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Aquí us publico la resposta que vaig enviar al Nature. Malhauradament ells no la publicaran, però almenys han publicat altres respostes. Si voleu i teniu temps en podeu fer difusió! No deixem que es diguin més mentides. I menys gent que no sap que parla i només es dedica a repetir discursos ja fets per lo més fatxa que corre pel país!

Dear Nature Editors,

Regarding the letter called 'Schools in a third of Spain teach only in a minority language' of the Spanish scientist José María Rojo to Nature (Nature 454; Vol. 575; 2008). In his letter he tried to give the impression that in one third of Spain it is impossible to learn in Spanish. In this one third he included Catalunya, Mallorca & Valencia, Galicia and Euskadi where the people can speak Catalan, Gallego and Euskera respectively as well as Spanish. I think he forgot to mention that in these regions the students have Spanish lessons as well as the regional language lessons in both primary and secondary school. Furthermore, in Catalunya they are discussing now to add a new hour of Spanish. Anyway, in these regions, in the street the Spanish predominates over the other languages, at least in the cities and towns. In addition, there are much more newspapers and TV channels in Spanish than in Catalan or other regional languages. Obviously, the children can learn more easily Spanish than other languages. I am a Catalan researcher and I went to a Catalan school where I learnt Spanish, Catalan, English and French. I am very proud of speaking perfectly Spanish and Catalan and even I live in a Catalan city where I have to use the Spanish more often than the Catalan. However, my mother tongue is the Catalan and I think I must have the right of communicate myself in Catalan with the Spanish Institutions because is a co-official language, instead of having to change to Spanish.

Actually, behind this new defense of a common language for all the Spanish country there is a new strategy to reinforce the more radical Spanish Nationalism. They try to give to the World the impression that in Spain the Spanish is attacked by the regional languages. They are playing the victim with the purpose of reducing to a minimal expression the languages that are spoken in Spain which are not the common one (the Spanish). It is really curious see also how so many Spanish intellectuals have decided to sign a manifesto favoring the use of a common language in Spain. How can we understand that a intellectual wants to use a unique language? How persons, which are supposed to be given to activities or pursuits that require the exercise of their intellect, wants only use and communicate themselves in one language? I just find one reason, a political one, they have a strong Spanish Nationalism feeling, and therefore they must not confuse the public opinion. Fortunately, the Spanish has got in our planet a very good health and it does not require any campaign to save it.

In the Catalan case, I think that the Spanish Government must be more worried in the fact that one of the languages that are spoken in Spain, which is the ninth language in Europe, is not recognized yet by the European Institutions, instead of trying to make happy the more radical Spanish Nationalism. Also they must be worried about the level of English of the Spanish population, which actually is not very high.

Albert Pallejà

Departament de Bioquímica i Biotecnologia,

Universitat Rovira I Virgili,

Altres respostes sí publicades:

Languages: Spain's minority-language speakers are bilingual

Languages: Catalan speakers learn a wider range