REGIONAL LANGUAGES IN SPAIN

They were banned under Franco, schools were forbidden to teach them and books were are not allowed to be published.

Since the death of Franco in 1975 and with the large degree of autonomy subsequently ceded to the regions, regional languages have made a strong comeback and are now taught in schools alongside Castilian.

Basque, Catalan and Galician have also been revived by regional television and radio broadcasts and local film industries. Basque, Catalan and Galician are ancient languages with established literary traditions and you should never make the mistake of calling them dialects.

There are, however, also several dialects of Spanish, Catalan and Galician. For example, in the Balearics there are Mallorquin (Majorca), Menorquin (Menorca) and Ibicenco (Ibiza). All three are related to Catalan and similar in vocabulary, many words having their origin in Arabic, French, Italian or Portuguese. Many Spanish gypsies, who arrived with the Moors from North Africa, speak caló, a language that includes Spanish and elements borrowed from Sanskrit and other European languages.

In the Basque country, Catalonia and Galicia, many street and buildings names road signs, notices and official documents are in Spanish and t he relevant regional language. The dominance of regional languages in the autonomous regions is causing increasing problems for foreigners and Spaniards from other regions of Spain.

It is important an consideration if you are planning to live in Catalonia, Galicia or The Basque Country (particularly if you have school children), where Spanish is a minor language. In these regions, all communications from the authorities may be in the local language only and officials may refuse to speak any other language. This practice is especially widespread in Catalonia, where many people are obsessive about speaking Catalan and public notices and even restaurant menus are printed only in Catalan.

CATALAN

Is spoken by people leaving in Catalonia, the Balearics, Valencia, the principality of Andorra and parts of the French Pyrenees. Catalan is by far the predominant language in Catalonia, where Spanish speakers feel linguistically oppressed in much the same way that Catalan speakers were under Franco. This is particularly noticeable in schools, where all lessons apart from Spanish are conducted in Catalan. However, in Barcelona almost everyone speaks Spanish, while less than half are fluent in Catalan. Most Catalans readily speak Spanish, particularly to non-Catalans, although some refuse or pretend not to understand Spanish.

GALICIAN

Is the language of the north-west province of Galicia. but most of them speak Spanish.

There are 3 dialects of Galician

BASQUE

Although many words are borrowed from Spanish and French, the basic vocabulary and structure of Basque is unique. Its is an ancient tongue of unknown origin and bears no relation to any other modern European language; it is thought by some scholars to be the only remaining representative of a pre-Indo-European language. It is cluttered with consonants, particularly Ks, Xs and Zs, and unfathomable by anyone but native speakers.

ENGLISH

Unlike many other European countries, the majority of Spanish businesses do not use English as a working language (although the ability to speak and write good English is required for most jobs in business specially the ones located in Coastal areas) and the vast majority of Spaniards do not speak any foreign languages, particularly older Spaniards and people in rural areas. The amount of English spoken varies hugely with the area or city and the individual (professionals are more likely to speak it than shop assistants). In resort areas, such as the Costas and the Balearic and Canary Islands, English is widely spoken and understood, as is German. It is also understood by many people in Barcelona and Madrid.