Dear Student,

At Pompeu Fabra University, Catalan is the official Language, along with Spanish, which is co-official, and English, which is the working language. Therefore, Catalan is the language that is primarily used in institutional settings and academic activities (as outlined in the PIDOC), while in research and transfer, all three languages are present to varying degrees. At the same time, UPF adheres to the principle of linguistic security ensuring that the announced teaching language is respected as a guarantee of not violating students' linguistic rights. For this reason, it is important that both students and faculty have at least passive knowledge of the three languages that coexist at UPF.

In this regard, I am pleased to inform you about the offer of Catalan and English language courses specifically for master's and PhD students, which are offered quarterly by Idiomes UPF. These courses are especially designed for those who are starting to teach and cover a wide range of levels and schedules. Regardless of which language you primarily use for research or teaching, I encourage you to train in Catalan, among other reasons, to enable students to exercise their right to use Catalan in the academic context, to help you better understand our language and culture, and to make your academic experience at UPF more meaningful and enriching.

Sincerely,

Commissioner for Language Policy
Marcel Mauri

Catalan at UPF

On the “Catalan, language of instruction” website you will find a collection of resources and video testimonies that explore the role of Catalan as a language of instruction and its daily use at UPF. You will find perspectives from various points of view: the commissioner for language policy, the international mobility delegate, good linguistic practices from teaching staff, doctoral students and international students, as well as experiences from different members of the university community explaining how they learned the language.

  • Free online Catalan courses for beginners to learn at your own pace and with tutor support. We recommend taking these MOOCs before arriving at UPF to have knowledge of our language:

If you take a MOOC, you will earn 3 ECTS to reach the 7 ECTS required to obtain the UPF Diploma CATStudies.

  • Short courses on Catalan language and culture that allow you to acquire the necessary knowledge about Catalonia and its language to start your studies at UPF under optimal conditions. We recommend taking these courses upon arriving at UPF.

For every culture or conversation course in Catalan that you take, you will earn 1 ECTS to reach the 7 ECTS required to obtain the UPF Diploma CATStudies.

  • Term-based Catalan language courses that help you reach a level each term (A1, A2, B1, B2, and C1.1 levels). We recommend completing one level each term during your stay at UPF.

For every language course you take, you will earn 3 ECTS to reach the 7 ECTS required to obtain the UPF Diploma CATStudies.

  • Term-based Catalan language courses that allow you to reach a new level each term (A1, A2, B1, B2, and C1.1 levels). We recommend completing one level each term during your stay at UPF.

For every language course you take, you will earn 3 ECTS to reach the 7 ECTS required to obtain the UPF Diploma CATStudies.

  • Free courses specifically designed for UPF’s International or non-Catalan speaking academic staff (PDI), Master’s and PhD students so that you can learn Catalan and experience university life in this language.

In order to help UPF Master’s and PhD students certify the C1 proficiency level in Catalan, UPF offers the following free services:

  • Express preparation course for the official CIFALC proficiency exam (C1/C1 for PDI). This 25-hour, free course for UPF’s PDI, Master’s and PhD studnets is designed to support academic staff interested in accreditation and help them acquire the necessary Catalan knowledge.

In addition, Master’s and PhD students can choose to take a C1 Catalan course with other members of the UPF Community and external participants, or they can also opt for an advanced level C2 course:

For this language course, you will earn 3 ECTS to reach the 7 ECTS required to obtain the UPF Diploma CATStudies.

In addition to C1 and C2 levels, you can officially certify other levels of Catalan language through the CIFALC exams​​ held at UPF.

In order to support UPF Master's and PhD students who wish to begin teaching in Catalan, UPF offers a free linguistic training and support program, LLENÇA’T, which consists of three training elements:

  • Methodology for teaching in Catalan (10 hours, 2nd term). This training aims to provide Master's and PhD students who want to start teaching in Catalan with various linguistic tools and resources to deliver curricular content and manage practical classes, tutorials, and seminars in this language.
  • Development of teaching materials and pedagogical support (2 hours, 3rd term). Personalised, one-to-one training that offers support in creating teaching materials in Catalan.
  • Class observations (2 hours, 3rd term). Personalised, one-to-one training that allows staff who have started teaching in Catalan to request an observation of their classes. The instructor will prepare a report and later discuss it in a meeting with each participant.

In addition, UPF has launched the course Català, eina i pont: foment de la llengua catalana i gestió del multilingüisme a l'aula, aimed at the university’s teaching and research staff and PhD students who teach. This is a 2-hour session whose main objective is to promote the effective use of Catalan in the classroom, in line with the institutional language policy, and to equip teachers with tools and strategies to manage multilingualism in the university context.

Visit the “Català, llengua de docència” website, where you will find a collection of resources and video testimonies that explore the role of Catalan as a language of instruction and its daily use at UPF. You will find perspectives from various points of view: the commissioner for language policy, the international mobility delegate, good linguistic practices from teaching staff, doctoral students and international students, as well as experiences from different members of the university community explaining how they learned the language.

In order to help UPF Master’s and PhD students practice the Catalan language, UPF offers the following free services:

  • Programa CAT UPF: Viu la UPF en català. Free courses specifically designed for UPF’s International or non-Catalan speaking academic staff (PDI), Master’s and PhD students to help you learn Catalan and experience university life in this language. Practice your Catalan with other PDI, Master’s and PhD students and discuss your adaptation to UPF in Catalan, the progress you’ve made with Catalan in the classroom or in other contexts, etc.

Additionally, Master’s and PhD students can also choose to register with other UPF community members for the following activities:

If you take this course, you will earn 1 ECTS to reach the 7 ECTS required to obtain the UPF Diploma CATStudies.

  • Practice your Catalan outside the classroom and meet more UPF Master's and PhD students through the language exchange pairs, a free and dynamic activity:

If you take part in this activity, you will earn 1 ECTS to reach the 7 ECTS required to obtain the UPF Diploma CATStudies.

  • Short courses on Catalan language and culture that allow you to acquire the necessary knowledge about Catalonia and its language to start your classes at UPF under optimal conditions. We recommend taking these courses with other UPF members upon your arrival at UPF.

For every culture or conversation course in Catalan you take, you will earn 1 ECTS to reach the 7 ECTS required to obtain the UPF Diploma CATStudies.

  • Program of cultural activities and visits, both in Barcelona and throughout the rest of Catalonia, to help you get to know Catalonia, its language, its culture, and its national situation. We recommend participating in these activities with other UPF members during your entire stay at UPF.

If you take part in these activities, you will earn 1 ECTS for each activity to reach the 7 ECTS required to obtain the UPF Diploma CATStudies.

If you study Catalan language and culture before or during your stay at UPF, practice the language with a language exchange partner, or participate in the cultural outings organized by UPF, you will earn ECTS credits and, once you reach a total of 7 ECTS, you will receive the UPF CATStudies Diploma.

UPF aims to recognize the effort and dedication in Catalan language training that students coming from outside the Catalan-speaking region have undertaken during their study period, beyond their main academic track. In this way, it promotes, on the one hand, the integration of initially non-Catalan-speaking students with local students, and, on the other hand, it also fosters knowledge of the Catalan language and culture among members of the UPF community.

Find out how to get it!

Make the most of your time at UPF to advance your Spanish language skills. Idiomes UPF is an Instituto Cervates accredited center as a quality center for learning Spanish.

  • In addition, you can study and certify any level (from A1 to C2 CEFR) through our SPANISH PROGRAM, which offers quarterly courses from September to July (Landing, Fall, Winter, Spring, Summer).

Make the most of your time at UPF to study a different language (English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Chinese, Russian, Turkish, Arabic, Portuguese...) at Idiomes UPF. You can choose between quarterly or semester courses with morning or afternoon schedules.

Free courses specifically designed for UPF teaching and research staff (PDI), master's students, and PhD students, so you can learn English and experience university life in this language too.