Education and change: the linguistic and cultural practices of teenagers in Catalonia Vanessa Bretxa CUSC- University Center of Sociolinguistics and Communication University of Barcelona

RESOL: A longitudinal project ( ) RESOL- Resocialization and languages ​​ : the linguistic effects from primary to secondary education in multilingual contexts. Funded by Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation. Research team: F.Xavier Vila (UB) (PI), Llorenç Comajoan (UVic), Joan Melià (UIB), Vanessa Bretxa (UB), Natxo Sorolla (UB) and Cristina Illamola(UB). Main goal: To study the transition from primary to secondary education and its impact in sociolinguistic practices.

Starting point of the project The assessment (success or failure) of bilingual education in Catalonia is a complex matter. Knowledge of Catalan among young people and teenagers has increased significantly compared with previous generations (Torres et al. 2005, EULP, 2008). Knowledge of Catalan by youth has not necessarily had a consequence in their use of Catalan (Galindo and Vila 2009). Some authors have attempted to explain part of this process by examining the transition from childhood to youth (Vila 2010; Pujolar et al. 2010). Question: Is there a change in the use of Catalan between primary and secondary education?

The complexity of language practice (Vila 2004, 2010) Language competence refers to the individual’s ability to use one language Language use refers to how individuals put their linguistic competence into practice in interaction with other individuals Linguistic representations (or ideology) are related to attitudes, values, and ideas that speakers have about language Linguistic system refers to the purely linguistic items that make up a language and that are the object of study of formal linguistics

Dimensions of study and data instruments Language use Family Language (L1, parents, siblings). Language of Cultural Consumption (TV, music, books, Internet) Language of social network Language of School Language competence (declared and observed) Catalan Spanish Linguistic ideologies Beliefs and identifications Linguistic self confidence Attitudes towards Catalan and Spanish Ethnicity Technique: Sociolinguistic questionnaire Technique: Video- recorded linguistic competence assessment Technique: Focus groups and Sociolinguistic questionnaire

The RESOL project ( ) Focus on longitudinal data: Same sample and instrument ▫6P (age 12): Last year of primary education (2007) ▫1S (age 13): First year of secondary education (2008) ▫4S (age 16): Last year of secondary education (2011) ▫2B(age 18): Last year of post-secondary (2013) Number of participants: 1194 (6 th -1 st – 4 th ) Catalan-speaking areas under study: ▫Catalonia (Manlleu, Mataró, Sant Joan Despí, Sant Just Desvern, Balaguer) ▫Aragon (La Franja) ▫Mallorca (Palma, Inca)

Case study: Mataró (6P to 1S) - City in the Metropolitan Area of Barcelona. - 8th largest city in Catalonia - Population: hab. (2008) - 15,6% immigrants (2008) - 35 schools N: 888 Sex: 49,1% boys and 50,9% girls Origin : 86,6% born in Catalonia and 13,6% born abroad.

First Language (L1) “What language did you first speak at home when you were a child?” Source: EULP 2008Source: RESOL

Proficiency in Catalan and Spanish (6P) Source: RESOL 2007

Language inside the classroom (6P)

Differences in language inside the classroom 6P to 1S

Linguistic cultural consumption (6P)

Differences between cultural consumption 6P to 1S

Language with friends (6P and SP)

Differences in language with friends (from 6P to 1S)

Conclusions Is there a change in the use of Catalan between primary and secondary education? There are many changes and in different areas In general there is a decline of Catalan There are no changes in Spanish and Catalan proficiency Language inside the classroom: ▫Catalan is still prevalent in class ▫Increased use of both languages by teachers and students Cultural consumption: ▫Decrease of reading books and increased Internet use ▫Decrease in the consumption of TV and books in Catalan ▫Increased in the consumption of TV, Internet and books in Spanish ▫Increased in the consumption of music in English There are more differences between structural uses (mass media and school) than in interpersonal private uses.

Diolch Thank you Moltes gràcies!

Bibliografia Bretxa i Riera, Vanessa i F. Xavier Vila i Moreno (2012) «Els canvis sociolingüístics en el pas primària a secundària: el projecte RESOL a Mataró.» Treballs de Sociolingüística Catalana 22. Vila i Moreno, F. Xavier (ed.). (2012). Posar-hi la base. Usos i aprenentatges lingüístics en el domini català. Barcelona: Institut d’Estudis Catalans. Vila i Moreno, F. Xavier «La recerca sociolingüística educativa escolar als països de llengua catalana: elements per a un balanç.» Treballs de Sociolingüística Catalana 21. Galindo, Mireia i Vila i Moreno, F. Xavier (2009) «Els factors explicatius dels usos lingüístics informals entre l’alumnat català: llengua inicial, xarxes socials, competència i llengua vehicular d’ensenyament». Noves SL. Barcelona: Generalitat de Catalunya, invierno del Comajoan, Llorenç (2009). «Language revitalization in a globalized world: lessons learned from Catalan». A: Transferences. The expression of extra-linguistic processes in the world’s languages. Vic: Eumo Editorial, Bretxa, Vanessa, Llorenç Comajoan, i Natxo Sorolla (2009) «De les pràctiques monolingües familiars a la identificació bilingüe: el cas dels preadolescents de Mataró i la Franja. » Noves SL hivern. Bretxa i Riera, Vanessa (2009) «El salt a secundària: els adolescents, consum cultural i llengua.» Zeitschrift für Katalanistik / Revista d’Estudis Catalans 22: freiburg.de/pusch/zfk/22/11_Bretxa.pdfhttp:// freiburg.de/pusch/zfk/22/11_Bretxa.pdf

Summary Data about Catalonia ▫Language use  L1  habital langauge  intergeneracional transmision ▫Linguistic competence The project: RESOL ▫PANEL data ▫Language use:  home  school  friends  cultural consumption

L1, habitual language and Intergenerational transmission (Catalonia) Source: EULP 2008

Language competence (Catalonia) Source: EULP 2008 (Catalonia)

Language media consumption in Catalonia (2011) Source: Fundacc, 2011

Evolution of the position of Catalan in the mass media in Catalonia ( ) Source: Fundacc, 2011

Evolution of the position of Catalan in the cultural consumption in Catalonia ( ) Source: Fundacc, 2011

Some facts about Catalan in the mass media Catalan language is in a minority position in the Catalan media landscape However, in the last 5 years there is a slow but clear trend towards an increase of relative position of Catalan as opposed to Spanish Radio broadcasting is the area where Catalan language exhibits better figures, and has caught up with Spanish in terms of demand/consumption Use of Catalan in cinema displays the lowest figures, despite some improvement in the last years.