Català

In other words, Valencians are just as 'Valencian' as 'Brusseleren' are 'Brabantian' today. Hardly at all! Putting up signs in the original tongue doesn't change anything about that when you let go the tongue.

For instance, Brusseleren have no feeling with Flanders and are still anti-Dutch as if it were the 19th century. They cannot be called Brabantian anymore. They're a relict of a opportunist bourgoisie who sold their soul to the French language and are one of the very reasons the failed state Belgium exists.
Brussels is the only place where you can visit the real Belgium as it was meant to be. Belgium is actually 'Grand-Bruxelles' in a way. It's luckily a failed state, and in history the people have been able to reduce it back to its Brussels origins.

So, Valencians have more of a passive knowledge of the language, and they rarely use it in writing, that means: Valencian is no longer their 1st language (which is smilar to Galego in Galícia, and different than Catalão in Catalunha)


In Catalonia the situation is the same than in Valencia but less accentuate, Catalan is not the 1st language as well in Catalonia, but by lower margin.
The only difference I can find between Valencia and Catalonia is :
a) There are zones in Valencia that are traditionally Spanish speaking because these were settled by Spanish speakers many centuries ago.
b) There is more language freedom in Valencia. Spanish speakers are not banned when they use Spanish in their business and this makes Spanish to fluorish and inevitably replace Valencian, but hell, I prefer freedom than artifically preserving a language in detriment of people's rights. This is being done in Catalonia and the Basque country very agressively.

I agree with Jacyra. In Valencia, Valencian/Catalan will soon cease to be spoken.
Valencians prefer Castellano.

<<For instance, Brusseleren have no feeling with Flanders and are still anti-Dutch as if it were the 19th century. They cannot be called Brabantian anymore. They're a relict of a opportunist bourgoisie who sold their soul to the French language and are one of the very reasons the failed state Belgium exists.>>
It looks strange.For example, many Scots lost their celtic language gaidhlig in early Middle ages and adopted Germanic Northumbrian Old English (later English language),but today every Scot knows,that he (she) is a Scot,but not English.

Somebody says: "Valencian prefer castellano"


No em faces riure!

Don't make me laugh.

Castilian Spaniards happy to impose their language and culture over other languages and cultures. Always the same!

Valencian/Catalan is spoken by all generations in most of the territory where it always been spoken and it is still quite common for young children to have to learn Castilian when they go to school. Can we consider that to be an imposition? Of course!

You make me sick!

<<Somebody says: "Valencian prefer castellano" >>



Very true. Go to the city of Alicante for instance. Everybody speaks Spanish.


<<it is still quite common for young children to have to learn Castilian when they go to school.>>

What did you expect if not? You live in Spain so you have to know Spanish.

Catalonia (and Valencia) resemble Quebec (and New Brunswick)...
Catalan is more used in Catalonia than Valencian is in Valencia,
French is more used in Quebec than in New Brunswick.

But, for most decent jobs in Montreal/Barcelona you have to be bilingual.
While Brussels is not a billingual city de facto, Montreal and Barcelona are.

Quebecers and Catalans shouldn't see English/Spanish as the language of oppression, but international languages they need to survive (English is important for Quebec, Spanish is important for Catalonia). Why split where you can join? I call it globalization.

Most of Catalans have Spanish as their native language, whereas in Quebec most of people are native French spekers who also happen to speak English, there is considerable difference. The importance of Catalan in Catalonia is highly overestimate.

"The importance of Catalan in Catalonia is highly overestimate."

Specially by Spaniards who've never lived in Catalonia or the Valencian Country where Catalan is the majority language of the greatest part of the territory.

Or by Spaniards who expect everybody in Catalonia to switch languages if they happen to be in front.

The importance of Castilian -in Spain and Europe- is highly overestimated.

<<or the Valencian Country where Catalan is the majority language of the greatest part of the territory

>>


Catalan is not spoken in Valencia, only Spanish (80%) and Valencian (20%). Catalan is not even the main language in Catalonia. Only 40% have Catalan as mother tongue.

Here we go with lies again. Catalan is not Valencian and Valencian is only spoken by a dwindling minority.

Unfortunately, even the official Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua acknowledges that Valencian and Catalan are the same language and official census figures speak of 58% of Valencian-Catalans speakers in the Catalan speaking territory of the Community of Valencia.

Catalan is spoken by over 80% of speakers in medium size cities and even more in villages and the country. It is around 40% in Valencia or Elx (Elche), 70% in Castelló de la Plana and 25% in Alicante. These are the 4 most important cities and they have received 75% of the immigration in the full territory. This is why most of the territory has remained untouched or slightly touched by Spanish.

Even in big cities it is well over 50% in the centre of town and only goes down in quarters with immigrants.

I can't understand why some people want to deny what I live and see in the streets every day.

In a province like Alacant (Alicante) 25% of the population are immigrants mostly Brits, Germans and Scandinavians "who do not speak Spanish at home". Spanish speakers want them to count as Spanish-language speakers! Unbelievable! Most of them are retired and over 60 and quite unable to learn more than a couple of sentences in the local languages.

They learn Spanish or Catalan depending on the area where they live. I live in a coastal area where lots of young Brits and Germans speak fluent Valencian-Catalan.

It's really a pity to see how some Spanish Imperialists deny the truth. What's the point?

Regarding the "imposition of languages" it is either imposition or it isn't. A young Catalan or Valencian child who "has to learn Spanish at school" is being imposed a language. It's as easy to understand as that! This is why both languages are official and peiople are expected to be bilingual in Spanish and Catalan.

Spanish is only official due to political reasons. Imagine being invaded by the French and expecting all US citizens to speak French as their language of culture. What would you call that?

Academia Valenciana de la Lengua is tele-controlled from Barcelona, so they are biased. For instance they are introducing in Valencian many words that were never used in Valencia but are standard in Barcelona. It's a pity that nobody in Valencia protects the Valencian language. It's Catalan and not Spanish that is making Valencian to disspaear cause many words and expressions that are truly Valencian are being substituted by Catalan, but people in Valencia don't speak that, it's an invention that nobody uses.
As for the percentage of people who use Valencian in Valencia here is an interesting survey:

Which language do you use at home?

Spanish: 49,6%
Valencian: 30,2%


Source: Servicio de Investigación y Estudios Sociolingüísticos de la Consellería de Cultura, Generalidad Valenciana. Encuesta de junio del 2005

It's clear then that Spanish is the main language in Valencia.

Here is another study about the evolution of the Valencian language in Valencia:

Evolución lingüística en las zonas consideradas históricamente valencianohablantes

Año Español Valenciano Bilingüe Otros
1989 49,6% 45,8% 4,5% 0,1%
1992 45,0% 50,4% 4,6% 0,0%
1995 47,2% 50,0% 2,8% 0,0%
2005 54,5% 36,4% 6,2% 2,9%
2008 56,8% 32,3% 7,6% 3,3%


Spanish is official because it's the native language of most of Valencians. Valencian is a minority language.

Source: Servicio de Investigación y Estudios Sociolingüísticos, de la Consellería de Cultura, Generalidad Valenciana.

People like you would want Valencian to remain a minority language and to keep apart from Catalan. The political agenda is very clear. Wipe out Valencian from its native territory.

I'm from a southern village in the Community of Valencia and many of the words considered "Catalan" by people in Valencia (who don't even use the language on an everyday basis) are words which have been in use in my village for centuries.

Regarding the percentages above. You take advantatge of all the foreing residents from all over Europe -many of them above 60 years of age and who don't even speak Spanish- to say that Valencian is now a minority language.

It is still the majority language of most of the Valencian territory (per comarques o "per counties") whether you like it or not.

Valencian and Catalan is like Flemish and Dutch of the Netherlands.Two varieties (Valencian and Flemish are unoficial varieties) of the same language.