On 28 October 2026, the 'modo galego, actívao!' project, aimed at promoting the Galician language among children, entered a new phase of consolidation and expansion. The agreement was signed by Henrique Monteagudo, president of the Real Academia Galega (RAG), along with Blas García Piñeiro, mayor of Ames, and Ramón Tojo Lens, mayor of Rois. This collaboration will not only continue the initiative in Ames but also launch it in Rois.
The inclusion of Rois, a municipality with a population of fewer than 5,000, will allow the RAG to assess the effectiveness of the 'modo galego' programme in an area with a higher percentage of Galician-speaking students compared to more urban regions. However, there remains a need to promote linguistic empowerment.
Alongside the signing ceremony, María López Sández, coordinator of the Sociolinguistics Seminar, and the linguistic normalisation technicians from Ames and Rois, Rosa Moreiras Cuñarro and Inmaculada Seage Freire, participated in the presentation.
programme details and impact
'modo galego, actívao!' is a unique initiative involving various stakeholders and includes scientific evaluation by the RAG's Sociolinguistics Seminar. The programme consists of a three-week immersion experience in Galician for all public early childhood and primary education centres within a municipality. This experience extends beyond educational institutions to include non-formal education spaces, such as extracurricular activities and school meals, engaging students, their families, teachers, and other professionals working with children.
In Ames, the programme engages over 2,000 children and approximately 200 teachers, while around 300 students and 40 educators are expected to participate in Rois.
local leaders' perspectives
Henrique Monteagudo emphasised that the success of the programme relies heavily on local collaboration, stating, "'modo galego, actívao!' is a clear demonstration of the immense potential of cooperation among municipalities to reverse the generational gap in the transmission of our language. Local administrations are closest to the citizens and provide a unique capacity for embedding projects like this one."
Mayor Blas García expressed pride in the programme's establishment as a brand for Ames and its expansion to other municipalities. He remarked, "It is gratifying that the work initiated in Ames can serve as a reference for other councils. We thank the Real Academia Galega for their involvement and collaboration, which are essential for advancing the promotion of the language. Defending Galician requires dedication, work, and cooperation, creating opportunities for youth to speak it naturally. What matters is to combine efforts and move forward together."
Rois's mayor, Ramón Tojo, described participation in 'modo galego, actívao!' as a further commitment to promoting the use of Galician in all areas of the municipality. He noted that Rois is the first municipality in Spain with fewer than 5,000 inhabitants to sign an agreement with the RAG to develop its own sociolinguistic school map. Tojo stated, "With 'modo galego, actívao!', we want the entire educational community, including students, teachers, and their families, to speak Galician daily in all contexts, even among those who typically use Spanish."
empowering the community
María López Sández highlighted that 'modo galego, actívao!' also serves as a linguistic empowerment project for Galician-speaking youth. She noted the necessity of revitalising the language in certain contexts while also fostering pride among speakers. "It is not only about the habitual use of the language; we must also encourage speakers to feel proud of their language and use it consciously," she reflected.
The initiative also reaches out to families with roots from other parts of the world who have settled in Galicia, with both Ames and Rois organising Galician language courses for newcomers as part of their integration policies. Mayor Tojo shared that the project has been successful, with students requesting more initiatives to express themselves in Galician.
Additionally, Rois has other initiatives supporting the language, such as the Lois Aldegunde Literary Competition and the Seráns da Lingua. Ames also hosts its own Literary Competition, along with Galetiktokers and the Lingua and Empresa Awards. García highlighted these efforts as examples of ongoing work aimed at expanding the use of Galician and reinforcing the collective commitment to its transmission and vitality.
Ames and Rois are also involved in programmes like Apego, the Debate Club, and Youtubeiras, promoted by Alingua, the Association of Local Entities for the Galician Language, of which they are founding members. A year ago, the RAG signed a protocol with Alingua to promote the development of local sociolinguistic school maps. Following the one for Ames, presented in 2021, the Sociolinguistics Seminar is currently working on the map for Rois, among others.
