10 tricks to maintain your Catalan gracefully

BarcelonaThat the habitual use of Catalan is declining we already know it through surveys, and that there are speakers reluctant to learn it, we see it with the controversiesBut how can ordinary citizens contribute to changing the linguistic landscape in their daily lives? One of the most harmful habits regarding language is linguistic convergence in Spanish; that is, switching languages by default, without anyone having asked. This is a widespread habit (only one in four regular Catalan speakers) maintains Catalan when someone addresses them in Spanish) and is a phenomenon that contributes - on the initiative of Catalan speakers - to the submission and residualization of Catalan.

Maintaining the language is a habit that can be changed and it quickly becomes natural and easy. But sometimes taking the first step can generate doubts, discomfort, laziness, or even fear, due to the reaction you'll receive. That's why there are even organizations that offer training in linguistic assertiveness and, therefore, provide tools to continue speaking Catalan regardless of what the other person is saying, assuming mutual understanding. the start of the #repte21dies campaign Strategies to overcome linguistic submission were explained.

These are 10 tricks to avoid changing languages and not feel uncomfortable.

1. Set concrete and achievable goalsStart with the easiest situations, with your friend or strangers, rather than with your boss who hates Catalan.

2. Practice conversation bilingual to abandon the automatism of speaking Spanish, so that the brain gets used to it.

3. Neutralizes discomfortThink about things differently: instead of thinking "he won't understand me," think "he definitely can." If necessary, find other ways to make yourself understood; use gestures or tone down the language if you notice the other person is limping: perhaps you don't need to say the hours with quarter notes.

4. Make the change or problem explicit"Do you understand me well if I speak Catalan to you?" you can ask. "If you don't understand me well, don't worry, I'll translate whatever is necessary for you." This is a viable situation, for example, to avoid having to change languages at a neighborhood meeting, and it reverses linguistic responsibility. The agreement can also be made explicit: "You speak whatever you want, and I'll speak Catalan."

5. Avoid argumentsThere's no need to get angry, as this can tire and inhibit speakers, who may be insecure about the new habit. If someone politely asks you to change languages because they don't understand you, you can repeat it in Spanish. If, on the other hand, they mistreat you or give you an order in Spanish, try to delingualize the situation: "Excuse me, are you giving me an order?" or "Are you calling me?"

6. Don't get caught up in emergenciesThe best time to start a new habit isn't in a critical situation. In the event of vulnerability or conflict, an accident, or an argument, it's harder to be assertive. Don't use these situations as a reason for not always speaking Catalan. Focus on other situations, which are the majority.

7. Put the horn inLike any change in habits, you can make adjustments. If you're switching to Spanish, adjust your settings and think about the next step. As you adjust, your brain reprograms itself.

8. Internalize questions and answers so that when there is any problem you have your position clear.

9. Add irony"If someone asks you to speak to them in Spanish, you can use your personal wit and look astonished: 'What? You don't understand Catalan at all? No, not at all?' Usually, people take the piss and admit that they do know it.

10. Reward yourself. "If you see that you've managed to get the other person to change and speak to you in Catalan, you'll receive a Màgic Andreu medal. If someone thanks you for speaking Catalan, you'll receive a Màgic Andreu medal," the specialists at the event said. "Reward yourselves for speaking their language, in their country, with everyone. I promise you that few experiences are as liberating, dignifying, and cathartic as this one. There is no collective freedom if it's not made up of free individuals."

According to experts, breaking the habit of switching languages would change the linguistic landscape and would, in turn, attract people to Catalan—because surveys also indicate that 93% of adults understand it and 80% can speak it. It is clear that there are other problems affecting the health of the Catalan language that do not require individual activism but rather policies to counteract the effects of globalizing phenomena—such as the wave of migration and the invasion of technology—, Catalanophobic political attacks (the 25% of Spanish in schools in the reports of MEPs led by the PP—, the immersion in health—and the lack of structural resources, among others.