5 steps to incorporate Catalan (and any new language) into the family

BarcelonaMultilingualism is a growing reality in our country year after year. Fifteen percent of the adult Catalan population speaks a language at home that is neither Catalan nor Spanish, but rather a third language or a combination of other languages. This means that nearly one million adults must approach Catalan from different languages, in addition to those they learn through Spanish. One in four Catalans never speaks Catalan, according to the latest survey. Integrating Catalan into the repertoire of those who don't speak it is essential for the growth of Catalan usage.

Studies on multilingualism argue that families should maintain their own family language, because it conveys a wealth of family heritage that has social and emotional value. However, they should also incorporate the language of their place of residence into their repertoire as a first step toward integration and equal living. But how can this be done? How can a language (whatever it may be) be introduced into the family? And how is this done in the case of a minority language that lacks the regulatory power of a state behind it? Anna Solé Mena, who published Multilingual from the cradle (UOC, 2010), helps us outline five essential steps to adding a language to our home.

1. Contact: People learn the language they need. Occasions must be created where both children and adults experience Catalan and have to speak it (at school, at work, etc.). This fosters trust among other adults.
2. EnjoymentBeyond necessity, it's beneficial for the activities carried out in the language you want to introduce to be fun, engaging, and enjoyable, whether for the activity itself or for the company you do it with—that is, for the connections you build. Therefore, it's important for Catalan to spread to places where it's used informally, both for young people (leisure, entertainment, and social networks) and for adults (cultural activities and social and civic groups).
3. MotivationAttitude works wonders. If the family is aware and communicates that it's important to acquire the language—because it will give you a better future, because it will integrate you into a community, because it will make you more friends, because it will give you more interests, more money—the child will understand that this is in their best interest and will be more receptive. If the adult learns the language, the child will adopt it more easily.
4. InclusionThe community must offer Catalanized spaces to newcomers, both formal and informal. The first open door is to address each other in Catalan, as an act of welcome, not exclusion.Linguistic convergence in Spanish is a counterproductive habit). Experts say that the language knowledge of some newcomers (especially if they also have minority family languages, such as Amazigh or Punjabi) has an effect on the recognition of Catalan as a mirror effectThe more they integrate socially into families, the more they will grasp the local language.
5. Do not be afraid"Catalan is learned by living it. You don't have to speak it perfectly to start using it," says Anna Solé Mena. It's easy to start in everyday life, in stores, at school, with simple, repetitive phrases ("Good morning," "How are you?", "Thank you"). There's no need to be afraid of mixing languages at first, or of asking for help, because Catalan speakers respond very well to the effort of speaking their language and will understand you perfectly.