Gran Canaria Authorities Launch Campaign to Preserve Local Language. A campaign to defend the local language standard has been launched in Gran Canaria. The authorities are concerned about the pronoun “ustedes” being replaced by “vosotros.” The reason cited is the influence of social networks and external language standards.
The authorities of Gran Canaria have announced the launch of a large-scale social media campaign aimed at protecting the region's traditional pronoun, 'ustedes'. The reason for this initiative is the noticeable spread of the form 'vosotros', typical of the northern regions of Spain, in the everyday speech of the Canary Islands' residents. According to local educators and linguists, this shift is particularly evident among young people and schoolchildren, and is linked to the popularity of Spanish bloggers and content from mainland Spain.
The head of the island council, Antonio Morales, emphasizes that this is not just about grammar, but about preserving cultural identity. As part of the campaign, a video was published that garnered over half a million views in just two days. The video highlights that 'ustedes' is not just a polite form, but an important part of Canarian identity. Morales notes that the influence of external language norms may gradually erode the unique features of the local dialect, which, according to him, is one of the most widely spoken variants of Spanish in the world.
The Canary Language Academy confirms that the trend towards using "vosotros" is indeed growing, especially among young people influenced by educational materials and standards from mainland Spain. At the same time, in certain areas of La Gomera, La Palma, and the southern municipalities of Tenerife, the "vosotros" form had previously been retained, but mainly among older residents and in rural areas. Linguists emphasize that imitation of external norms is often linked to uncertainty about their own language variant.
Professor Humberto Hernández of the University of La Laguna believes that language changes are inevitable, but fears that the imposition of mainland standards may lead to the devaluation of local features. He notes that schools in the Canary Islands still frequently use educational materials oriented toward Peninsular Spanish, which only accelerates the displacement of "ustedes." A similar view is held by philologist Elena Marrero, who in her publications highlights the insufficient representation of the Canarian variant of Spanish in the media and educational environment.
The regional authorities see the modern music scene, especially the work of artists such as Quevedo, Ptazeta, and Cruz Cafuné, as a potential resource for supporting local linguistic identity. These musicians actively use Canarian language features, helping to popularize them among young people. The question of preserving linguistic traditions is becoming part of a broader discussion about cultural identity and resistance to homogenization, as is also evident in other regions of Spain. For example, as a recent russpain.com analysis showed, similar processes are observed in the political sphere, where traditional values face new challenges (more on trends in electoral preferences).
For reference: the pronoun "ustedes" came to the Canary Islands from western Andalusia at the end of the 19th century and became the main form of address in the plural. In Latin America, this form also prevails, in contrast to mainland Spain, where "vosotros" dominates. Linguists note that language changes on the islands reflect not only external influences but also internal processes related to migration, education, and the development of digital technologies.
