Sebastián Cárdenas Zabala
Agencia Andaluza de Evaluación Educativa
Consejería de Educación de Andalucía

Language and Literacy

Andalusia is located in the south of Spain and is one of its 17 autonomous regions, having a status of historical nationality recognized by the 1978 Spanish Constitution.1 As the most populated and the second largest region, Andalusia has significant standing within Spain.

The official language in Andalusia is Spanish, specifically its Andalusian linguistic modality, the use of which is recognized and protected by the Statute of Autonomy of Andalusia (2006).2 Just as in other European countries, the number of schools in Andalusia that have adopted a Content and Language Integrated Learning curriculum, in which some of the curriculum subjects are taught in English, has grown considerably in the past decade.

Emphasis on Literacy

Since 2007, the Education Department has been developing the Reading and School Libraries Project in educational centers. The aim of this project is to promote the use of school libraries in an effort to increase reading habits among students. Schools play an essential role in fostering positive attitudes toward books and reading and can structure mid or long term global reading projects with the help of adapted and systematic action plans. Schools have some resources via school libraries, which are indispensable for an adequate education of students in a society that demands citizens with skills in research through various information sources, critical selection of information, and autonomous knowledge building.