Does Basque Have a Future? Implications of Hegemonic Languages for Audiovisual Consumption by Adolescents

Abstract

This article analyses the consumption of audiovisual content in the Basque language by adolescents in the Basque province of Gipuzkoa and the influence of hegemonic languages on two levels: Spanish as the dominant language in a bilingual society, in which linguistic competence in Basque does not translate into its use; and an audiovisual industry in which English and Spanish are the dominant languages. For this study, surveys were completed by 2,426 students in the compulsory secondary school system (ages 12 -16) enrolled in either the “Model B” language stream (half in Basque and half in Spanish) or the “Model D” language stream (Basque as the language of instruction) at 60 schools across the province. Cluster sampling was used, stratified with proportional allocation in order to obtain data on the seven regions of Gipuzkoa. Audiovisual consumption was examined mainly in five significant areas: cinema, television, news, sports and the Internet. Special attention was also given to the use of subtitles when viewing fiction content. The study found that adolescents in Gipuzkoa consume audiovisual content mainly in Spanish, although not all to the same degree, as there is considerable variation between regions. Affectivity in relation to the language is a key aspect for interpreting the results of this research.