Serious concerns for the future of Catalan language

The Obra Cultural Balear, an organisation which promotes the use of the Catalan language in the Balearics, yesterday called for urgent measures to be taken by the government in order to halt the “alarming and worrying” decline in the number of people using the Catalan language. The organisation wants a “shock” plan to be introduced as quickly as possible because Catalan in the islands faces a “very real risk of becoming a marginal language.” In a letter to the Balearic government, the President of the Obra Cultural Balear, Antoni Mir, outlined the severity of the problem. His protest coincided with the 15th anniversary of the Balearic parliament's approval of the Language Normalisation Law, “but we are still waiting for the legislation to be fully introduced,” Mir said. The OCB wants Catalan to be used in every facet of daily life and the left-wing Balearic government has given the OCB assurances that it will do everything in its power to protect and promote Catalan “at all social, economic and cultural levels.” But Mir says instant and effective action needs to be taken “we don't know if the language will survive,” he said. Mir admitted that while over the past few years, far more facilities have been made available for those who wish to learn Catalan the demise of its use in certain public and social circles is alarming.”