On the European Day of Languages, the language secretary of the Xunta de Galicia, Valentín García, in Santiago de Compostela highlighted Galician’s contribution to Europe’s cultural diversity. The regional government is seeking to achieve this through a stronger international presence via lectorado posts and scholarship programmes, García said. The figures are from the Xunta de Galicia’s latest statement.
According to the regional government, Galician is currently taught at around 40 universities, eight of them in Spain. Around 500 students are enrolled at Spanish institutions, including those in Barcelona, Madrid, Vitoria, Salamanca, Alicante and Granada, as well as at the University of Extremadura. In addition, around 1,000 students are enrolled in lectorado posts at 21 academic institutions in Europe. These include Germany, Austria, Croatia, Finland, France, Hungary, Italy, Ireland, Poland, Portugal and the United Kingdom. The Xunta also points to eight lectorado posts in the Americas, as well as recently established teaching programmes at universities in India and Mozambique.
The government describes these measures as part of a renewed package under the Plan xeral de Normalización da Lingua Galega. In spring, the relevant funding streams and selection procedures for lectorado posts and training scholarships were updated and published in the official gazette. According to the Xunta, they include long-term cooperation agreements with universities, financial support for teaching and cultural projects, and travel scholarships.
The Xunta’s account aims to raise Galician’s profile outside Spain and build lasting academic partnerships. Supporters see this as a way to strengthen cultural presence, research and exchange programmes. Critics of language policy have repeatedly countered that the effectiveness of international measures should be judged by investment in everyday use within Galicia. It was not possible to independently verify the figures announced today at short notice; they are based on the regional government’s figures.
The European Day of Languages has been observed since 2001 to promote multilingualism and language learning. In Galicia, the regional government regularly marks the date with programmes that extend beyond the lectorado posts: readings, workshops and partnerships with cultural institutions are intended to raise Galician’s profile in higher education and public life. For the current academic year, the Xunta de Galicia said it would continue established partnerships and consider new locations. García did not specify any expansions, but referred to ongoing talks with European universities.
Editor: Phillipe Schmidt-Araguin (Article created with AI assistance).