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Catalan
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
You can find the current Catalan courses here.
Students from all faculties in Saarbrücken are strongly encouraged to participate in Catalan language courses, which have been offered for several years now with the support of the Generalitat de Catalunya. In Catalan-speaking countries, Catalan has reestablished itself—following its prohibition during the Franco dictatorship—as an official language across all areas of public life, including the press, culture, politics, and the economy, and not least at universities.
There are several scholarship programs (Erasmus, DAAD) for universities in Catalan-speaking regions such as Barcelona, Valencia, Perpignan, and Palma de Mallorca. Anyone considering studying in one of these cities should definitely learn Catalan to improve their chances of being accepted, as the majority of courses at these universities are taught in Catalan.
Benvinguda! Benvingut! Welcome!
In Germany, almost everyone knows a few words in Catalan—such as paella (pronounced -ya), Barça, or allioli (allmeans garlic and oli means oil). But not everyone knows where Catalan is actually spoken, even though many of these places are popular destinations among Germans: for example, Mallorca, Valencia, Barcelona, or Lloret de Mar. In these places, people say blau (for “blue”), clar (for “clear”), oliva (for “olive”), or floquet (for “flake”).
It is also less well known that Catalan developed between the 8th and 10th centuries on both sides of the Pyrenees and today has a little over 9 million speakers—despite various historical attempts to suppress the language, including in the 18th century under Louis XIV in France and Philip V in Spain, and in the 20th century under Franco.
If you have a personal interest in the language or are considering doing an internship or an Erasmus year in Catalonia, Valencia, Mallorca, Perpignan, or Alghero, Saarland University offers an opportunity to deepen your knowledge of the Catalan language and culture.
The Certificate Programme "Catalan Language and Culture"
Saarland University is one of the first German universities to offer the additional qualification Catalan Language and Culture. It is open to all UdS students and allows you to earn ECTS credits.
This program provides interdisciplinary insights into the Catalan language and culture, including foundational language instruction and advanced content in selected disciplines such as law, economics, media, and cultural studies. The program also offers (optional) internships in Catalan-speaking companies or institutions, allowing students to apply the knowledge gained at university and to further develop their language skills in a Catalan-speaking work environment.
The program is defined by its practical orientation and its focus on dialogue between students, institutions, and businesses.
You can find detailed information here und here.
Countries where Catalan is spoken: Andorra, France, Italy, Spain.
Here you will find the most important information about the courses.
Here you will find the most important information about the Catalan certificate (ZerKat).