“You’re always a little bit aware of your roots”: Attitudes and ideologies regarding the Portuguese language in Andorra

Abstract

Catalan is the sole official language in Andorra but it co-exists with the dominant languages of the country’s two larger neighbours, i.e. French and Spanish. According to statistics for 2021, just over half of Andorra’s residents are migrants, with the Portuguese community accounting for around 11% of the total population. Consequently, the Portuguese language is also present there. What are the prevalent language attitudes and ideologies regarding Portuguese in Andorra? What do members of the Portuguese community think about the position of their native language within the complex societal multilingualism situation in the country? And how is Portuguese considered by those from outside this migrant community? This study combines quantitative and qualitative approaches to the study of language attitudes and ideologies. Firstly, linear regression modelling is used to analyse the results of a language attitudes questionnaire in order to establish correlations between evaluations of the Portuguese language and a series of independent social variables. These findings reveal generally low evaluations of Portuguese by Andorran residents who are not of Portuguese origin. This, in turn, provides a starting point for a glottopolitical analysis of qualitative semi-structured interview data, which highlights the importance of Portuguese in the educational and family spheres.