Cooficialitat i bilingüisme a la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (1933-1939)

Resum

This article offers a historical analysis of the language policy followed in the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (Autonomous University of Barcelona), with special emphasis on the activities of the University's Board of Trustees, formed in June, 1933 and abolished in November, 1934. The University's governing statutes established the principle of «reciprocal coexistence» for the Catalan and Spanish languages and cultures. According to this principle, students as well as faculty members were free to express themselves in the language of their choice. A sign of this bilingualism was the determination to publish all university documents in both languages. Before opting for bilingualism, the Board of Trustees rejected two other alternatives: 1) the division of each class into two; and 2) the creation of two separate universities, one Catalan and the other Spanish. According to the Board of Trustees, offering every subject in both Spanish and Catalan would not only be a heavy financial and material burden, but it would create two rival universities under the same roof. On the other hand, a separate Catalan university would attract most of the students, which would harm the State University. Furthermore, the Board of Trustees felt that there were simply not enough resources or personnel to start a new university. Board member Américo Castro was worried by the possibility that this policy of bilingualism might in practice result in a neglect of Spanish. According to Castro, given the decline in the use of Spanish by both students and teachers (although 124 courses were taught in Catalan, and 130 in Spanish), one could certainly question whether the university was indeed still a bilingual institution. Castro also expressed his concern that the Spanish-language proficiency among graduating students might not be sufficient to permit them to practice a profession outside of Catalonia. In actuality, says Nadal Badal, the policy of bilingualism was «a process of Catalanization» which was «profound » and «irreversible.»