The Aragonese resistance : A qualitative study on the attitudes and motivations of new speakers of an endangered language in Zaragoza

While the number of Aragonese speakers is in steady decline in the rural areas of Spain where it was traditionally spoken, the efforts of grassroots movements since the end of Franco’s dictatorship in 1975 have contributed to create a community of new speakers in Aragon’s largest cities, mostly thanks to courses for adults organized by cultural associations. The capital, Zaragoza, which has been practically monolingual for centuries, after Spanish became the language of power and prestige in the 15th century, is now home to several thousand Aragonese speakers. Despite their growing importance, very little research has been done on the views and experiences of these individuals. Drawing on data from focus groups and interviews, the aim of this thesis is to analyze their language ideologies, motivations, frustrations, political engagements, language use and challenges. Hopefully, this information will be valuable in the design of an effective language policy in the future