Sharp Decline in Catalan Among Young Athletes

Only 11.3% of interactions between young people in sports clubs across Barcelona are conducted exclusively in Catalan, according to findings from a diagnostic study by the Institut d'Estudis Catalans (IEC). In leisure spaces in the Sants-Montjuïc district, the figure drops to just 4%. The data, published today, highlight a stark contrast between adult and youth language use, with Catalan widely used by coaches and staff but rapidly abandoned in peer-to-peer conversations. The study, part of the 'Joves i Català' project supported by the Ajuntament de Barcelona, observed around 1,400 players and nearly 200 coaches across 10 sports clubs and four municipal youth facilities. These clubs collectively include over 4,100 athletes and 500 coaches, covering 12 different sports.

Adults Use Catalan, But Youth Do Not Follow

While 58.5% of youth programme staff use Catalan predominantly or exclusively, the language vanishes when young people speak among themselves. This pattern confirms that Catalan remains present under adult supervision but is not adopted as a natural medium of interaction among peers. The findings point to a growing generational shift, where Catalan is not becoming the default language among young people despite its institutional presence.

New Measures Launching in September 2026

Based on the diagnosis, eight action lines are being implemented from September 2026 to strengthen Catalan in youth and sports settings. These include:

  • Formal linguistic protocols for clubs
  • Practical training workshops for coaches
  • Routines in Catalan during training sessions
  • Use of Catalan for emotional expression (encouragement, praise)
  • Linguistic welcome for new arrivals
  • Language support pairs or groups
  • Continuous monitoring via the IEC Method
  • Institutional commitment to language as part of social responsibility

The IEC, Òmnium Cultural, and the Unió de Federacions Esportives de Catalunya (UFEC) are developing practical resources so any club or leisure centre, whether part of the pilot or not, can adopt these measures.

The goal is to make coaches and monitors true linguistic role models who influence team conversations.

Reported by Racó Català.