Loving the Language, Making it Useful
Dr. Llum Torrents, coordinator and professor of the Bachelor’s in Catalan Language, has published the following article in Diari d’Andorra:
The Principality of Andorra is the only state where Catalan holds official status: the Andorran Constitution declares in Article 2 that its official language is Catalan; Article 3 of the Cooperation Agreement between the European Community and the Principality of Andorra, from 2005, recognizes the Catalan language and provides for its protection, appreciation, and promotion; the Language Law 6/2024, in effect since this year 2024, grants Catalan the status of the native and official language and establishes that the Catalan language is a fundamental element of Andorra’s identity, personality, and cultural heritage. Despite this favorable status, the Principality of Andorra finds itself in a multilingual environment, where Catalan interacts with Spanish, French, and Portuguese.
According to the report Immigration in Andorra 2023, prepared by the Andorran Research + Innovation Sociology Group, the population originating from Spain represented, in 2022, more than 20% of Andorra’s total population, while 38.8% were Andorran-born citizens. Regarding the salaried population, workers from Spain made up the largest group in 2022, and this year also saw an increase in workers from Spanish-speaking Latin American countries. The primary economic sectors involved in this multilingual context were commerce, hospitality, business services, and the sector of personal services and social activities. In this regard, the Study on Knowledge and Language Use among the Andorran Population of 2022 notes that “there is a strong presence of both Catalan and Spanish in Andorran society,” used interchangeably or exclusively, with Spanish being particularly prevalent in public service settings.
Due to geographic proximity, demographic presence, and linguistic robustness, Spanish is a strong language in Andorra, despite the diversity of languages present in the territory. Studies show that inequalities in language use can occur when citizens choose to use one language over another for convenience (using one’s native language if the interlocutor understands) or to expedite communication (if the interlocutor speaks another language that we know); in these cases, a language becomes useful if I can use it without issues in most circumstances and contexts. On the other hand, the choice to use one language or another can also be due to factors such as language loyalty, the desire to integrate into the community, or legal requirements. Speakers may continue using their native language or make an effort to use another if they believe one option offers sufficient benefits in terms of communication, social recognition, or if there is a sense of commitment.
The Official and Native Language Law defines language within the framework of linguistic rights; it includes the rights of people with hearing disabilities and deafness, establishes a legal requirement for a minimum knowledge of the language, mandates the use of the language in communications with the public, and enforces the use of Catalan by the public administration. This law also structures civil society’s involvement through entities such as the Language and Training Coordination Board and the National Language Council and includes a system of sanctions concerning Catalan language use.
Why do I think this approach is so important? Essentially, because one of the key factors that can determine the survival of a language is its usefulness to speakers. On the one hand, a language fully exists when it is used in communication; on the other, a language is a living, evolving entity because it adapts to societal changes and responds to the balance and relationships among different languages present in the same context.
Why is Catalan so important to the European University of Andorra? For our institution, language holds individual and collective significance; it is the result of our history, part of our shared memory, and cultural heritage. In the university context, language is a vehicle for specialized knowledge and enhances our understanding of the world, social progress, community cohesion, and reflects our contribution to a necessarily diverse, respectful, and inclusive world.