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.
News
New publication: El español en los sistemas educativos europeos: alcance, desafíos y perspectivas
The report El español en los sistemas educativos europeos: alcance, desafíos y perspectivas, authored by Dr. Pilar Valero Fernández and Prof. Dr. Óscar Loureda Lamas, has been published.
It analyzes the presence of Spanish in European education systems, with particular attention to its teaching as a foreign language and as a heritage language.
Read the full report 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 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.
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.
Recent publications
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Awarded the first Prize for International Hispanism
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