Between social prejudices and linguistic attitudes: teaching languages of origin in Catalonia

Language education policies in Catalonia have experience in incorporating languages of origin in schools, with more than 15 languages taught both in and out of school and over 100,000 pupils benefiting. This qualitative exploratory study analyses the implementation of the Arabic Language and Moroccan Culture (LACM) programme in Catalan schools. Data were collected through 39 semi-structured interviews with members of the educational community to identify facilitators and barriers. Findings show that, despite institutional efforts to promote linguistic and cultural rapprochement, significant barriers persist, including implementation gaps and a prevailing paternalistic perspective. General guidelines are proposed to improve the programme's implementation.