Catalan

Welcome - Benvinguts

The University of Sheffield is one of the largest UK centres for teaching and research in Catalan. We offer Catalan language and culture at all undergraduate levels, and also run MA and PhD programmes for advanced research. Linguistic proficiency and cultural versatility in Catalan are major advantages for students wishing to pursue a career in Spain, and more philologically-minded students will find the rich history of Catalan language and culture dating back to medieval times fascinating, stimulating and challenging by turns.

On the right is a welcome video from our current Ramon Llull lector. If you want to know more about Ramon Llull click on the links below 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/w3csy6cw

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Ramon-Llull 


Why would I study Catalan?

Is Catalan for me?

If you want the languages you speak to make you stand out then Catalan is for you. 

Anybody with some experience with a modern language is welcome: commitment and a desire to learn will determine your success. Not sure? Just drop us an email

What our students say about having studied Catalan

"    I have absolutely loved learning Catalan throughout my four years of university. Before starting, I was a complete beginner and didn't even know what 'good morning' was and now I have graduated with a 1st and gained a 1st in every year of study in Catalan. It is not just the language that you learn but also the culture, the history, its festive traditions and its current political climate that prepare you for your year abroad and any visits there. The professors are more than happy to help out students in any way and go the extra mile to ensure that you understand everything in class, and any other matters regarding the subject. I would 100% recommend studying Catalan as it is such a unique language and incredibly useful to know when you are there and impressive to native speakers."

Trudi Seager, graduated in July 2020. 

Studying Catalan will give you the possibility of:

Catalan Studies_.pdf

What will I study?

Catalan Beginners Module (MLT01024 & MLT01025)  

This module gives students the opportunity to learn a language spoken by around 10 million people across state boundaries in the Mediterranean and Andorra, and to become familiar with the politics, society and culture of a stateless nation which is key to an understanding of what modern Spain is, and how it works within Europe. Through such headline figures, events and institutions as Antoni Gaudí, Salvador Dalí, the 1992 Barcelona Olympics and FC Barcelona, students are introduced to the ‘Catalan Question’. Materials used include radio, television and cinema, short stories, news articles, and online Catalan language courses, in addition to more traditional sources. Semester 1 provides the basis for rapid acquisition of oral and written skills, through an introduction to basic syntax. Semester 2 facilitates progress from passive to active competence in Catalan. Classroom work on communication skills is conducted mainly in Catalan, while study of the 'Catalan Question' sets the present-day situation of the Països Catalans (Catalan territories) against the background of developments in cultural and political self-affirmation during the 20th and 21st centuries.

*If you just want to study 20 credits of Catalan Language then you just take the modules above. However, if you wish to study 40 credits of Catalan (Language + cultural content module) then you must choose the module below  

MDL105 An Introduction to the Social and Political History of Iberia & Latin America

We firmly believe that you cannot understand the present without a deep appreciation of the past: that’s the only way to understand why some in Catalonia want to be independent from Spain. In this module we explore the social and political history of Spain and Latin America and pose questions such as: Is Spain one of the oldest nations in Europe or is its unity precarious and constantly under threat? Why is honour such an important concept for Spanish speakers? Does modern-day racism have its origins in Spain and the persecution of Jews by the Spanish Inquisition?

This module examines the historical trajectory of Spain and Portugal, their emergence as states in the Iberian Peninsula, their imperial expansion overseas into Africa, Latin America and beyond, the eventual independence of the colonies and their development and consolidation into the various modern-day states we know today. We will explore the social, political, linguistic and cultural characteristics of these states and its peoples and highlight the importance of understanding their complex history in the formation of their identities, their languages and their cultural and political values. The module has a particular emphasis on the importance of myths and how, regarless of their historical veracity, they can condition behaviours, mould identities and shape future history. 

For summaries of the issues involved in the contentious Catalan movement for independence from Spain see the links below

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-41584864

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-29478415

Any questions?