The agreement that the Catalan government has forged with ERC, the Comuns (Commons), and a multitude of Catalan-speaking advocacy organizations, which was presented on May 13 at the IEC, has significant practical significance, as abundant resources are allocated to the protection and promotion of Catalan—more than ever—but it has an even greater political and symbolic dimension. The main one is that the Catalan language is no longer held hostage by nationalism and independence movements and returns to the domain of everyone, or almost everyone, as it had been for many years. This allowed for its full normalization and its widespread use in all schools. The result, beyond the institutional sphere, was that the vast majority of young people, regardless of their mother tongue, could write and speak it normally. Another point is that Catalan society is at least bilingual, and this, which citizens experience and manage with complete normality, should not become a fictitious problem created in the political sphere. Catalan has always been a heritage and a distinctive element of the vast majority of Catalans, regardless of their political position or alignment. With the Transition, a sense of responsibility regarding the language prevailed, and the decision was made to ensure that all citizens had full proficiency in both Catalan and Spanish. A diverse and complex society, both culturally and linguistically—and also in its identity drive—chose to unite and equip itself with mechanisms for cohesion and integration. "Catalonia, one people" was a slogan that signified this desire not to segregate and to establish plural and shared senses of belonging. It's another matter whether the European Union will recognize its status as an official language. It's a battle that will be won. Time will tell.
Franco's regime had persecuted, belittled, and subordinated the Catalan language and culture. It was necessary not only to overcome this sad phase, but also to establish compensatory policies for the weakening Catalan had suffered. Normalization and support were required from educational and governmental institutions in the new country that was being structured. And this was done with the full awareness and support of almost everyone—Spanish speakers in a very explicit and significant way. It should be noted that the most resistant to the mechanism of linguistic immersion based on a single educational system that guaranteed mastery of both languages was Pujol's nationalism, which favored a dual educational system based on the mother tongue. An approach that, had it been implemented, would have segregated society not only by cultural origins but also by social background and class. Fortunately, politically progressive Catalonia prevailed on this fundamental issue, which at that time was the majority and represented primarily by the PSUC (Spanish Socialist Workers' Union) and later by the PSC (Spanish Workers' Party).
The immersion system has remained fundamentally unchanged for forty years. The fact that it has been an instrument of success does not prevent it from malfunctioning, becoming stagnant, or suffering from environmental changes over such a long period. We should be able to talk about this without creating a taboo. If we agree that the goal is mastery of the two co-official languages and that immersion is only the method that should make it possible, adjusting the tools to the changing reality should not only be possible, but mandatory. The necessary overemphasis on a language with greater risk and less power, such as Catalan, cannot be questioned. Intervention by the courts is inadvisable; solid and honest political consensus and agreements should prevail, without hidden intentions promoting an unrealistic monolingualism or disparaging Catalan. Outbursts such as "Spanish is now learned on the street" are redundant. Syntax is learned in the classroom. In the linguistic field, we need many contributions from sociolinguists, rather than politicians eager to ignite fires. The data tells us that the skills acquired in both languages are acceptable, which is what can be demanded of the education system. The decline in the social use of Catalan is evident and worrying, however. Herein lies the problem that requires action, and it will be difficult to achieve results. No one is "to blame," but rather global dynamics that tend to shape a universal mass culture around English and Spanish. Mitigating and protective measures can and should be taken—such as establishing language quotas on major entertainment platforms—with the awareness that this is a losing battle, or nearly so. What can be done, however, is to disassociate Catalan from politically partisan options. It will gain respect and lessen its antipathy. With Catalan, some defenders end up becoming enemies. Let it belong to everyone. Once again, Junts has ended up playing the role of the sad figure. In the end, languages require practitioners; There are plenty of owners and inquisitors.
