Language attitudes, linguistic authority and independence in 21st century Catalonia

Abstract

In a context of increasing linguistic and cultural diversity and political uncertainty in Catalonia, this article reports on a research project which set out to explore the attitudes of members of independence organisations operating in the city of Girona toward the Catalan and Spanish languages. This study approaches language attitudes through the theoretical lens of linguistic authority, in particular, the concepts of anonymity and authenticity. The data, gathered from six focus groups, provide an insight on the nature of linguistic authority in contemporary Catalonia. Two themes emerge in the informants' discussion of Catalan and Spanish: '21st Century Catalanisme' and 'Embracing Linguistic Diversity'. The comments of the respondents indicate that, against the backdrop of the independence process in the region, bilingualism and multilingualism have become highly valued in the territory. In addition, this study suggests that a fuller understanding of the situation in Catalonia may be facilitated by qualitative approaches, which explore attitudes in-depth.

Revocalising human geography: Decolonial language geographies beyond the nation-state

“…Across Europe, the emergence of language revitalisation policies aimed at creating ‘new speakers’– those who come to a language by means other than intergenerational transmission – of minoritised languages has troubled traditional conceptions of language as rooted in familial (and especial maternal) relationships (see Bonfiglio, 2010), exposing tensions around which speakers can lay claim to linguistic authenticity, authority and ownership. This is further complicated by the fact that some movements for the standardisation and territorialisation of minoritised languages have been analysed as both a form of anti-colonial response to linguistic imperialism, and a potential reflection of dominant (ethno)nationalist discourses (see, for example, Costello, 2015, Johnson, 1993 on Irish; Byrne, 2020 and Woolard 2016 on Catalonian; or Kaur and Shapii, 2018 on Malay). Urla et al (2018), however, have critiqued this so-called ‘reproduction thesis’ that views minority language movements as reproducing dominant language ideologies and their attendant hierarchies.…”