We are used to encouraging the normalisation of the use of our language in relations between citizens and administrations. One of the most fundamental aspects in normalising the language, however, is in the world of work and the socio-economic sphere. That is the area where relationships are developed and where languages can become more or less important depending on their spoken and written use, both among employees at the companies themselves and as part of the services companies offers to the public. In addition, we must keep in mind how knowledge of one or more languages offers speakers equal opportunities to get a job or integrate into society, what is referred to as the social elevator.

Fundació Vincle’s goals include integration and social cohesion, and this also has an impact on the socio-economic realm. Shortly after its creation, the Foundation launched campaigns that focused on the presence of the Catalan language in business and its use in relating with consumers, whose rights need to be guaranteed. For companies, it can also be a strong point in building customer relations. With the aim of helping to normalise the Catalan language in the socio-economic sphere, Fundació Vincle organises campaigns and offers advisory services for companies to achieve their goals of using correct and respectful language with their customers, with other companies and, ultimately, with their entire operating environment. This includes proper compliance with the regulations and legislation of the country in question.

We are aware that many companies today operate in multilingual environments; that is the world we live in. However, multilingualism does not have to be synonymous with poor language management if we understand what the functions of each language should be according to the territory. In other words, all those functions that can be performed by local languages (native to the place) should not be co-opted by global languages. Thus, we can contribute to an ecology of languages and to the preservation of linguistic diversity. Good language management is therefore a source of profit for companies and a way for brands to create loyalty among customers.