"Language diversity is akin to biodiversity, an indicator of social wellbeing, but some of Europe's languages are falling into disuse. Breton, for example, is dying out because its speakers are dying, and keeping languages alive among young people is challenging in an increasingly monolingual digital world. Catalan, which is spoken by about 10 million people, is the poster child of successful minoritised languages."
"However, the latest figures show that only 32.6% of adults say Catalan is the language they habitually use, and the numbers are falling, especially among younger people. Not without reason, many Catalans view the language as being in constant danger of being engulfed by Spanish (and, increasingly, by English too). One consequence of this concern is a tendency to treat Catalan more as a sacred, unalterable cultural artefact than a living language."
Europe has about sixty minoritised languages that enrich social wellbeing analogous to biodiversity. Some are falling into disuse: Breton is dying as its speakers age, and sustaining youth use is difficult in a monolingual digital environment. Catalan, spoken by about ten million people, benefits from decades of immersion education and about 93.4% can speak or understand it alongside Spanish. Despite co-official status and broad bilingualism, only 32.6% of adults habitually use Catalan and younger generations use it less. Perceiving constant endangerment has led to prescriptive correction and treating the language as a cultural artefact, making it seem stiff and less appealing to young people.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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