Spain's Linguistic Heritage: Understanding Minority Languages

Spain is a country rich in linguistic diversity, home to several co-official and protected minority languages. Beyond Spanish, these languages represent a significant part of the nation's cultural heritage. This document provides an insight into the status and characteristics of some of these unique linguistic traditions.

The Catalan Language

Spoken by approximately seven million people, most of whom are bilingual, Catalan is primarily used in Catalonia, the Balearic Islands, Valencia (where it is known as Valencian), and surrounding areas. Outside of Spain, it is also spoken in Andorra, French Roussillon, and Alghero (Sardinia). Notably, in Andorra, Catalan is the sole official language.

Catalan boasts a rich literary tradition dating back to the Middle Ages. In Catalonia, it is used across all social functions and enjoys significant social prestige, partly due to its association with political activity and the bourgeoisie. In education, an immersion system is widely implemented, with almost all subjects taught in Catalan, alongside Spanish and foreign languages. In Valencia, however, language policy is less assertive and sometimes carries negative connotations.

The Basque Language (Euskara)

Basque is spoken by around 600,000 people in the Basque Country, northern Navarre, and the French Basque Country. Proactive language policies have successfully increased the number of speakers and led to a considerable rise in literary production and language use across various fields and functions. Its geographical expansion is limited due to the significant linguistic distance between Basque and other Romance languages of the Iberian Peninsula.

A primary goal of Basque language policy is the "euskaldunization" of the entire school system. In the Basque Autonomous Community (Euskadi), parents can choose from three educational models:

• Model A: 20% Basque language instruction.
• Model B: Approximately half of the subjects taught in Basque.
• Model D: All subjects taught in Basque, except for foreign languages.

The third model, Model D, has shown a gradual recovery of Basque, particularly among young people.

The Astur-Leonese Language

With an estimated 145,000 speakers, Astur-Leonese is primarily used in Asturias. Despite its co-official status, it is gradually losing speakers, which has led to a reduction in its domains of use. In education, it is an optional subject from the third year of primary school, and its presence in the media is minimal.

The establishment of the Asturian Language Academy led to the development of a standard orthography. Astur-Leonese is also spoken in northern León and Zamora, where its situation is even more precarious.

The Aragonese Language (Fabla Aragonesa)

Similar to Astur-Leonese, Aragonese does not hold co-official status but is recognized under native language protection laws in Aragon. This language is currently regressing and is primarily spoken colloquially and familiarly in the northern half of the province of Huesca, by no more than 15,000 people.

Despite the ongoing process of "Castilianization," campaigns for the preservation of Aragonese have emerged. Today, a grammar, bilingual dictionaries, and some graphic standards exist for Aragonese.

The Aranese Language

Aranese has approximately 7,000 speakers in the Val d'Aran, a valley in the Catalan Pyrenees. It is a variant of Gascon and a dialect of Occitan. Aranese is a co-official language in the valley, alongside Catalan and Spanish, making the Val d'Aran the only trilingual territory in Spain.

Aranese is integrated into the trilingual education system of the valley. However, its future remains precarious, mirroring the very vulnerable situation of Occitan in France.