Editing Asturleonese language (section)

===Leonese (''Llionés'')===
{{Main|Leonese language}}
{{more citations needed section|date=August 2023}}

[[File:WIKITONGUES- José Benito speaking Leonese.webm|thumb|A Leonese speaker, recorded in [[Spain]].]]

Leonese was probably spoken in a much larger area in the Middle Ages, roughly corresponding to the old [[Kingdom of León]]. As the [[Castilian language]] became the main language in Spain, the linguistic features of the Leonese language retreated progressively westwards. In the late 1990s several associations unofficially promoted Leonese language courses. In 2001 the ''Universidad de León'' (University of León) created a course for Leonese teachers, and local and provincial governments developed Leonese language courses for adults. Nowadays Leonese can be studied in the largest towns of [[León (province)|León]], [[Zamora (province)|Zamora]] and [[Salamanca (province)|Salamanca]] provinces.
[[File:Asturllionés; usu y estensión.png|thumb|Usage of Asturleonese today, excluding transitional speeches]]
Leonese's desperate reality as a minority language has driven it to an apparent dead end, and it is considered a Seriously Endangered Language by [[UNESCO]]. There are some efforts at language revival aimed at  the urban population (the Leonese Council has made campaign to encourage young people to learn Leonese). Some experts think Leonese will be dead in two generations.

In spite of all these difficulties, the number of young people learning and using Leonese (mainly as a written language) has increased substantially in recent years. The Leonese City Council promotes Leonese language courses for adults. Leonese is taught in sixteen schools in Leon.

Leonese has special status in the Statute of Autonomy of [[Castile and León]].<ref>{{Citation |title=Statute of Autonomy of Castile and León, article 5(2) |pages=49486–49505 |url=https://www.boe.es/eli/es/lo/2007/11/30/14/con |language=Spanish}}</ref>