Un estudio sociolingüístico sobre el catalán : Los efectos de la inmersión lingüística

This thesis analyzes the current state of the language immersion program in Catalonia after its implementation 30 years ago, and after the immigration wave of the last decade. The language immersion is a method of teaching a second language using a language of instruction different than the students’ mother tongue. The Catalan authorities use this as a method for preserving Catalan in the society.The aim of this study is to examine the use of Catalan at school and outside of school by students who have followed the language immersion program. Language attitudes play an important role for the maintenance of a minority language, as Catalan. Therefore, in this study, the informants’ attitudes towards Catalan have also been measured. The method applied is a quantitative method where the informants have answered a written questionnaire. The results show a high level of knowledge of Catalan and its frequent use in the classroom. In contrast, outside of school the Castilian language is more often used. The informants seem to have a positive attitude towards Catalan.The conclusion is that the language immersion works satisfactory in a school context but often fails outside of school.

Un estudio de la interferencia lingüística del uso del verboser + estado civil del castellano hablado por catalanes

This thesis aims to study the phenomenon of linguistic interference in the use of the verb ser in different marital status (single, married and divorced) in spanish spoken by catalans living in different territorial areas of Catalonia. Our theory is that individuals who reside in territorial areas where catalan is the most spoken language tend to use the verb ser + marital status rather than the verb estar + marital status due to the influence of catalan. We have used a quantitative methodology, i.e. we have collected data through a survey. The results of our study confirm our theory that individuals who reside in territorial areas where catalan is the most spoken language tend to use the verb ser + marital status rather than the verb estar + marital status due to the influence of catalan.