Catalan Language Program

What is Catalan and where is it spoken?

Catalan is a Romance language with about 10 million speakers spread in four different European countries. In eastern Spain: Catalonia (with the highest number of speakers), Region of Valencia, Franja de Ponent Region in Aragon, and Balearic Islands; in France, the Roussillon area; in Italy the Sardinian city of Alghero; and the country of Andorra, where Catalan is the only official language.

Catalan 101 and 102

The Department of Spanish and Portuguese and the Institute of European Studies is offering two semesters of face-to-face instruction in Catalan, Catalan 101 (Fall Semester), and Catalan 102 (Spring Semester). Catalan fulfills UC Berkeley language requirement, and it is a 4-credit course. The class meets on Tuesdays and Thursdays, 12:30-2 pm.

Who can take Catalan?

  • Undergraduate and graduate students from any discipline with an intermediate knowledge in Spanish or any Romance language interested in Iberian languages, cultures and literatures, bilingualism, Romance languages and linguistics.

  • Future and former participants on UCEAP and Study Abroad programs in Barcelona.

Why take Catalan?

  • Learn the language and explore one of the major literatures in the Iberian Peninsula, Catalan Literature. 

  • Translation exam for graduate students: take your translation exam in Catalan!

  • Explore our “Romance Language Collections” at UC Berkeley Library, a library with a long history of collecting materials in Catalan

  • Apply to a FLAS fellowship after taking Catalan 102 and study the language in a Catalan-speaking territory (summer stays for undergraduate and graduate students, and academic year stays for graduate students).

  • Apply to fellowships offered by the Institut Ramon Llull after completion of Catalan 102.

  • Participate in cultural events organized by the Catalan Program at UCB (conferences, cultural events, festive gatherings…).

Catalan Courses

Catalan 101 (Catalan for Intermediate Students of Romance Languages) 

T Th 12:30-2:00PM

Terms offered: Fall semester only

4 units

This course is an introduction to Catalan language and culture for students who are already intermediate or proficient in Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese or any other Romance Language but have no previous knowledge of Catalan. We will approach the language through the different skills (speaking and interacting, reading, writing and listening). By the end of the semester the students will be able to: 

  • Understand basic oral speech and conversations. 

  • Communicate and react at a basic level in different conversational contexts. 

  • Read and understand texts of basic (notes, articles, etc.) and more difficult complexity (literature). 

  • Develop audiovisual strategies in order to comprehend some materials at a basic level (specially films and music) and interact in basic discussions about the different subjects. 

  • Write compositions at a basic level (about personal needs, everyday routine, likes and dislikes, etc.). 

  • Use strategies to get over the difficulties related to language comprehension.

Catalan 102 (Readings in Catalan) 

NOTE: This is an intermediate language course.

T Th 12:30-2:00PM

Terms offered: Spring semester only

4 units

Second semester course for students who have completed Catalan 101 and for students with a previous knowledge of Catalan, with special regard to undergrad students with a special interest in improving their proficiency, and to graduate students who need Catalan as a tool for their research. Language will be approached the through the different skills (speaking and interacting, reading, writing and listening). By the end of the semester the students will be able to: 

  • Understand oral speech and conversations at an intermediate level, and communicate and react in different conversational contexts. 

  • Develop audiovisual strategies in order to comprehend more complex materials (specially films and music) and interact in discussions about the different subjects. 

  • Read and understand texts of certain complexity (notes, articles, etc.) 

  • Develop reading comprehension strategies in order to understand and translate more complex texts (literature, press).

  • Write more complex compositions (summary and analysis of a film; summary, analysis and/or translation into English, Spanish or other Romance Languages of a literature sample, or a text about the students’ area of expertise).

Information and Useful Links