Spanish Embassy in Berlin hosts CERFA’s 10th-Anniversary Conference on Bilingualism and Language Loss
An event about heritage, memory, and identity
December 12th, 2025
On the 10th of December 2025, the Embassy of Spain in Berlin hosted a conference titled “Can Spanish Be Forgotten? Language, heritage, attrition, and bilingual life. The event examined the challenges of maintaining Spanish as a heritage language while living in Germany.
The conference featured presentations from two researchers exploring the dynamics of language learning and loss in bilingual children and it was the 10th anniversary celebration of the Berlin-Brandenburg branch of the Society of Spanish Scientists in the Federal Republic of Germany (CERFA). It was supported by AECID, the Ramón Areces Foundation, and collaborators including FECYT, the Cervantes Institute Berlin, TU Berlin, and several cultural organizations.
One speaker Ana Goás Pérez explored how children growing up in Germany acquire Spanish at home through interaction with Spanish-speaking parent, meanwhile Pamela Villar González investigated language attrition, bilingualism, and the neuroscience underlying language. Her work addressed how previously fluent languages may weaken over time and the cognitive processes involved.
The Spanish Embassy did not only celebrate CERFA’s decade-long contributions to science but also demonstrated how cultural diplomacy can foster linguistic heritage, scientific exchange, and intercultural understanding. The event highlighted the intersection of research, family life, and the broader mission of promoting Spanish language and culture abroad.
References:
- https://cerfa.de/blog/2025/11/21/10-anos-cerfa-berlin-brandeburgo-se-puede-olvidar-el-espanol-herencia-atricion-y-vida-bilingue/
- https://spanien-kultur.de/2025/12/03/spanische-kulturevents-dezember2025/
