Metaphors and Ideology

A critical Analysis of Language Policy Metaphors in Morocco

Abstract

This article is a critical analysisofthemetaphoricalstructuresina lecture delivered by a parliament representative of The Justice and Development Party, El Mokrie’ Abouzaid Al Idrissi, on the topic of «Teaching French in Morocco: The crisis of education in Morocco and the war waged against Arabic.» The main focus of the study is the conceptual metaphors utilized by the speaker in histalk on language policy in Morocco. The resultsreveal the mythical metaphor framing the rhetorical structures analyzed, namely that THE LANGUAGE POLICY IN MOROCCO IS AN EMBODIMENT OF A NEW OCCUPATION. Therefore, French is portrayed as an invasion, a consequence of the conflict for independence. This explains why terms such assoldiers, land, and exploitation come up often in the speech. Overall, the conception of El Mokrie’ seems to be framed by a polarizing view that sheds light on the ideological aspects of his discourse as manifested in his complete disregard for the benefits of language contact and interchange on the society. It is clearthat these metaphors utilized by the speakerstem from a religious standpoint and have nothing to do with economics because they present Arabic as the language of the Quran and people in Paradise. Thus, the article unveils the faith held by El Mokrie’ in a manichean conflict that looks at the world through a narrow lens which categorizes people into black and white, a world where there is no place for a grey zone, no place for reconciliation or middle grounds.