Spain is rightly associated with the Spanish language, but European “Spanish” is actually Castilian, and many Spaniards speak other languages.

If you visit the magnificent city of Barcelona, some experts will advise you to speak English, French, or basically, anything but the Spanish you learned in school. That is because in the autonomous region of Catalonia, where Barcelona is located, the language used is Catalan. Far from a “regional dialect,” it is a language in its own right, and is spoken by a significant 17% of the population – some of whom don’t appreciate the automatic assumption that they speak the dominant “Castilian” language.

Although Castilian Spanish is the only language that enjoys official nationwide status, other languages have been declared “co-official.” Besides Catalan, 7% of the population speaks Galician, and Basque is used by 2% of Spaniards. Valencian, an official variant of Catalan, also has “co-official” status.

As in many multi-lingual countries, the different languages don’t always mix happily. Notably, language use in European Union affairs has become a battleground for representatives of Spain’s minority tongues. They recently obtained a major victory, however: the European Court of Justice in Luxemburg has recognized the right of Spanish citizens to use any one of the country’s official languages in the European Union’s highest court.

The decision will mean more work for translators and interpreters, as the languages will be translated to and from Castilian Spanish.

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