Intervention in language skills, usage and ideologies: from «Catalan belongs to everyone» to «Catalan, our common language»

Abstract

The paper provides a summary of the linguistic policies unfolded by the Government of Catalonia between 1980 and 2010 which, according to the author, follow a coherent course in the promotion of the Catalan language as a valuable tool for social cohesion. Two distinct stages are highlighted. In the first, the campaign “Catalan belongs to everyone” took into account society’s interest in recovering the use of Catalan, considered to be a democratic freedom and a symbol of collective identity, establishing a solid theoretical, legislative and organizational basis. The second stage ismarked by an awareness of the social effects of globalization, the acceptance of a multilingual environment, the promotion of polyglotism and a less identitary andmore civic or social discourse,where the slogan“Catalan, our common language” is often used.

KEY WORDS: linguistic policy, Catalonia, social cohesion, common language.