say that the Arabic language was introduced to the indigenous people without Arabization being forcefully imposed on them, because Arabic is the language of the Quran and Islam. Alternatively, other historians consider that Arabization of the Amazigh took place under a kind of moral coercion, because it was the language of the rulers. Arabs dominated all intellectual and social fields; therefore, everyone who wanted favor in society had to learn Arabic.
During the European colonial occupation, the colonial institution worked hard to kill the Arabic and the Amazigh languages through a multitude of measures, such as imposing the French language in education and in administration. Job opportunities were also available for French speakers. Colonialism is based on eliminating the identity of the colonized through eliminating their mother tongue. And, perhaps, it succeeded to some
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