Andorran Teachers Boost Catalan Usage with Viral Instagram Videos

Teachers Puri Sànchez and Marc Arencón from Andorra's Catalan Language area have driven a successful social media push to make Catalan a more social language through the Aprèn Català Instagram account.

Developed this school year with support from the Department of Language Policy, the project transformed the channel from routine posts on enrolments and exams into engaging videos. Content now covers everyday vocabulary, popular expressions, colloquial terms, insults, and cultural highlights such as Sant Jordi and Constitution Day. "We wanted Catalan to be a social language, not just administrative," Sànchez explained.

The response has far exceeded expectations, drawing interest from fluent speakers and learners alike. "There is much more interest in Catalan than we thought," the teachers noted. They described positive encounters while filming in public, with no notable refusals linked to the language choice.

The initiative underscores persistent efforts to extend Catalan beyond classrooms and official settings. Arencón highlighted that many students possess the necessary skills but hesitate in real-world scenarios. He urged native speakers to stick with Catalan when approached by learners, rather than defaulting to Spanish in places like shops or restaurants.

This comes as demand for language classes grows due to new requirements, with self-study centres seeing user numbers double or triple. Both among obligation-driven students and those discovering the language's accessibility.

Sànchez and Arencón, pleased with the uptake, plan to hand over leadership next school year, hoping colleagues sustain the momentum to further embed Catalan in daily Andorran life.