Xarxa per la llengua in L'Hospitalet is working to enhance the use of Catalan across the city. The initiative involves businesses, educational institutions, community organisations, and local facilities to encourage residents to speak more in Catalan.
Key measures include providing linguistic training and support to businesses, organising activities for practising the language in educational, cultural, and leisure spaces, and creating new opportunities for social interaction in Catalan within neighbourhoods.
This initiative is part of local plans to promote Catalan, spearheaded by the Consorci per a la Normalització Lingüística, which aims to strengthen the social use of the language at a community level.
Toni Mercadal, co-director of the Centre de Normalització Lingüística of L'Hospitalet, stated, “Our commitment is to maintain Catalan, to make it a welcoming language, and by coordinating efforts with the CNL of L'Hospitalet, to make Catalan more common in the city.”
According to Mercadal, while 62.3% of the population in L'Hospitalet can speak Catalan, only 10.3% actually do. He noted that there is a significant group of people who could potentially speak the language but do not.
The initiative was presented at an event in La Florida 6.0, which featured remarks from the city's mayor, David Quirós. He expressed his belief in the positive outcomes of linguistic immersion, stating that it allows people to discover the culture and traditions associated with the language. He emphasised the importance of language as a unifying element that fosters growth.
Francesc Xavier Vila, the Conseller de Política Lingüística, highlighted that “to truly own a language, it is not enough to learn it; one must also have the opportunity to use it. We need to create opportunities for knowledge to become practice, which in turn builds confidence.”
One of the main actions of Xarxa per la llengua is the rollout of the 'Comercios Aprenents' programme, which provides practical linguistic training and support to commercial establishments to facilitate the use of Catalan in customer service. This programme consists of two phases: prospecting and execution, with a focus on the Central, Sant Josep, and Santa Eulàlia neighbourhoods.
The initiative also collaborates with local associations, community organisations, and Educational Environment Plans to extend the use of Catalan in everyday interactions between merchants and the public.
Another key focus is organising activities that promote oral use of Catalan outside the classroom, in partnership with educational centres, cultural and sports organisations, and leisure spaces. These activities include theatre, audiovisual projects, and creative expression, as well as community events that allow participants to practise the language in real-life situations.
Special attention is given to children and young people, as well as the environments where they develop their social relationships. In the workplace, the plan includes Catalan courses aimed at individuals participating in employment initiatives. These courses, featuring adapted teaching materials, aim to provide basic Catalan skills and facilitate its use in work settings.
Local media in L'Hospitalet are also joining this network, with one initiative being a new section in the programme Aula L'H, showcasing the motivations behind various residents' decisions to speak Catalan and the language's significance in areas such as culture, business, and education.
