In the mid 90s and led by Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, universities from all over Catalonia, the Valencian Community and the Balearic Islands founded the so-called "language voluntaries". This was aimed at promoting the language and cultural integration of those foreign students on an exchange programme within the Catalan speaking territories. They also played a key role and helped to minimise or reduce the negative influence for the use of the Catalan language that it had at that time the fact that international students attended lectures and seminars at University.
Therefore, it was then when Universitat Rovira i Virgili (Tarragona), Universitat de Lleida, Universitat de València, Universitat Jaume I (Castelló) and Pompeu Fabra University set up their own language voluntariates. Despite the fact that other universities -such us Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya and Universitat de Barcelona never used the word language voluntariate for the Catalan language focused activities that they ran, the truth is that they started to develop and put into practice ideas that would certainly encourage the use of that language and raise the awareness of that culture amongst the foreign students community.
Moreover, the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona went a little step further by increasing its the scope of application -which at that time was strictly limited to the academic field. It founded a Language Voluntariate whose aims were:
- promoting the social use of Catalan in all spheres of social activities, especially at University;
- working closely with other public and privately funded institutions towards the normalization of the Catalan language;
- making easier for people to learn and use Catalan;
- promoting a cultural exchange.
In the specific case of UPF, it was in the beginning of the 2001-2002 academic year when the Language Voluntarite was set in motion. It was set up as the point of reference for the language and cultural welcome of those incoming exchange students as well as being a key element in order to contribute to the language learning and internationalisation of UPF's local students.
This programme is coordinated and led by the Gabinet Lingüístic (Language Office) but also ran in joint cooperation with the International Relations Office at UPF. Moreover, it counts on the financial support of the Departament d'Universitats, Recerca i Societat de la Informació de la Generalitat de Catalunya.
According to what it's stated by article 22.4 from the "Rules for promoting the use of the Catalan language at UPF" which was passed on 8th March 2000 following a previous agreement dating back to 17th May 2000, Pompeu Fabra University has steadily developed this welcome and support programme for those exchange students attending Pompeu Fabra University for their academic stay.
Regarding those students who can't speak Catalan, it also states that "Pompeu Fabra University will promote the creation of the Language Voluntariate's programme, featuring the different groups that make up the University community so that it works as a language support network and provides the integration of students from a non-Catalan background within the Catalan society.
As far as the agreement reached by the Junta de Govern on 17th May 2007 goes, it is also stated that the Language Voluntariate should be developed around two main action areas - the cultural and leisure programme; and the language exchange and Catalan normalization programme.
The UPF's Language Voluntariate has grown up in numbers considerably since it was founded seven years ago. Not only has it more participants but also more activities. We currently have an average of about 30 people attending each activity and we allocated around 1,500 language partners within the last couple of years. At the same time, it has consolidated its place as a welcome programme for exchange students coming to study at UPF for their academic stay. It has grown to currently become a top tool at the local students' internazionalition disposal since it is most likely that thos people taking part in our programme have or will be exchange students at a international university at some stage.
- 2001-2002 Annual Report
- 2002-2003 Annual Report
- 2003-2004 Annual Report
- 2004-2005 Annual Report
- 2005-2006 Annual Report
- 2006-2007 Annual Report
VL's gallery of posters
Other language voluntariates
Voluntaris per la Llengua (Generalitat de Catalunya)