Castilian? Spanish?
Despite popular confusion and brainwashing, there is no single Spanish language, just as there is no single language in China or in the United Kingdom. The same was true in the USSR when it existed. Many languages are spoken and recognized by the Spanish Constitution of 1978 in its Part 3. Apart from Castilian, several other Spanish languages exist today, each with its own dictionary and media, i.e. radio, TV and newspapers. Details are covered in Allan Tépper’s books, his CapicúaFM radio show, and soon in the upcoming SpeakCastilian.com radio show in English.
As a result, it is incorrect to ask someone from China: “Do you speak Chinese?” You must ask something like: “Do you speak Mandarin or Cantonese?”
When the USSR was in existence, it would have been incorrect to say that Mikhail Gorbachev spoke Soviet. It would be correct to say that he spoke Russian.
Isn’t Castilian a style or a type of Spanish?
No, it’s not. Castilian is the proper name of the second most common language spoken in the United States, and throughout the Americas. In fact, many Constitutions in the Americas name Castilian (castellano) as the official language, including Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Perú and Venezuela. Although México’s Constitution doesn’t mention any official language, just check out Vicente Fox’s quote to the right, or below if you are reading this on your phone. Although Chile’s Constitution does not mention any language, Chilean law specifically states that the language that must be taught in public schools is Castilian.
More details are in Allan Tépper’s books and radio show.