The Language Volunteering programme at Pompeu Fabra University aims to foster awareness of the Catalan language and reality on the part of foreign students, on the one hand, and to promote "internationalization at home" and language learning by regular UPF students, on the other hand. To achieve this dual objective, the Language Volunteering programme organizes its activities around two axes: the programme of visits and guided tours and the conversation exchange programme.

Programme of visits and guided tours

During the 2011-2012 academic year the Language Volunteering programme has offered thirty-one guided tours and activities around Barcelona and the rest of Catalonia. In the first term we have done seven in Barcelona (visit to the Gothic quarter, Sagrada Familia, Montjuïc, literary tour around Orwell's Barcelona, cinematographic walk, walk on the Modernism around the Eixample and Christmas traditions tour) and five out of the city (Vic, Tarragona, Ripoll, Girona and Colònia Güell). The second term, we have organised five in the city (gastronomic tour, attendance to a Castellers' rehearsal,  tour around the Barcelona of 1714, Picasso's Barcelona and Tibidabo) and six out Barcelona (Vilafranca del Penedès and Museum of Wine, Sitges, Figueres and Dali Museum, Manresa on the occasion of the festa de l'Aixada, Skiing trip to Andorra and Montserrat). The third term, we have offered four activities in Barcelona (literary tour on the occasion of Sant Jordi, Women's Barcelona, Ghosts tour in Barcelona and cinematographic walk), and four more out of the city (Hostalric, Sant Sadurní d'Anoia and visit to a cellar, monastery and city of Sant Cugat del Vallès and Nuria valley).

Language Tandem programme

During the 2011-2012 academic year, the LV programme has created 548 language tandems: 261 on the first term, 182 on the second one, and 105 on the third one. Most tandems are made up of students, but some administration and service staff members and lecturers also participate.

This year, a 15% of the exchange students have demanded only Catalan, 20% asked for both Catalan and Spanish, and 65% asked for only Spanish. Regarding UPF students, the most demanded languages have been as it follows: English (70% of all requests), German (13%), French (10%), and other languages, such as Italian, Chinese, Swedish, Portuguese, Dutch or Japanese, which stands for the 7% left.

After receiving these requests, the LV programme has created 548 tandems exchanging either Catalan and/or Spanish into English, German, French, Korean, Dutch, Swedish, Portuguese, Russian, Japanese, Turkish or Polish. Moreover, 24 tandems with no exchange have been created, it is, tandems where Catalan-speaking students teach Catalan to other Spanish-speaking students.