Meetings between native and newcomer youth to create an environment stimulating the use of the Catalan language

Abstract

Over 50 % of the inhabitants of Palma were born outside the Balearic Islands and, consequently, Catalan is not their first language. Indeed, according to a study coordinated by the University of the Balearic Islands (UIB), over 160 different languages are currently spoken in Palma. Faced with this diversity, a city language promotion service called Projecte:D was created in 2008. It is staffed by ten language promoters and is active in territorial, intercultural and educational fields. This paper reviews the project’s evolution and some of its practical experiences, such as the pre-linguistic workshops and the language holiday camps. A brief description is given of the way in which Projecte:D, with its micro-actions, has promoted the use of Catalan in Palma, forming contexts that foster the use of the Balearic Islands’ own language, while favouring intercultural communication and social cohesion among young people.

Key words: language policy and planning, promotion of the social use of Catalan, youth, leisure, interculturality, social cohesion.