French language in Morocco

French is one of the languages spoken in Morocco. The use of French is a colonial legacy of the French protectorate (1912–1956). French has no officially recognized status in Morocco, but is considered a prestige language, and is often used for business, diplomacy, and government, serving as a lingua franca with non-Moroccans and non-Arabs. Aleya Rouchdy, author of Language Contact and Language Conflict in Arabic, said that "For all practical purposes, French is used as a second language." In recent years the influence of French has been challenged by that of English. Nevertheless, French continues to serve as a means of bridging the country "not only to Europe but also to Francophone Africa.".

Estimates of French speakers in Morocco vary by sources. According to the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie, 33% of Moroccans spoke French in 2007, 13.5% being fully francophone (fluent speakers) and 19.5% partially francophone.