While schools ensure formal knowledge of Catalan, social use is often determined in informal settings like sports clubs. Researcher Maite Puigdevall Serralvo explains that Spanish often becomes the default language among peers, while Catalan is frequently relegated to institutional communications, creating an emotional disconnect for teenagers.
“"These experiences are central to building an emotional bond with a language."
The study highlights the influence of coaches as role models. When coaches switch to Spanish to facilitate communication, they may unintentionally signal that Catalan is secondary. The project Esport en català aims to encourage clubs to foster environments where minority languages are reinforced during high-intensity emotional moments.
