Languages of Catalonia
The main cause of Spanish and Catalan social bilingualism in modern Catalonia was large-scale migration from the rest of Spain during the 20th century, as Catalonia started a significant industrialization which demanded an increased workforce from elsewhere. Spanish has historically been spoken among a minority of civil servants born in other regions in Spain and among segments of the wealthiest bourgeoisie. Spanish has also been spoken as a second language by most Catalans, as it has been the only official language over long periods since the eighteenth century.
Education in Catalan
After the Spanish transition to democracy in 1978, the Catalan language was restored in the sphere of education in Spain for millions of speakers. The introduction of Catalan varied considerably depending on the territory. In Catalonia and the Balearic Islands a linguistic model was adopted according to which Catalan is the main vehicular language. A radically different model was followed in the Valencian Community in which parents are, in theory, able to choose which language their children are educated in. There also is some privately funded Catalan language education in Roussillon France.