Speaking Catalan in Spain.
Interview with David Valls
As part of our brand new series of interviews with minoritised language speakers, the LISTEN project spoke to David Valls (@dvbotet on Twitter), a Catalan speaker living in Spain.
LISTEN (L): Tell us something about yourself, especially the language(s) you speak and the country where you are living. What is your mother tongue? Which other languages do you speak? Where and how did you learn those languages?
D: My initial (mother) tongue is Catalan. My parents speak it, my grandparents spoke it, and so on. I live in Catalonia. I speak Spanish, English and Portuguese. I have different kinds of knowledge of other languages: Latin, Basque, Japanese, French, Occitan, Tagalog, Bugis, Sanskrit, Turkish, Punjabi, Ukrainian. I’ve learned Spanish at school and out in the street and on TV. I’ve learned English at school, academies and living in the US. As for the rest, by taking classes or by myself.
L: What is the current state of your language?
D: Depending on the geographical area, Catalan can be heard all day long in all kinds of circumstances, or you can barely hear the language in some areas of Catalonia, Northen Catalonia, Valencian Country or the Balearic Islands. In many areas, Catalan is widely used. Catalan is mainly used as an oral language for the vast majority of its speakers. In terms of writing, I would say, its use gets reduced. Myself, I use Catalan all day long with anyone, even with Spanish speakers who don’t speak Catalan, but live in Catalonia.
L: Can you describe some of the challenges that prevent you and other people from using your language on some occasions? Have you ever felt any pressure not to use your language in some contexts? Have you ever been explicitly forbidden to use your language?
D: In my case, there are very few situations that prevent me from using Catalan, only if the other party really does not understand me. However, for the vast majority of speakers, it’s hard to keep up a conversation if the other party speaks in Spanish. They all end up switching. Some people, also, feel an implicit pressure for not using Catalan when going to a trial, speaking to Spanish police, doing some paperwork with Spanish Government agencies, businesses, trading, and so on. In my case, I can’t recall any time being explicitly banned from speaking Catalan, but in many instances I can’t use it properly or I have to struggle against Catalan speakers that do not use the language in a regular and normal way. But, some people suffer from language restrictions in many situations where Catalan speakers are discriminated against.
L: Can you give an example of when speaking your language represented a problem or a challenge for you? What happened? How did you feel?
D: When talking to the Spanish police, it’s always a challenge. Once, while driving, I was pulled aside by the Spanish police. It was only a routine control. I talked to them in Catalan, they told me that they did not understand me, but I kept talking to them in Catalan. I was very nervous. To scold me, they alleged some technical issues with the radio station and made me stay there for about half an hour, just waiting, when it was supposed to be a 2-minute stop just to check my documents. I felt anger, rage and anguish. Every time, more and more, speaking Catalan is a challenge due to the people coming from many countries abroad to live here. They don’t get to learn Catalan, as everyone talks to them in Spanish.
L: Do you think that there could be anything that could be done? By whom?
CVT: Yes, of course! By everyone! Catalan speakers should not switch and give up Catalan in front of a Spanish speaker living in the territories where Catalan is spoken. Perhaps, if someone has to switch language, it is the Spanish speaker. We should talk as well in Catalan to the newcomers, those coming from Pakistan, China, etc., otherwise they will only learn Spanish. The Catalan Government and the Balearic and Valencian ones should promote more protective policies towards the language and enforce the few laws that protect the Catalan language. Governments should spread awareness among the native speakers, to tell them to use the language. Governments should issue more protective and promotional acts in favor of Catalan. They should not fear anything.