ELT in Morocco: Postcolonial struggles, linguistic imperialism and neoliberal tendencies

The rapid spread of English in Morocco has often been attributed to the contemporary neoliberal conditions and demands. ELT elements may popularize some principles of neoliberalism in methods and textbooks, especially the imported ones. It is necessary to engage with neoliberalism through the perspective of language as a social and political process to limit the linguistic hegemony of English that may endanger the linguistic diversity of the country in the future. This paper argues that (a) English learning and teaching may reinforce the neoliberal social transformations, (b) the economic and social ascendancy of English represent local languages as not useful anymore at the international level, and (c) the spread of English further problematizes not only the linguistic situation in Morocco but also its policies for education and social activity. This paper speaks of how Moroccan linguistic policies to incorporate English coincide with not only Morocco’s struggle to face its colonial heritage but also the neoliberal pressures. The study examines (a) representations of neoliberalism in selected textbooks, (b) teaching methodologies that are recommended by the official national guidelines for English teaching, and (c) the public opinion of the increasing interest in English learning, e.g., opening of language schools, Anglophone universities. Copyright © 2022 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.