Las lenguas de España: Presente y futuro

Abstract

In this paper we analyze the present situation of the languages of Spain: Spanish or Castilian, Catalan, Galician and Euskera or Basque. As an introduction to its topic, and with the aim of explaining the geographical spreading, degree of introduction and actual status of the four languages, we look back upon their historical background. Starting from the Spanish Constitution of 1978, which recognized the three minority languages of the State - Basque, Catalan and Galician - as languages of Spain, with equal status in their own Autonomous Regions vis-a-vis Spanish, we examine the different laws that govern their use, development and standardization. Based on the complete research carried out by the Spanish Center for Sociological Investigations in 1993 and in 1998, an accurate picture of the status of all four languages, their comparative weight, the relations among them and their individual development prospects in the near future may be drawn. Our conclusion is that language coexistence and contact in Spain is not only part of the country's history, but is nowadays a fundamental component of its present reality and a basic element that will shape decisively the future of Spain. The remaining obstacles for minority languages to attain the desirable level of development will be removed, in our opinion, through a respectful attitude of society regarding all languages, an intelligent education policy and a positive answer to linguistic technical innovations.