St. John's University Law Faculty Blog

Professor Rosemary Salomone was extensively quoted in the February 8, 2010 edition of University World News.

The article, “UK Campus May Help ‘Jump-Start’ Transition to English,” discusses the opening of a UK campus in Casablanca and the opportunity to spread English. Salomone agrees that the plan is reasonable, given the economic benefits of English in the global economy. She warns, however, that English is not necessarily a “win-win” for the disadvantaged. Severe inequities in Morocco’s primary and secondary schools, especially in access to English, will foreclose less privileged students from enrolling in the new venture, at least for the short term. She notes that moving further toward English instruction in Moroccan universities demands addressing those inequities for the long term. It also demands a national consensus on language that the country has yet to achieve in view of its complex history and linguistic makeup.