Multilingualism in an online US Moroccan support group during the Covid-19 pandemic

Abstract This study examines the functions of four languages – Darija (Moroccan Arabic), Standard Arabic, French, and English – in a Facebook group for Moroccan immigrants in the US during the Covid-19 pandemic. More than 500 posts related to the pandemic were collected between March 2020 and July 2023 and analyzed. The results reveal that Moroccan immigrants used languages in a Facebook group for different communicative purposes related to social, economic, and political aspects of the pandemic. The study also showed that the Facebook group is an important information hub and source of practical and emotional support for Moroccan immigrants in the US and that Darija, Standard Arabic, French, and English served different purposes in different pandemic contexts, such as getting and giving medical information, announcing deaths and funerals, and discussing politics and job losses.