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Starting from the data and current models for the study of the language from the economic perspective -language economics-, this paper aims to show how the economic value of the Spanish language is perceived in the media and how news about it contribute to construct an imaginary that legitimates the value of language. To this end, a corpus consisting of texts from the Spanish periodical press between the years 2001 and 2017 is analyzed. The quantitative analysis shows the discontinuity/permanence of the discourse over time and its linkage with the media. The qualitative analysis reveals the three features that identify this type of discourse: the insistence on quantification, the enhancement of the symbolic value of language and the repetition and thematic exhaustion. This investigation is an empirical-critical work that uses tools from both Economic science and Socio-Discursive analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]