Reconstrucción de la identidad del castellano en áreas catalanoparlantes del Estado español

Abstract

This paper is an exploration of the notion of identity as applied to the Spanish language in its role as a cultural artifact within the Catalan/Valencian-speaking areas of Spain. Numerous social and political changes have taken place in Spain over the last three decades which in turn have led to re-engineering the identity of the Spanish language. The Catalan/Valencian language has been subjected to an intense planning in the last three decades that has widened its space and has triggered a necessary negotiation with the Spanish language. This paper argues that Spanish is not simply a communication tool, but rather a cultural artifact with an identity that has evolved rapidly in the Catalan/Valencian-speaking areas of Spain from being a nation-state symbol to being no one's language, thereby facilitating the negotiation of its space with that of Catalan/Valencian.