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Article published In: Promoting linguistic vitality through public policy: The role of rules, costs and incentives
Edited by Bengt-Arne Wickström, Noémi Nagy, Anneliese Rieger-Roschitz and Balázs Vizi
[Language Problems and Language Planning 47:2] 2023
► pp. 208–229

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Visibility and (re)vitalization

The case of Asturian language in Asturias, Spain

ORCiD logo with link | University of MassachusettsAmherst
ORCiD logo with link | University of MassachusettsAmherst
Published online: 8 January 2024
DOI logo with link
https://doi.org/10.1075/lplp.00106.gub
Abstract
Recent sociolinguistic research has shown the impact of public use of language expressions on people’s attitudes towards their language and how language can be susceptible to its environments. In this regard, the linguistic landscape (henceforth, LL) of a community helps sociolinguists to examine and decipher the power relationships of languages used in any bi/multilingual community. The presence or absence of a language in the public space carries a message that directly and indirectly reveals its centrality versus its marginality in the community.
The present study analyzes language (in)visibility in the LL of three major cities (Oviedo/Uviéu, Gijón/Xixón and Avilés) of Asturias, Spain, where Spanish is the majority language and Asturian is the regional language. The empirical data provided in this article are based on an exemplary selection of publicly visible language policies and a survey conducted by the authors on language attitudes. The results of the analysis suggest a mismatch between language policy and language use in the region and a lack of prestige bestowed upon the Asturian language.
Resume
Investigaciones sociollingüístiques recién demostraron la rellevancia del usu públicu de les llingües sobre les actitúes de les persones hacia la so llingua y cómo reaccionen hacia l’entornu. Nesti sentíu, el paisaxe llingüísticu (d’agora en adelante, LL) d’una comunidá ayuda a los sociollingüistes a esaminar y descifrar les relaciones de poder de les llingües utilizaes en cualesquier comunidá bi/plurilingüe, porque la presencia o ausencia d’una llingua nel espaciu públicu tresmite un mensaxe que revela direuta e indireutamente el llugar central qu’ocupa frente a la so llocalización nel marxe de la comunidá.
Esti estudiu analiza la (in)visibilidá de la llingua nel LL d’Uviéu, Xixón y Avilés, les tres ciudaes más poblaes d’Asturies, España, onde’l castellán ye la llingua mayoritaria y l’asturianu ye la llingua rexonal. Los datos empiricos nesti artículu están basaos en una seleición de politiques llingüístiques visibles y nun cuestinariu fechu por les autores sobre actitúes llingüístiques. Los resultaos muestren el desaxuste ente la política llingüística y l’usu de la llingua na rexón, y tamién que la llingua asturiana tien pocu valor ente los falantes d’esta comunidá.
Resumo
Lastatempaj socilingvistikaj esploroj montris la efikon de publika uzo de lingvoesprimoj sur la sintenoj de homoj rilate sian lingvon kaj kiel lingvo povas esti sentema al siaj ĉirkaŭaĵoj. Ĉi-rilate, la lingva pejzaĝo (de nun, LL) de komunumo helpas al sociolingvistoj ekzameni kaj deĉifri la potencrilatojn inter lingvoj uzataj en iu ajn du/multlingva komunumo. La ĉeesto aŭ foresto de lingvo en la publika spaco mesaĝas kaj montras – aŭ senpere aŭ nerekte – ĝian centrecon kontraŭ marĝeneco en la komunumo.
La nuna studo analizas lingvan (ne)videblecon en la LL de tri ĉefaj urboj (Oviedo/Uviéu, Gijón/Xixón kaj Avilés) de Asturio, Hispanio, kie la hispana estas la plimulta kaj la astura regiona lingvo. La empiriaj datumoj provizitaj en ĉi tiu artikolo baziĝas sur ekzempla elekto de publike videblaj lingvopolitikeroj kaj enketo pri lingvaj sintenoj farita de la aŭtoroj. La rezultoj de la analizo sugestas malkongruon inter lingvopolitiko kaj lingvouzo en la regiono kaj mankon de prestiĝo de la astura lingvo.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Literature review
  • 3.Asturian, an endangered language
  • 4.Methodology
  • 5.Results and data discussion
  • 6.Conclusions
  • Notes
  • References
References (47)
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