Catalan in a broader context

One of the interesting things we have done in class is talk about the history and presence of the Catalan language and culture in a global context. Before taking this class, I did not know that it was not only spoken in Valencia and Catalonia, but also in other European countries like Italy, France, and Andorra. I had often heard that it was a variation of Spanish or dialect that was very similar, but it is actually its own unique romance language just like French and Italian. In fact, it was the first European language other than Latin that was used to write about philosophy.

Interestingly, despite the relatively small population of Catalan speakers in comparison to other languages (7 to 11 million), there is a very strong Catalan internet presence, particularly in the blogosphere. Not only that, but there are multiple Catalan TV networks and newspaper publications. I was also surprised to learn that one of my favorite basketball players, Paul Gasol, and favorite artist, Salvador Dalí, are also native to Catalonia.

All this is to say that the Catalan language and culture has a much stronger historical and general cultural presence than I had originally thought.

SERENA ABREGO