A Canary Islands teacher explains how to achieve C1 Catalan in three years: "I'm still learning"

PalmaLara de la Torre is a Canary teacher who works in Early Childhood and Primary Education in the Balearic Islands and has explained in a social media video how she learned Catalan in three years, a process that culminated in obtaining the C1 certificate and which she assures is still ongoing. "First of all, reading in Catalan helped me a lot. At first it was difficult for me, but reading everything in Catalan allowed me to learn a lot of new vocabulary and also to better understand weak pronouns. Also, I joined a book club and it was incredible. Secondly, I started using Catalan for everything: at the hairdresser's, at the town hall, at the supermarket, in shops... and without shame, asking any doubt I had. And the most important thing for me has been going to class. This has helped me to have a good structure and good grammar. And this is how I learned Catalan, even though I am still learning."

In another video from last week, De la Torre also defended the value of knowing the language in the educational field: "I have a C1 in Catalan. After three years living here, with a lot of effort, hours of study, a lot of patience… I finally have a C1 in Catalan and I can say it with great pride. Demanding that teachers know the language of the place where they teach is not an obstacle: it is a sign of respect for the culture, for the families, and for the children," he argued.

Teachers without Catalan

Both publications arrive in the context of political debate in the Balearic Islands following the agreement between the PP and Vox to modify the Catalan language requirement in certain teaching positions considered to be of difficult coverage. According to this pact, already reflected in the new Omnibus Law, the linguistic requirement is being relaxed in those vacancies where there is more difficulty in finding teaching staff, especially in certain specialities and centres of the Balearic educational system. The approach will allow initial access to teaching civil service without accrediting Catalan, with the possibility of obtaining this accreditation once incorporated into the position. During this period, teachers would not have a definitive assignment until they meet the linguistic requirement.

The Government and the groups that support the measure argue that the objective is to guarantee the coverage of all classrooms given the lack of teaching staff in certain areas and territories, especially in a context of difficulties in finding specialists. In parallel, various educational sectors, unions, and social entities have expressed concern about the impact of this flexibility, as they consider that it may weaken the presence of Catalan in schools and hinder linguistic normalization. They argue that knowledge of the territory's own language is key to educational cohesion and to guarantee equal opportunities for students. The debate thus returns to the center of Balearic educational policy, between the need to cover teaching positions and the defense of Catalan as an element of cohesion within the classroom.