Vocabulary

Video

Transcript

Oliver: Hello, my name is Oliver.
David: Hello.
Maria Luisa: Hello.
Julia: Hello, my name is Julia.
David: My name is David.
Maria Luisa: My name is Maria Luisa.

Oliver: Catalonia is a region of Spain, in the east. That’s where Barcelona is.
Maria Luisa: We have our own language.
David: We speak Catalan. It’s a Romance language.
Oliver: It’s probably as close to French and Italian as it is to Spanish.

Maria Luisa: We have a very particular sense of humor.
Oliver: Also we have a particular set of traditions, like our dance and music.
Julia: But at the same time sharing parts of it with the rest of Spain.
Maria Luisa: We are proud of our history.
Oliver: With a strong fierce cultural identity.

Oliver: I’m Catalan, but also Spanish.
Julia: I don’t really know if I should say I’m Spanish or Catalan.
David: I’m Catalan only — not Spanish.
Julia: I just say I’m from Barcelona.
Maria Luisa: I say both, I mean I’m very proud to be able to have two sense of humors.

David: I’d like Catalonia to become independent.
Julia: I don’t want independence. I just want to vote.
David: That’s the only way we can make our own decisions.
Oliver: I really don’t know what I would vote for.
Julia: Many people in Catalunya don’t really agree with the popular party, the one that’s in the government right now in Spain.

David: I feel that Catalonia is not Spain’s priority.
Oliver: Catalonia, generally, is one of the richest regions in Spain — but we feel we don’t get enough money back.
Julia: It’s not just about the money, or something the government did; it’s more about a feeling and a sense of belonging. For a Catalan person, they are from Catalunya — and that’s a feeling.
Maria Luisa: I don’t want to be independent. I think that some Catalans want to be independent, because they feel superior in a way, based on irrational things.
Julia: In a sense, they feel the way English people feel about French people.
Maria Luisa: They may be based on history, but all parts of Spain have their own history.

David: We would be better being independent.
Maria Luisa: We are very divided. It’s very sad.
Oliver: Most of us want to vote, but not like this.
Julia: We all should get along; I think talking is the way.

Questions

Catalonia. Since Catalonia is a region of Spain, the native language there is Spanish. True or false? Is Catalan related to Spanish?

Basque Country. Is the Flamenco a traditional Catalan dance? Is the culture of Spain uniform throughout the country or do the Catalans have their unique culture?

Galicia. All Catalans identify themselves as Catalans only. Every Catalan considers herself or himself to be only Catalan. Is this right or wrong?

Andalusia. Do all Catalans want full independence or is this a very complicated issue?

Ibiza, Majorca, Balearic Islands. What are some of the reasons given as to why some or many Catalans want independence? Is it based entirely on economics?

Canary Islands. Catalans are all united over the issue of independence. Is this correct or incorrect?

Castile and Leon Do the responses of different people reveal their personality, character, ideals and values?

Valencia. Catalonia should become independent. What do you think?

Madrid. What does your national government think? What is their official stance?

Seville, Cordoba, Malaga, Granada. What kind of people in your country favor and oppose the independence of Catalonia? What about people in other countries?

Portugal. Can you think of other independence movements around the world?

Toledo. What will happen in the future?

The Rock of Gibraltar. Should the European Union, United Nations, Amnesty International, etc make a clear stance on independence desires?