I live in Catalonia, but I don’t (yet) speak Catalan. I do recognise it more and more.
When my neighbour and her friend talk to each other, I can often follow the conversation. Not because I truly understand Catalan, but because I speak Spanish and French — and Catalan feels a little like both. A little, because sometimes it doesn’t resemble either of them at all.
Still, I already use small bits of Catalan in daily life. Instead of saying buenos días, I say bon dia. And I often catch myself saying merci instead of gracias. It slips in naturally. The signs on the street and in the supermarket are in Catalan too, and I can usually figure them out. But speaking real Catalan? Not yet. First, I want to speak Spanish really well. One language at a time.
What many people don’t know is that Catalonia isn’t made up solely of Catalan speakers. In the 1960s and ’70s, many people moved here from other parts of Spain — especially from the south, like Andalusia, where work was scarce at the time. Catalonia was, and still is, economically strong, and that attracted workers and families.
Because of that, you hear not only Catalan on the streets, but plenty of Spanish as well. There are even people who have lived here their whole lives without speaking Catalan. It’s a mix of languages, accents and backgrounds — and that’s exactly what makes it easier for me to feel at home here, as a newcomer with my own blend of words.
A mix of languages, accents and backgrounds — and maybe that’s why my own blend of words feels so natural here.