The Impact of Language Policy on Language Revitalization: The Case of the Basque Language

Abstract

The assertion of language rights recognized on behalf of speakers of a non-dominant language requires a sustained long-term language planning. This chapter will analyze the impact, on the revitalization of the Basque language, of language policies implemented in the Basque Country after the proclamation of the Spanish constitution (1978) and the transformation of Spains authoritarian unitary regime into a decentralized democratic state. It will focus on two key areas of language revitalization, education and public administration. The Basque experience shows the effectiveness of selective intensive policies that focus on those segments of population most engaged and supportive of social change.