Observatory of Spanish in Europe
Observatory of Spanish in Europe | OSE
The Observatory of Spanish in Europe is a research center founded in 2023 at Heidelberg Center for Ibero-American Studies (HCIAS), Heidelberg University. Its main goal is to offer data that can help tackle the emerging trends related to Spanish and its speakers in Europe.
El español como lengua de herencia en Europa
¿Eres de origen hispanohablante y has emigrado a un país europeo?
¿Tienes un/a hijo/a menor de edad?
¿Quieres ayudarnos a conocer la realidad del español como lengua de herencia en Europa?
¡Participa en nuestra encuesta!
News
New HCIAS Podcast episode on heritage speakers in the Spanish language classroom
A new episode of the HCIAS Podcast “Hablantes de herencia en el aula de ELE: Identidad, pragmática y el reto de las clases mixtas,” is now available.
In this episode, Dr. Eva González Melón, Assistant Professor at KU Leuven (Belgium), explores the challenges of Spanish as a Foreign Language (ELE) classrooms, where heritage speakers and traditional learners study together. She also reflects on the role of identity, pragmatic competence, and linguistic diversity in these learning environments, highlighting the importance of recognizing heritage speakers’ linguistic and cultural backgrounds as valuable resources for learning.
Listen to the episode here.
Read the content of the episode here.
Upcoming publication: "Understanding the Spanish Language in Europe: Current Migration and Educational Trends"
The Observatory of Spanish in Europe is pleased to announce the forthcoming publication of “Understanding the Spanish Language in Europe: Current Migration and Educational Trends,” coedited by Prof. Dr. Óscar Loureda Lamas, Rodolfo Gutiérrez Palacios, Prof. Dr. José Luis García Delgado, and Dr. Pilar Valero Fernández, to be published by De Gruyter Brill.
The volume offers an interdisciplinary perspective on the presence and development of Spanish across Europe, addressing topics such as language demography, migration, education, intergenerational language transmission, language policy, translation, and digital communication. It examines how these factors are shaping the future of Spanish beyond traditionally Spanish-speaking countries.
More information about the publication here.
New article by the Director of the Observatory of Spanish in Europe, Prof. Dr. Óscar Loureda Lamas, published in El Confidencial
On July 8, 2026, the digital newspaper El Confidencial published the article “Spanish Without Borders: 15 Million Ambassadors in the EU” by the Director of the Observatory of Spanish in Europe, Prof. Dr. Óscar Loureda Lamas. In the article, he reflects on the role of Spanish in a Europe shaped by migration and argues that the future of the language increasingly depends on the millions of Spanish speakers living beyond Spain’s borders. He also emphasizes the importance of strengthening the intergenerational transmission of Spanish and promoting language and educational policies that support Spanish-speaking communities across Europe.
Read the full article here.
Dr. Pilar Valero participated in the symposium "El español en Europa"
Dr. Pilar Valero participated in the symposium “El español en Europa,” organized by the “Observatorio Permanente del Hispanismo” of the Duques de Soria Foundation as part of its Jornadas de Formación, held on July 1–2, 2026.
During the symposium, she delivered the presentation “Los hablantes de herencia y la transmisión intergeneracional del español” and took part in the roundtable “Los retos del español en Europa”.
Recent publications
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Supported by:
Awarded the first Prize for International Hispanism
With support from:
