Morocco's Berbers Reclaim Their Language and Their Indigenous Culture (fwd link)

[Don Osborn]

Interesting article and perspective on progress (or not) with enhancing the status of Tamazight (Berber) language and its use in education.

The article doesn't mention a key factor - the traditional Tifinagh script in which the language is being taught. A standing proposal for encoding Tifinagh in the Unicode was given new urgency by the Moroccan govt's decision to teach Tamazight in Tifinagh. The subsequent inclusion of Tifinagh in the Unicode standard in 2004 makes it possible to do more with the language on computers and the internet. It would be interesting to know how this has in turn affected preparation of school materials in the language, etc.

The Berber languages include variants over north Africa (such as Kabyle in Algeria) and across the Sahara (Tamasheq). The Tifinagh script is common among at least some of the populations, with some variations. (Berber languages have also been written in Arabic and Latin scripts). 

Don Osborn
Bisharat.net
PanAfriL10n.org


> -----Original Message-----
> From: Indigenous Languages and Technology
> [mailto:ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU] On Behalf Of phil cash cash
> Sent: Monday, March 17, 2008 2:05 PM
> To: ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU
> Subject: [ILAT] Morocco's Berbers Reclaim Their Language and Their
> Indigenous Culture (fwd link)
> 
> Morocco's Berbers Reclaim Their Language and Their Indigenous Culture
> By Emma Schwartz
> Posted March 13, 2008
> 
> AIT OURIR, MOROCCO—From the day Omar Boutmouzzar began teaching more
> than two
> decades ago, he could address students only in a language other than
> his own. A
> Moroccan Berber, Boutmouzzar was barred by law from using his native
> tongue—the
> one spoken by the country's sizable indigenous population—inside the
> classroom.
> 
> Full article link below:
> http://www.usnews.com/articles/news/world/2008/03/13/moroccos-berbers-
> reclaim-their-language-and-their-indigenous-culture-.html