Want to learn Catalan?

We’ve made it easy for you! With some effort on your part and our help, you can do it. We provide a whole series of resources, guides and activities that allow you to achieve your goal.

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I write
I read
I speak
Course
Exercises
Online
Objectives

To discover the basic grammar and vocabulary of the Catalan language along with practical aspects of everyday university life.

Description

SpeakCat is a Catalan course set in a university context, with exercises and activities. It has 10 units. It includes a dictionary, a list of abbreviations, a grammar guide and a personal assistant.

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I write
I read
I speak
Course
Exercises
Pdf
Blended learning
Objectives

To give international students a basic grounding in Catalan.

Description

Beginners course including 10 hours of face-to-face classes; 10 hours of conversation with a Catalan student; a session on Catalan culture and a visit to the city.

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I write
I read
I speak
Audio
Audiovisual
Self-learning
Course
Game
Online
Objectives

To publicise educational resources, tools and materials linked to the teaching and learning of the Catalan language.

Description

The course is available for four levels (Basic - Elementary - Intermediate - Sufficiency) and each level contains three grades. Each grade lasts approximately three months and is equivalent to 45 hours of study. The course is offered in two different formats: self-managed learning (free) or with a tutor (for a fee).

Compiled by the Language Policy Secretariat of the Government of Catalonia, the Institut Ramon Llull and the Consortium for Linguistic Normalization.

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I write
I read
Self-learning
Teaching guide
Language materials
Text
Online
Objectives

To develop independence in the reading of general texts in Portuguese, Spanish, Catalan, Italian and French in a very short time, between 30 and 40 hours, developing reading strategies that enable the rapid use of linguistic bridges between the different Romance languages.

Description

This website contains a comparative grammar, a teaching guide and a small sample of prepared texts. Produced by the Language Service of the University of Barcelona with the support of the Ministry of Business and Knowledge.

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Communicative competence
Let’s chat
I speak
Text
Vocabulary
Pdf
Objectives

 Learn about the two most spoken languages in Catalonia.

Description

Just arrived in Catalonia? Do you want to learn the two main languages spoken here?

This pocket guide will introduce you to both Catalan and Spanish. You can see what they have in common and how easy it is to start speaking them. Produced by the Catalan universities' Language Services with the support of the Secretariat for Universities and Research of the Ministry of Business and Knowledge.

 

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Get to know the country
I live in Catalonia
Text
Pdf
Objectives

To make people who come to a university in Catalonia aware of various aspects of the habits and functioning of Catalan society.

Description

With this guide you will be able to know how to greet a person you have just met, when it is appropriate to talk to someone in a more formal or informal way, how to act when we are invited to dinner...

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I write
I read
I speak
Audio
Vocabulary
Online
Objectives

To provide foreign students with a tool containing resources to help them communicate and make use of the services offered by the university.

Description

The Conversation guides include the most commonly used expressions and practical language resources for finding accommodation, dealing with bureaucracy and obtaining public and commercial services. Available in 21 languages in combination with Catalan. Produced by the Language Service of the University of Barcelona with the support of the Secretariat for Universities and Research of the Ministry of Business and Knowledge.

 

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Welcoming visitors
Get to know the country
Multiculturalism
Text
Pdf
Objectives

This guide helps people involved in welcoming foreign students who come to study at Catalan universities

Description

It is aimed at people whose job involves welcoming these students and helping them to integrate, providing resources to make the reception process easier.

 

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I speak
Audio
Online
Objectives

To aid comprehension of the phraseology frequently used in university classrooms in Catalan, Spanish and English.

Description

Produced by UPC-BarcelonaTech with the support of the Secretariat for Universities and Research of the Ministry of Business and Knowledge.

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Get to know the country
Multiculturalism
I live in Catalonia
Test
Online
Objectives

Discover and compare cultural aspects of Catalonia with those of other European countries. Promotes intercultural awareness and raises awareness of similarities and differences.

Description

Multiple choice quiz on social norms in different countries.

 

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I write
I read
I speak
Sociolinguistic
Audiovisual
Language materials
Text
Online
Objectives

To improve linguistic and communication skills in the academic and professional environment. Most of the contents of Argumenta are applicable to Catalan, but also to other languages.

Description

Argumenta is structured into 24 units of varying length that can be accessed independently. It is both a resource for consultation and a training product offered by the Catalan university language services. Produced by the Autonomous University of Barcelona and UPC-BarcelonaTech in partnership with the other Catalan universities and the support of the Secretariat for Universities and Research of the Ministry of Business and Knowledge.

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Welcoming visitors
Let’s chat
Conversation
Text
Vocabulary
Pdf
Objectives

A tool to support language mentors and volunteers involved in integration programmes at Catalan universities and may often find themselves practising the language with students from other parts of the world who do not speak either Catalan or Spanish, or who have only a basic grounding.

Description

It contains phrases and expressions they can practice, additional grammatical content with simple explanations, and cultural information that may be of interest to new arrivals in Catalonia. This resource has been developed with the support of the Secretariat for Universities and Research of the Ministry of Business and Knowledge.

 

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Communicative competence
I read
I speak
Audiovisual
Text
Online
Objectives

To improve the quality of oral presentations.

Description

Produced by the Autonomous University of Barcelona and UPC-BarcelonaTech with the support of the Secretariat for Universities and Research of the Ministry of Business and Knowledge.

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Multiculturalism
Text
Pdf
Objectives

Un món divers. Guia intercultural (A diverse world. Intercultural guide) is a short guide with a practical focus to reflect on the similarities and differences between cultures and countries in ways of living and organising life: the relations between teacher and lecturer, table manners, the value of punctuality, the space that should be maintained in a conversation, noise levels and body language are some of the topics addressed.

Description

It is designed particularly for students, lecturers, and members of administrative and service staff who are planning a placement in a foreign university or who work with people from around the world daily.

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Communicative competence
I write
Text
Pdf
Objectives

To guarantee language quality and consistency in institutional and academic documents generated by universities.

Description

A brief guide to effective academic writing in accordance with university quality standards. Prepared by the Autonomous University of Barcelona, the University of Barcelona, the University of Girona, the Polytechnic University of Catalonia, Rovira i Virgili University and the University of Vic - Central University of Catalonia, with the support of the Secretariat for Universities and Research of the Ministry of Economy and Knowledge.

 

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Multiculturalism
Game
Test
Online
Objectives

Enable participants to better understand linguistic diversity, give them clues on how to best enjoy it and offer them a fun way to open their minds to the world of languages and language learning.

Description

This questionnaire poses twenty-five questions with statements that users must rate from 0 to 5. After each question, users are presented with an explanatory text and, when the questionnaire is completed, they receive a final score indicating how open they are to languages. At the end of the questionnaire, regardless of their final score, users have the chance to read a complete profile of someone considered to be "open to languages".

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Welcoming visitors
Let’s chat
Conversation
Text
Vocabulary
Pdf
Description

Support documents for individuals such as mentors or language volunteers helping to welcome students who have started learning Catalan. It includes seven files that reflect real day-to-day situations and contain vocabulary, common sayings and grammar rules.

This project has been developed by the language support officers of the university language services with the support of the Secretariat for Universities and Research

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Multiculturalism
Text
Pdf
Objectives

It aims to demonstrate how important the sustainability of linguistic diversity is throughout the university community. Likewise, it strives to offer the university community materials containing practical and accessible advice on how to become a linguistically sustainable person who is commited to preserving our world's linguistic biodiversity.

Description

It is available in German, Berber, English, Catalan, Spanish, French, Esperanto, Basque, Galician, Greek, Italian, Japanese, Occitan Catalan Sign Language, Spanish Sign Language and International Sign.

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Welcoming visitors
Let’s chat
Multiculturalism
Conversation
Pdf
Objectives

To provide ideas, guidelines and tips for setting up language exchange meetings and reflecting on the similarities and differences between cultures and countries that can be seen as we carry out our daily lives.

Description

This two-part guide, published in PDF format, is available in several languages (Catalan, Spanish, English, French, German, Italian, Occitan, Portuguese and Chinese). The first part explains how a language exchange works, including how the meeting is structured, its length, the place and the activities participants can engage in. The second part contains suggested themes for conversation and information to stimulate discussion on the similarities and differences between cultures and countries when you get together.

Produced by the language services of the Catalan universities with the support of the Secretariat for Universities and Research of the Ministry of Business and Knowledge.

 

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Language materials
Text
Online
Objectives

Provide a terminology portal as reference tool and resolve any doubts that may arise regarding multilingual terminology collections.

Description

Here you will find terms, definitions, equivalences in different languages and very useful resources for writing quality academic texts.

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Start talking
Let’s chat
Conversation
Vocabulary
Pdf
Objectives

Offer basic vocabulary in picture format aimed at people who have just arrived in Catalonia and do not know the Catalan language.

Description

There are two parts: a first part with vocabulary in pictures and a second part made up of a very short conversation guide. The vocabulary includes more than 1,000 words in Catalan, which appear associated with an illustration and are grouped by topic (nursery school, adult education, pharmacy, herbs and spices, meals, etc.). The topic on each sheet is provided in Catalan, Spanish, French, English, Italian, German, Arabic, Chinese, Ukrainian and Russian. It includes a regional map and a world map.

 

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Language materials
Text
Online
Objectives

Offer resources and guidelines for writing scientific and technical texts.

Description

Recommendations for achieving the primary function of specialized texts and language: to inform, transmit and exchange knowledge in the most direct and objective way possible.

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Start talking
Let’s chat
Audio
Conversation
Vocabulary
MP3
Pdf
Objectives

S’adreça a persones que volen practicar la fluïdesa en català i escoltar diferents varietats dialectals.

Description

 A collection of everyday conversations, starting at a basic level and getting more complex- You can listen to the dialogues in mp3 format and read them in a PDF file.

 

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Welcoming visitors
Start talking
Communicative competence
Let’s chat
I write
I read
I speak
Self-learning
Teaching guide
Language materials
Text
Online
Objectives

Promote conversation among those taking part in the Language Volunteering (VxL) programme, serve as a didactic resource for teachers of Catalan courses, both in-classroom and online, and be extracurricular practice material for students and all those who want to learn Catalan.

Description

Fils de conversa consists of 10 thematic units that deal with current topics; in each one you will always find four blocks that we call fils, "threads" in Catalan: Mira i parla ("Look and speak"); Escolta i parla ("Listen and talk"); Guaita i opina ("Observe and give your opinion"), and Parlem-ne i fem ("Let's talk and do"). Each thread proposes four activities aimed at introducing vocabulary, encouraging reading among peers, practising linguistic and communicative structures and, above all, facilitating conversation.

There are over 300 activities that promote exchange and conversation. See the user guide (Guia d’ús) for a more detailed explanation of how it works.

Prepared by the Secretariat for Language Policy.

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Welcoming visitors
Start talking
Let’s chat
Conversation
Teaching guide
Vocabulary
Pdf
Objectives

Sheets of teaching materials to provide teachers with an easy-to-use classroom model.

Description

Contains two series of materials, both of which are suitable for linguistic integration and basic level. The first collection contains 23 sheets presenting dialogues on everyday situations and a guide to help teachers use them in the classroom. The second collection of 17 sheets contains simple dialogues based on the historical events and personalities reflected in the names of Catalonia’s streets.

 

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Start talking
Get to know the country
I write
I read
Audiovisual
Self-learning
Course
Exercises
Language materials
Vocabulary
Online
Objectives

Offer basic lexical and grammatical resources so that an international student who plans to study in Catalonia has the tools to communicate in Catalan in different day-to-day situations.

Description

Catalan language course based on a selection of A1-level content with a strong audiovisual component: the storyline is a fictional series starring an American student, Ella, who has just arrived in Barcelona. Fictional videos are complemented by videos with language content in English, various materials, forums and supplementary exercises. Cultural references are also included.

Free course, open to anyone in the world interested in learning Catalan and about Catalan culture, prepared by an interdisciplinary team from the UPF, with the support of the Ministry of Research and Universities.

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Let’s chat
I speak
Conversation
Text
Vocabulary
Pdf
Objectives

Materials to facilitate dialogue and conversations between learners and volunteers in the Language Volunteers programme, reading clubs and learners on Catalan courses.

Description

The materials cover a range of subjects and are designed to encourage dialogue and conversation, while reinforcing language learning through reading.

 

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Get to know the country
Let’s chat
Text
Pdf
Objectives

These guides link language learning to Catalan society, history and culture.

Description

Support materials for Catalan beginners taking face-to-face courses, attending self-learning centres or taking part in language exchange programmes. 

Prepared by the University of Barcelona.

 

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Let’s chat
Conversation
App
Objectives

To help learners use Catalan in a social context.

Description

Free app for finding a language partner. The app uses geolocation to bring together volunteers who speak fluent Catalan and learners with a basic grounding who want to become fluent. Developed by the Plataforma per la Llengua with the support of the Governments of Catalonia, the Balearic Islands and Valencia and donations from 205 donors.

 

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Get to know the country
I live in Catalonia
Test
Text
Pdf
Objectives

 Find out how Catalan is used.

Description

In recent years, hundreds of International students have arrived in Catalonia without knowing what language situation is. Are you one of them? Here are some facts that might help you to fill in the blanks.

Information pills.

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Get to know the country
I live in Catalonia
Test
Text
Online
Objectives

Catalonia at a click is a collection of links to sites which provide useful information on life in Catalonia.

Description

There is something here for everyone: history, local cuisine, festivals, useful tips, amongst others. If you are thinking of coming here to study, it is a good place to start planning your stay. If you have already landed, it is a good place to find out more about us.

Yes, the Intercat website’s resources section lists the free online Catalan courses available. Use the filters to find the course that best suits you.