Cervantes baptizes a Global Observatory to govern all Spanish observatories

The main objective of the Global Observatory of Spanish, created under the Perte of the New Economy of the Language, is the preparation of precise analyzes on the use of Spanish that help make decisions in relation to the dissemination of the language. “It is necessary to find a meeting point,” said García Montero. And in that sense, the objective is to create “a coordinated and aligned network of observatories.” Cervantes already has an observatory at Harvard University and another in Japan, and is working to create another in Africa and another in Latin America and the Caribbean. “If other observatories join this Cervantes network and if we all manage to coordinate our actions, without a doubt we will be taking a long and decisive step in the collective knowledge of the situation of Spanish in the world,” said the director of the institute.

This will to coordinate is what also stood out Francisco Morenodirector of the Global Observatory of Spanish, as the main function of the organization. «It is necessary to have a network of observation centers of what happens with Spanish in different Spanish-speaking communities. An observatory is not enough. Every observation is welcome, and that is why coordinated and complementary action is necessary,” he added in his speech. Moreno cited the Elcano Royal Institute, the General Directorate of Spanish in the World, the Observatory of Hispanism at the Duque de Soria Foundation, the Observatory of Spanish in Europe at the University of Heidelberg, the Nebrija Observatory, the academies, the universities… “We are all necessary to be able to fulfill those interests and for this cooperation to benefit the development of Spanish.”

The Global Observatory of Spanish was born, according to Moreno, at a time when the major international languages ​​are trying to adapt to the development of new technologies and aims to know the situation of the language through four areas of work: demography, certification and teaching, new technologies and specific areas of use, such as publishing, translation, diplomacy, politics, science, thought, culture in all its extension, the media or social networks. “These are the areas that will structure or guide the work of the Global Observatory of Spanish,” Moreno said.

Before the official presentation of the Observatory, which took place in the auditorium of the Cervantes Institute, the first plenary session was held, chaired by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Jose Manuel Albares. “It is essential that we focus on regions and countries of the world that are strategic for the promotion and growth, the current and also the future of our common language,” said the minister. «Today we have decided in plenary that two of our first detailed studies will stop at the study of Spanish in Brazil and Moroccotwo friendly countries and two strategic partners of Spain. Brazil, where one million students have been lost since 2017, and Africa are two key regions for the future development of Spanish in the world. The situation of Spanish in the US has also been discussed.

Currently, around 600 million people speak Spanish in the world, 500 of them natively. 7.5 percent of the world’s population speaks the language, whether with full or limited competence, and it has a notable economic weight: “Spanish speakers currently represent a purchasing power of around 9 percent of GDP.” worldwide,” Albares stressed. Spanish is the second native language in the world and the third most used on the internet. “Our potential is even greater if we manage to digitalize a part of the Spanish-speaking countries,” said Albares, as another pending issue, as well as the consolidation of the language in multilateral diplomacy. “The Observatory must become a key tool to configure strategic actions to promote and disseminate our language,” said Albares.