• Languages at the URV
• Learn Catalan before you come
• Learn Catalan at the URV
• Information, resources and activities

Veure aquesta pàgina en Català | Ver esta página en Español

Languages at the URV

Catalan is the language of Catalonia. According to the Statute of Autonomy of Catalonia, both Catalan and Spanish are official languages. A total of 75.3% of the population speak Catalan and 95% understand it. It is one of the ten most spoken and written languages in the European Union and it is also spoken in the Community of Valencia, the Balearic Islands, the eastern strip of Aragon, Northern Catalonia (in the south of France), the city of Alghero on the island of Sardinia, and Andorra. The total population of these areas is over ten million.

According to the Statutes of the URV, Catalan is the language of the URV; therefore, it is the language that is used for institutional and administrative purposes. For teaching, both Catalan and Spanish are used. Teachers have the right to choose the language they wish to use and their choice must be respected. In 2002, 64.9% of classes at the URV were taught in Catalan.

The fact that the romance languages are similar means that a student who speaks one of them will soon be able to follow classes taught in Catalan. Also, since much of the Catalan used in the classroom is of a scientific or technical nature, it is even easier to understand. Those students attending classes taught in Catalan are not required to actively use it. When speaking in class, taking notes, writing essays or taking exams they can use Spanish whenever they wish.

Learn Catalan before you come

Intercat

On this website you will find Speakc@t (an on-line survival Catalan course), Lingcat (sociolinguistic information about Catalan) and many more useful resources.

Learn Catalan at the URV

Discover us / Faites notre connaisance / Scopri chi siamo / Entdecken Sie uns / [In Chinese]

For beginners:

The Gràcies programme

• A survival Catalan course for new students
• A total of 22.5 hours (10 hours in the classroom + 10 hours of conversation + 2.5 h discovering the culture)
• Free
• A total of 1.5 URV credits, 2 ECTS credits and a certificate
• Taught in Tarragona, Reus and Tortosa

For elementary learners:

Basic Catalan 1

• A course in elementary Catalan that teaches both the language and the culture, and includes activities for getting to know the local area
• 40 hours (face to face)
• Free
• A total of 2.5 URV credits, 4 ECTS credits and a certificate

Basic Catalan

• An elementary Catalan course for new students
• 80 hours (face to face)
• Free
• A total of 6 URV credits, 8 ECTS credits and a first-level Catalan certficate (Català A Bàsic)

Virtual Catalan

Virtual courses in Catalan for beginners (basic and elementary levels) through the Parla.cat website.

Language Volunteers

Weekly conversation sessions with a Catalan native after completing 40 hours of instruction in Catalan.

Information, resources and activities

Information

The Catalan universities invite you to a welcome party in Barcelona with music and cultural activities.

You will be sent information about all sorts of Catalan resources if you get in toch with:

Mònica Batet
Language Service
monica.batet(ELIMINAR)@urv.cat

Resources

The URV provides all new students with the following material:

• Guide to university conversation (German-Catalan / Catalan-German, English-Catalan / Catalan-English, Spanish-Catalan / Catalan-Spanish, French-Catalan / Catalan-French, Italian-Catalan / Catalan-Italian, Portuguese-Catalan / Catalan-Portuguese)
• 30 hints. A pocket guide to enjoy your stay
• CD Parlem (language information about Catalonia)
• Catalan picture dictionary
• Catalan conversation dictionary

Activities

• Welcome Party
  All new students are invited to a welcome party to have a bite to eat and to attend the performance of the play My Tarragona.
• Festa Means Party
  The Catalan universities invite you to a welcome party in Barcelona with music and cultural activities.