Catalan at UF
Catalan is a Romance language with over ten million speakers. It is the national and official language of Andorra, and a co-official language in the Spanish autonomous communities of Catalonia, Valencia, and the Balearic Islands, but it is spoken in other areas of Spain, as well as in the south of France (what it is called North Catalonia) and in l’Alguer, a little village of Italy in the island of Sardinia. Since the restoration of democracy in Spain, Catalan has gained wide currency in politics, business, education and the Catalan media, including several newspapers (Avui, El Punt) and television channels (especially Televisió de Catalunya). The Department of Spanish and Portuguese Studies has collaborated in recent years with the Institut Llull, a consortium founded by the governments of Catalonia and the Balearic Islands, to provide regular instruction in this vibrant language and its culture at different levels. The Department is offering a Study Abroad in the University of Vic, Barcelona.
Contact Information
Faculty: Elisabet Liminyana Vico |
Elisabet Liminyana Vico received her M.A on Didactics of University Teaching (2005), as well as her MA research related to PhD in Interdisciplinary Humanity Sciences (2005), with a specialty in Contemporary Literature, both from the Foundation of University of Girona. She holds two BAs of Philology, Catalan and Spanish (both 2004, University of Girona). After being a lecturer in “Didactics of Catalan Language and Literature for children” in the University where she graduated, she started and developed the Studies of Catalan in Instituto Cervantes of Leeds (2005-2008) and in the University of Leeds (2006-2009). Meanwhile she combined the teaching of Catalan with the one in Spanish in Instituto Cervantes of Leeds and Algiers (summer 2008) and the Metropolitan University of Leeds (2008-2009). Now in UF, she is a Graduate Student. Her field of research is Women Literature Production at the beginning of the XX Century and it interests will focus on social construction of Modernity, Gender and Identity, and influences of Colonialism and Post-colonialism. |
Catalan Teaching
The Department of Spanish and Portuguese has 6 active courses of Catalan. To enroll in the first, you should have two years of study of another Romance language, or great facility with languages. The 3000 and upper level courses can count for outside Major electives, as well as could be counted as a core requirements of the Spanish Majors. You are very welcome to all of them (see prerequisites with the Department).
- CAT 3180 INTRODUCTION TO CATALAN I.
Basic level of Catalan language and culture. - CAT 3182 INTRODUCTION TO CATALAN II.
Continuation of studies of language and literature. - CAT 3280 INTERMEDIATE CATALAN I.
Builds on elements learned in Cat 3182. - CAT 3281 INTERMEDIATE CATALAN II.
Reinforcement of areas studied previously semesters, with greater emphasis on writing. - CAT4956 OVERSEAS STUDIES IN CATALAN.
To be approved by lecturer before student goes abroad. - CAT 4905 INDEPENDENT STUDY.
Advanced level of Catalan Studies: language, literature, linguistics. By arrangement with instructor.
Cultural Activities
Catalan Studies offers regular Cultural Activities open to everyone. Please, contact the instructor of the program for information about venues, locations and times of the events.
During the academic year, the activities will be:
- We will meet every Friday to develop our oral language skills with a conversation group, El cafè català, on at the 7th period, from 2 to 3 pm. We will meet on the room 240A of Dauer Hall and everybody is very welcome to bring friends.
- National Catalan Day, La Diada, (11th of September), celebration on September.
- Exhibition of our work in the Catalan Board on September. The Catalan Board is on the 2nd floor of Dauer Hall.
- Catalan Cooking Night on October at the instructor’s house.
- La Castanyada, the traditional chestnut fest for welcoming Autumn on the last October week.
- Celebration of the Catalan Culture Collections of George Smathers Libraries on November.
- Christmas Catalan tradition “El tió de Nadal” at the end of December, with Catalan carols, food and a Christmas performance.
- Cultural trip to the Museum of Salvador Dalí in Tampa, on January.
- Exhibition of our work in the Catalan Board on February. The Catalan Board is on the 2nd floor of Dauer Hall.
- Collaboration with the Catalan Section of the OEGE’s Colloquium on Spanish, Catalan and Portuguese, Linguistics, Literature and Culture of the Graduate Students of the University of Florida, on February.
- Catalan Cooking Night on March at the instructor’s house.
- Celebration of Sant Jordi at the end of April, with a performance about San Jordi’s legend, poems, tales, food and drinks, etc.
Catalan House / Casal Català
The Catalan House is the association of students and friends of Catalan at UF. Founded in the 1990s by then-student Toni Castell, this organization has a proud history of disseminating Catalan culture at UF and in the local community. After a break, the association is back again, and looking to plan and host social and cultural activities in conjunction with Catalan Studies. You may meet members of the Casal any Friday at “El cafè català”. Everyone is welcome! For more information, contact the president, Albert Turull, at al260513@yahoo.com.
Study Abroad Program
University of Vic, outside the metropolitan area of Barcelona www.uvic.cat
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| University of Vic | Downtown of Vic |
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| Downtown of Vic | |
The University of Vic is a private young university under public supervision. It was created for the need of specialties in areas that Catalonia wanted developed to be in the first international line of teaching and research. With a wide recognition, UVIC is willing to receive more International students interested in Catalan, Technology, Education, etc. Vic is a cute village on the inside rural area of Barcelona.
About Catalonia
Where is it?

Where is it spoken?

Have you heard about ... ?
- Barcelona Club de Futbol www.fcbarcelona.com
- The architect Gaudí www.bcn.es/gaudi2002
- Catalan Dragons Rugby League www.catalansdragons.com
- The artist Salvador Dali www.salvador-dali.org
- Its Capital: Barcelona www.bcn.cat
Did you know ... ?
- Catalan is spoken in an area covering 70,520 square kilometers, larger than Belgium, Switzerland, the Netherlands and Denmark among others?
- Catalan is the 7th most spoken language in the European Union, with 10 million speakers?
- Catalan is spoken in 4 political states: Spain, Italy, France, and Andorra?
External Links
Language Institutions
- Institut Ramon Llull www.llull.cat
Official Institution for promoting Catalan Language and Culture abroad - Xarxa Vives d'Universitats www.vives.org
Net of Catalan Speaking Land Universities - Academia Valenciana de la Llengua www.avl.gva.es
Catalan Language Institution from Autonomous Community of Valencia - Associació Catalana de Terminologia www.acaterm.net
Promotion and help of Catalan Legal Documents and Language resources - Consorci per la normalització lingüística www.cpnl.cat
Catalan Language Institution from Autonomous Community of Catalonia - Institut d'Estudis Catalans www.iec.cat
Official instution for Language and Sciences research of Catalan language - TERMCAT www.termcat.cat
Official Center for Catalan terminology - Servei de Política Lingüística del Govern d'Andorra www.catala.ad
Catalan Language Institution from Andorra - COFUC www.caib.es
Catalan Language Institution from Autonomous Community of Balearics
Language Resources
Dictionaries
- Enciclepedia Catalana www.enciclopedia.cat
- Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana dlc.iec.cat
- Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana Multilingüe www.grec.net
- Diccionari Valencià on-line www.trobat.com
Translators
- Gencat traductor.gencat.cat
- Translendium www.translendium.com
E-Learning Resources
- Parla.cat www.parla.cat RECOMMENDED!!
- Autoformació SALC www.upf.edu/gl
- GEX www.ub.edu/slc/ffll/accgex.htm
- PELC pelc.illesbalears.cat/pelc
General Interest
Newspapers
- Vilaweb www.vilaweb.cat
- El Punt www.elpunt.cat
- L'Avui www.avui.cat
- La Vanguardia en català lavanguardia.encatala.net
- E-notícies www.e-noticies.cat
- El periódico en català www.elperiodico.cat
Television
- Televisió de Catalunya www.tv3.cat
- Televisió d'Andorra www.rtvasa.ad
- Televisió Valenciana Canal 9 www.rtvasa.ad
- Televisió de Balears IB3 ib3noticies.com
- Canal Català www.canalcatala.com
- 8tv www.8tv.cat
Television on the Internet
- Infotelevisió www.infotelevisio.com
- Sies Televisió sies.tv
- Tramuntana televisió tramuntanatv.blogspot.com
- Vilaweb televisió www.vilaweb.tv
Radio
- Catalunya Radio www.catradio.cat
- La Ràdio a la carta www.laradioalacarta.com
- Catalunya Informació www.3cat24.cat
- iCat fm www.icatfm.cat
- Ràdio Nou www.radionou.com
- Sí Ràdio www.siradio.com
- IB3 Ràdio www.ib3radio.cat
- COM Ràdio www.comradio.cat
- Ràdio 4 www.radio4.rne.es
Images: andym_uk, Flickr





