languages:amazigh_in_spain_under_construction
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| languages:amazigh_in_spain_under_construction [2025/10/08 21:12] – [Legislation on European level] souleaf | languages:amazigh_in_spain_under_construction [2025/10/08 21:31] (current) – [Online resources] souleaf | ||
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| ==== Legislation on national level ==== | ==== Legislation on national level ==== | ||
| - | Spanish law does not officially recognise Amazigh (Tarifit) as part of the national education framework. The Organic Law on Education ensures the teaching of Castilian (Spanish) across the country and protects the rights of regions with co-official languages such as Catalan, Basque, and Galician. Amazigh, however, is excluded from these guarantees and does not benefit from comparable legal provisions ((Council of Europe. (2023). Sixth report of the Committee of Experts on Spain under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. Strasbourg: Council of Europe. | + | Spanish law does not officially recognise Amazigh (Tarifit) as part of the national education framework. The Organic Law on Education ensures the teaching of Castilian (Spanish) across the country and protects the rights of regions with co-official languages such as Catalan, Basque, and Galician. Amazigh, however, is excluded from these guarantees and does not benefit from comparable legal provisions ((Council of Europe. (2023). Sixth report of the Committee of Experts on Spain under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. Strasbourg: Council of Europe.)). |
| - | Concerning its teaching in schools, there are no legal measures requiring Amazigh to be offered as a subject in Melilla or elsewhere. Instruction is delivered exclusively in Castilian, and Amazigh is absent from the compulsory curriculum ((Council of Europe. (2023). Sixth report of the Committee of Experts on Spain under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. Strasbourg: Council of Europe. | + | Concerning its teaching in schools, there are no legal measures requiring Amazigh to be offered as a subject in Melilla or elsewhere. Instruction is delivered exclusively in Castilian, and Amazigh is absent from the compulsory curriculum ((Council of Europe. (2023). Sixth report of the Committee of Experts on Spain under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. Strasbourg: Council of Europe.)). |
| - | Regarding its use as a medium of instruction, | + | Regarding its use as a medium of instruction, |
| - | Finally, there is no legal provision making the teaching or use of Amazigh compulsory. Since it is not a co-official language and is not included in the Statute of Autonomy of Melilla, the state has no obligation to support its transmission in schools. This legal vacuum leaves Amazigh with no institutional backing and dependent largely on community use in private and informal domains ((Council of Europe. (2023). Sixth report of the Committee of Experts on Spain under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. Strasbourg: Council of Europe. | + | Finally, there is no legal provision making the teaching or use of Amazigh compulsory. Since it is not a co-official language and is not included in the Statute of Autonomy of Melilla, the state has no obligation to support its transmission in schools. This legal vacuum leaves Amazigh with no institutional backing and dependent largely on community use in private and informal domains ((Council of Europe. (2023). Sixth report of the Committee of Experts on Spain under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. Strasbourg: Council of Europe.)). |
| ==== Legislation on local level ==== | ==== Legislation on local level ==== | ||
| - | Amazigh (Tarifit) has no official recognition in Melilla. The Statute of Autonomy of Melilla (Ley Orgánica 2/1995) establishes Castilian as the sole official language of the city (Art. 5) and does not mention Amazigh ((Statute of Autonomy of Melilla, Organic Law 2/1995, Art. 5, of March 13, 1995. Boletín Oficial del Estado, no. 62, 14 March 1995. https:// | + | Amazigh (Tarifit) has no official recognition in Melilla. The Statute of Autonomy of Melilla (Ley Orgánica 2/1995) establishes Castilian as the sole official language of the city (Art. 5) and does not mention Amazigh ((Statute of Autonomy of Melilla, Organic Law 2/1995, Art. 5, of March 13, 1995. Boletín Oficial del Estado, no. 62, 14 March 1995.)). Consequently, |
| ==== Bodies controlling enforcement on education on the language ==== | ==== Bodies controlling enforcement on education on the language ==== | ||
| - | At the national level, the Ministry of Education and Vocational Training sets broad educational policies, but implementation and supervision of language instruction are primarily decentralized to regional authorities. Unlike co-official languages such as Catalan, Basque, or Galician, Amazigh has no dedicated curricula, teacher training programs, or formal teaching materials ((Council of Europe. (2023). Sixth report of the Committee of Experts on Spain under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. Strasbourg: Council of Europe. | + | At the national level, the Ministry of Education and Vocational Training sets broad educational policies, but implementation and supervision of language instruction are primarily decentralized to regional authorities. Unlike co-official languages such as Catalan, Basque, or Galician, Amazigh has no dedicated curricula, teacher training programs, or formal teaching materials ((Council of Europe. (2023). Sixth report of the Committee of Experts on Spain under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. Strasbourg: Council of Europe.)). |
| - | Monitoring of Spain’s compliance with minority language obligations is conducted by the . The Council of Europe’s Committee of Experts under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages (ECRML) has noted that, while Spain has developed structures to support regional and minority languages, the lack of statutory recognition for Amazigh limits institutional oversight, teacher support, and quality assurance measures. Consequently, | + | Monitoring of Spain’s compliance with minority language obligations is conducted by the . The Council of Europe’s Committee of Experts under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages (ECRML) has noted that, while Spain has developed structures to support regional and minority languages, the lack of statutory recognition for Amazigh limits institutional oversight, teacher support, and quality assurance measures. Consequently, |
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| ==== Institutional support ==== | ==== Institutional support ==== | ||
| - | Amazigh in Melilla receives minimal institutional support. There is no government body at the national or regional level that actively promotes the language in schools or in public administration. There is no specific mandate or program found or at least known for the promotion of Amazigh. Civil society organizations are the primary actors supporting Amazigh cultural and educational initiatives ((Council of Europe. (2023). Sixth report of the Committee of Experts on Spain under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. Strasbourg: Council of Europe. | + | Amazigh in Melilla receives minimal institutional support. There is no government body at the national or regional level that actively promotes the language in schools or in public administration. There is no specific mandate or program found or at least known for the promotion of Amazigh. Civil society organizations are the primary actors supporting Amazigh cultural and educational initiatives ((Council of Europe. (2023). Sixth report of the Committee of Experts on Spain under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. Strasbourg: Council of Europe.)). |
| ==== Financial support ==== | ==== Financial support ==== | ||
| - | There is no dedicated public funding for the teaching of Amazigh in Melilla. Schools in the region do not receive government subsidies for teacher employment, curricula, or teaching materials in Amazigh. Any resources for the language come from community initiatives rather than regional or national authorities ((Council of Europe. (2023). Sixth report of the Committee of Experts on Spain under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. Strasbourg: Council of Europe. | + | There is no dedicated public funding for the teaching of Amazigh in Melilla. Schools in the region do not receive government subsidies for teacher employment, curricula, or teaching materials in Amazigh. Any resources for the language come from community initiatives rather than regional or national authorities ((Council of Europe. (2023). Sixth report of the Committee of Experts on Spain under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. Strasbourg: Council of Europe.)). |
| ==== Language learning materials: ==== | ==== Language learning materials: ==== | ||
| - | Officially, no government-commissioned or subsidized materials for teaching Amazigh exist in Melilla. Learning resources are largely informal, created and distributed by local community groups or NGOs and even these are not accessible or easily found online. While some free online lessons exist, they are not tailored to Melilla or the Spanish context. | + | Officially, no government-commissioned or subsidized materials for teaching Amazigh exist in Melilla. Learning resources are largely informal, created and distributed by local community groups or NGOs and even these are not accessible or easily found online. While some free online lessons exist, they are not tailored to Melilla or the Spanish context. |
| ==== Teacher support ==== | ==== Teacher support ==== | ||
| - | There is no formal training or certification program for Amazigh language teachers in Melilla. Educators do not have access to state-subsidized courses or professional development opportunities specific to Amazigh instruction. Although some initiatives were attempted in the past, teacher training programs were discontinued due to insufficient funding. As a result, there are very few qualified teachers (only 6.5% of teachers speak Amazigh), and no institutional body exists to provide guidance, support, or advice for educators ((Council of Europe. (2023). Sixth report of the Committee of Experts on Spain under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. Strasbourg: Council of Europe. | + | There is no formal training or certification program for Amazigh language teachers in Melilla. Educators do not have access to state-subsidized courses or professional development opportunities specific to Amazigh instruction. Although some initiatives were attempted in the past, teacher training programs were discontinued due to insufficient funding. As a result, there are very few qualified teachers (only 6.5% of teachers speak Amazigh), and no institutional body exists to provide guidance, support, or advice for educators ((Council of Europe. (2023). Sixth report of the Committee of Experts on Spain under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. Strasbourg: Council of Europe.)). |
| ===== Education presence ===== | ===== Education presence ===== | ||
| - | Amazigh in Melilla is not systematically taught at any level, from preschool through higher education, and adult courses are absent. Because of this, school-based instruction plays a minimal role in preserving the language, and there is little evidence that learning it at school encourages its use outside the classroom. The lack of formal education also means that Amazigh gains limited prestige and does not significantly enhance speakers’ self-esteem as it is restricted to informal settings as the language of the home ((Council of Europe. (2023). Sixth report of the Committee of Experts on Spain under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. Strasbourg: Council of Europe. | + | Amazigh in Melilla is not systematically taught at any level, from preschool through higher education, and adult courses are absent. Because of this, school-based instruction plays a minimal role in preserving the language, and there is little evidence that learning it at school encourages its use outside the classroom. The lack of formal education also means that Amazigh gains limited prestige and does not significantly enhance speakers’ self-esteem as it is restricted to informal settings as the language of the home ((Council of Europe. (2023). Sixth report of the Committee of Experts on Spain under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. Strasbourg: Council of Europe.)) |
| ==== preschool education==== | ==== preschool education==== | ||
| - | Amazigh is not used as a medium of instruction in preschool education in Melilla. There are no structured preschool programs, formal evaluation, or teaching hours dedicated to the language. Children are primarily exposed to Castilian, and any early contact with Amazigh occurs informally at home or in the community | + | Amazigh is not used as a medium of instruction in preschool education in Melilla. There are no structured preschool programs, formal evaluation, or teaching hours dedicated to the language. Children are primarily exposed to Castilian, and any early contact with Amazigh occurs informally at home or in the community |
| ==== primary education==== | ==== primary education==== | ||
| - | Amazigh is rarely taught in primary schools and only through informal community initiatives. It is not part of the official curriculum, and there are no allocated teaching hours, formal assessment, or proficiency targets. Consequently, | + | Amazigh is rarely taught in primary schools and only through informal community initiatives. It is not part of the official curriculum, and there are no allocated teaching hours, formal assessment, or proficiency targets. Consequently, |
| ==== secondary education==== | ==== secondary education==== | ||
| - | Amazigh is not included in secondary education. No grades formally include Amazigh in lessons, and it is not used as a medium of instruction. Where it is present, instruction relies on voluntary or community-led activities, reaching very few students. As such, secondary education has little impact on broader language use or prestige ((Council of Europe. (2023). Sixth report of the Committee of Experts on Spain under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. Strasbourg: Council of Europe. | + | Amazigh is not included in secondary education. No grades formally include Amazigh in lessons, and it is not used as a medium of instruction. Where it is present, instruction relies on voluntary or community-led activities, reaching very few students. As such, secondary education has little impact on broader language use or prestige ((Council of Europe. (2023). Sixth report of the Committee of Experts on Spain under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. Strasbourg: Council of Europe.)) |
| ====vocational education ==== | ====vocational education ==== | ||
| - | There are no vocational courses or study programs in Melilla that offer Amazigh instruction. Language education at this level is entirely absent for Amazigh ((Council of Europe. (2023). Sixth report of the Committee of Experts on Spain under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. Strasbourg: Council of Europe. | + | There are no vocational courses or study programs in Melilla that offer Amazigh instruction. Language education at this level is entirely absent for Amazigh ((Council of Europe. (2023). Sixth report of the Committee of Experts on Spain under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. Strasbourg: Council of Europe.)). |
| ==== higher education/ | ==== higher education/ | ||
| - | Amazigh is not taught or studied at university level in Melilla or elsewhere in Spain as part of accredited programs. Academic study of the language is limited to specialized linguistic or cultural research by a few scholars, and such work is considerably less developed in Spain than in Morocco ((Elvira Molina-Fernández, | + | Amazigh is not taught or studied at university level in Melilla or elsewhere in Spain as part of accredited programs. Academic study of the language is limited to specialized linguistic or cultural research by a few scholars, and such work is considerably less developed in Spain than in Morocco ((Elvira Molina-Fernández, |
| ==== adult education ==== | ==== adult education ==== | ||
| - | Formal adult courses in Amazigh do not exist. Learning opportunities are limited to informal initiatives led by community groups or NGOs, which reach only a small number of participants. For native Amazigh adults, the language is primarily maintained through intergenerational transmission rather than structured instruction | + | Formal adult courses in Amazigh do not exist. Learning opportunities are limited to informal initiatives led by community groups or NGOs, which reach only a small number of participants. For native Amazigh adults, the language is primarily maintained through intergenerational transmission rather than structured instruction |
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| ==== Online resources ==== | ==== Online resources ==== | ||
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| - | //https://rm.coe.int/spainecrml6-en/ | + | //https://doi.org/10.1080/01434632.2024.2417970 |
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languages/amazigh_in_spain_under_construction.1759950733.txt.gz · Last modified: by souleaf