Moroccan women and Catalan language learning. A sociological analysis from a gender perspective

Abstract

This article provides evidence that gender is a conditioning element for the acquisition of
communicative competence in the Catalan language and, therefore, for the social inclusion
of women who have arrived in Catalonia as immigrants from outside the EU. This article puts forward the preliminary conclusions of an action research carried out in Lleida with Moroccan women who arrived in the city more than ten years ago. The research shows that these women operate under conditions of inequality: they are immigrant women and they are Muslim, with all the characteristic social stereotypes entailed. These inequalities condition the decision as to whether or not to learn Catalan and the opportunities to use it. Based on narratives and participant observation in a learning group involved in the ongoing research started in 2012, this paper shows that empowerment should be added to the reasons to learn Catalan. Proposals are put forward to improve the teaching of Catalan. The territorial distribution of immigrant women and their complexities are heterogeneous, hence the need to analyse each particular situation and to plan the teaching according to the characteristics and needs of the different groups. A reflection on the results makes it evident that proper adjustment is needed to reach the large number of Moroccan women who live here and who do not yet have communicative autonomy in Catalan.

Keywords: Moroccan women, Catalan language learning, action research, immigration, Catalonia.