III Spain-India Forum: Spanish, a language to connect in the 21st Century
The fourth session of the Forum served to understand the growing international interest in our language and its impact as a means of global communication | Executive Summary III Spain-India Forum
"Spanish as a lingua franca in the 21st century" was the title of the last session of the III Spain-India Forum. This meeting brought together experts to explore in depth the relevance and impact of Spanish as a means of global communication.
Guillermo Escribano, Director General for Spanish Language in the World at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Spain, gave introductory remarks on the presence and role of Spanish in the international arena. His intervention served as a starting point for understanding the global expansion of this vibrant language, which is attracting increasing interest on an international scale.
Acting as moderator, Òscar Pujol, Director of the Instituto Cervantes in New Delhi, led the panel, highlighting the importance of the Spanish language in the current context and its function as a cultural bridge. Javier Torres, Head of International and Institutional Relations at the Unit for International Education of the Ministry of Education and Vocational Training, presented the international projection of Spanish in the field of education, while Himanshu Gupta, Director of the Delhi Board of School Education, provided a unique perspective on the teaching of Spanish in the Delhi education system.
Paloma Castro, Vice-Chancellor for Internationalisation at the University of Valladolid and Coordinator of the Working Group for Language Policy at CRUE, offered reflections on the internationalisation of Spanish in the university environment. Ashwani Goyal, President of Goyal Publishers & Distributors, shared his experience in the promotion of materials in Spanish, providing a perspective from the publishing world.
The session concluded with an open conversation, in which it became clear that Spanish is not only a language, but a bridge that connects cultures and communities around the world. Participants stressed the importance of promoting the teaching of Spanish as a tool for communication as well as a vehicle for intercultural understanding. This talk not only provided a detailed overview of the current state of Spanish as a lingua franca, but also inspired a joint commitment to enhance its relevance and reach in the 21st century.
