The influence of the linguistic program on the lexico-semantic creativity in Catalan of ESO [(Spanish) Compulsory Secondary Education] students]: a case study

Abstract

The present study forms part of the analysis about a much broader experiment focused on the lexico-semantic innovation mechanisms in Catalan performed with ESO (Spanish initials for Compulsory Secondary Education) students. Based on a test called picture naming, the aim sought consists in assessing the influence of the educational system, and more precisely, of the linguistic program –Programa d’Incorporació Progressiva [Progressive Incorporation Program] or Programa d’Ensenyament en Valencià [Program for Teaching in Valencian (Language)]– on the linguistic and communicative competence in Catalan of students enrolled in the 1^st and 4^th years of ESO at the IES [Spanish initials for Secondary Education High School] located in Mutxamel (Alicante). Attention is mainly paid to the –qualitative and quantitative– degree of lexical and semantic generation of these subjects according to their sociolinguistic profile (linguistic program, language of identification, and learning or transmission of Catalan).