Judgments and prejudices about the official recognition of the Asturian language in the local press (2021)

Abstract

The process of statutory reform in Asturias, defined with the aim of granting official status to the Asturian language, gained momentum in late 2021. The public debate had a significant impact on the Asturian press, with numerous publications from various political and social perspectives. In this regard, the main objective of this research is to analyze the different articles and opinion pieces on the matter that appeared at the end of 2021 in one of the most widely read newspapers in Asturias, namely El Comercio. The goal is to study, from a sociolinguistic perspective, the discourses and ideologies surrounding the linguistic diversity in Spain and, particularly, the Asturian language.