The UB promotes the international students’ welcome with Catalan courses and language exchanges

Since 2022, the Catalan Language and Culture Orientation Plan has increased the number of Catalan courses on offer, as well as expanding the cultural and language exchange programme to facilitate the integration of international students. ngüístic que facilita la integració de l’alumnat internacional.
Since 2022, the Catalan Language and Culture Orientation Plan has increased the number of Catalan courses on offer, as well as expanding the cultural and language exchange programme to facilitate the integration of international students. ngüístic que facilita la integració de l’alumnat internacional.
News | Institutional
(11/10/2024)
The University of Barcelona continues to strengthen its commitment to the integration of international students thanks to the Catalan Language and Culture Orientation Plan, an initiative in operation since 2022. The programme provides foreign students studying at the UB with the tools they need to learn Catalan and become familiar with the culture to facilitate their immersion in the academic and social environment.
Since 2022, the Catalan Language and Culture Orientation Plan has increased the number of Catalan courses on offer, as well as expanding the cultural and language exchange programme to facilitate the integration of international students. ngüístic que facilita la integració de l’alumnat internacional.
Since 2022, the Catalan Language and Culture Orientation Plan has increased the number of Catalan courses on offer, as well as expanding the cultural and language exchange programme to facilitate the integration of international students. ngüístic que facilita la integració de l’alumnat internacional.
News | Institutional
11/10/2024
The University of Barcelona continues to strengthen its commitment to the integration of international students thanks to the Catalan Language and Culture Orientation Plan, an initiative in operation since 2022. The programme provides foreign students studying at the UB with the tools they need to learn Catalan and become familiar with the culture to facilitate their immersion in the academic and social environment.

One of the main pillars of the Plan are the intensive introductory level Catalan courses offered just before the start of bachelor’s and master’s degree courses in the different faculties. In the 2023-2024 academic year there was an exponential growth in the number of participants and, in addition to the extensive courses, over a thousand people enrolled. This figure is a record in the history of the UB’s Language Services and shows the growing interest of students in acquiring basic knowledge of the Catalan language.

In the 2024-2025 academic year, the thirteen intensive courses that have been taught and have already ended have been very well received by the students, who have been able to begin to fully integrate into university life and Catalan society. The very high number of students and the rate of enrolment in the extensive courses — which run from October to December —suggest that this year’s edition will also reach the record number of the previous season.

The intensive courses are face-to-face, and on the first day include a presentation by an Irish teacher from the School of Modern Languages (EIM) who has been living in Catalonia for twenty-five years. In this presentation, the teacher shares his personal experience of what struck him about Catalonia when he arrived, which helps students to identify with his process of adaptation. This is followed by a breakfast with typical Catalan products for the students, to encourage a relaxed and welcoming environment.

In addition to the intensive courses, the UB also offers extensive courses in various faculties to facilitate student mobility, as well as other virtual courses. Thirteen intensive courses have already been opened for the first semester 2024-2025, with a total of 260 people enrolled, and thirteen extensive courses will continue until December, with enrolment still open and a total of 240 students signed up so far. The profile of the people taking part includes mainly students from Erasmus or SICUE programmes, master’s or doctoral students, and even, in some cases, teachers from abroad. In the second semester, a virtual course is planned that can be started from the student’s country of origin and completed once the student arrives in Barcelona. In addition, students who take the A1 level with the UB (at a subsidized cost of €25) have free access to the A2 level.

​​​​​​​The CATclub, another key element of the Orientation Plan, gives students the chance to take part in weekly activities that combine language practice with the discovery of Catalan culture. Activities scheduled for this semester include guided tours of Roman Barcelona, visits to the Spanish Pavilion of the Republic and attendance at a rehearsal of the UB Orchestra, as well as cultural events such as the traditional welcome ceremony with baker’s (bread-cake) at the UB’s Historic Building. These activities, which range from discovering our cultural heritage to social gatherings in more relaxed settings, have become a fundamental tool for facilitating the integration of international students, providing them with access to a space for coexistence and learning in which Catalan language and culture take centre stage.

Looking to the future, the UB will continue to consolidate this Plan, which has become a benchmark for the integration of international students. The UB’s Language Services, which is responsible for coordinating the programme, is working to ensure the success and expansion of these actions in the coming academic years in order to provide an enriching academic and personal experience for all students who come to Barcelona.

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