Catalan Studies

Catalan Beginner 

This unit aims to consolidate a general foundation in the language and culture in order to cope with a range of predictable, everyday communicative situations encountered when interacting at a basic level, orally and in writing, with sympathetic native speakers during, for instance, a brief visit abroad (CEF level A2).

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

This module examines the historical trajectory of Spain, its emergence as a state in the Iberian Peninsula, its imperial expansion overseas into Latin America, the eventual independence of the colonies and their development and consolidation into the various modern-day states we know today. The module will explore the social, political and cultural characteristics of these states and its peoples and highlight the importance of understanding their complex history in the formation of their identities and their cultural and political values.

Catalan Intermediate 1

Delivered through small-group interactive seminars and tutorials and assuming a good GCSE level in the language or equivalent, this unit aims to provide the linguistic and cultural skills required to operate effectively and accurately in all essential communicative situations encountered when interacting orally or in writing with native speakers during, for instance, a short stay abroad (CEF level B1-).

Catalan Intermediate 2 

Delivered through small-group interactive seminars and tutorials and assuming successful completion of the corresponding Autumn semester unit for this level (i.e. Intermediate 1) or equivalent, this unit aims to consolidate the linguistic and cultural skills to start interacting and socializing in a fairly authentic and spontaneous way with native speakers in a range of advanced but usually predictable situations which would be encountered during, for instance, a short stay or placement abroad (CEF level B1+).

Catalan Beginner  

This unit aims to consolidate a general foundation in the language and culture in order to cope with a range of predictable, everyday communicative situations encountered when interacting at a basic level, orally and in writing, with sympathetic native speakers during, for instance, a brief visit abroad (CEF level A2).

Island Spaces

This module is an exploration of Island Spaces and their representation in various contexts. It will consider the ways in which spaces dialogue with reality or, in some cases, transform themselves in the imaginary. The case studies led by each of the tutors will consider space in the analysis of, for example, islands and/ or cities, and analyse texts (in the broadest sense, including fiction, images and films) from the Spanish, Catalan and Portuguese-speaking worlds. Topics considered may include contested space (tourism, migration, insiders and outsiders), space/place (literary constructions of place) and ideal/utopian spaces. The spaces studied may include islands such as the Balearics, the Canary Islands, and the Azores or Cape Verde, which may be compared to spaces in cities such as Madrid and Lisbon.

Catalan Intermediate 1  

Delivered through small-group interactive seminars and tutorials and assuming a good GCSE level in the language or equivalent, this unit aims to provide the linguistic and cultural skills required to operate effectively and accurately in all essential communicative situations encountered when interacting orally or in writing with native speakers during, for instance, a short stay abroad (CEF level B1-).

Catalan Proficient 1 

Assuming a one-year post-A-level study of the language possibly including a stay abroad, successful completion of the unit Catalan Higher Advanced 2, or equivalent learning experience at level B2 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), this unit aims to provide the linguistic and cultural skills required to operate as a near-native speaker in the target country, whether for professional, academic or recreational purposes, and to develop strategies and techniques to become a fully autonomous, life-long learner of the language and culture. Upon successful completion of the course, students should be able to: perform at Level B2+/C1- of the CEFR understand the majority of TV news, current affairs programmes, and films, and extended speech and lectures with a complex line of argument even when the topic is not familiar understand fairly complex articles and reports concerned with contemporary problems in which the writer adopts particular attitudes or viewpoints, as well as contemporary literary prose give a structured spoken presentation on a controversial subject related to their field of interest, expressing their views and opinions, and interacting in a persuasive manner with others write about academic, professional or personal subjects in a letter, essay or report, expressing their points of view at some length within a simple logical structure and in a homogeneous style demonstrate a critical understanding of cultural and social trends and associated behaviours in areas where the language is spoken so as to engage efficiently with native speakers in most communicative situations, including academic or professional ones demonstrate a strategic ability to study the language by themselves for specific purposes, assessing their long-term language needs and cultural interests, setting themselves goals in relation to these, and using specialist tools as well as experimenting with a range of resources and techniques to achieve these goals with maximum efficiency demonstrate advanced competence in a number of transferable skills such as IT skills, researching, presenting and analysing information, defending an argument and negotiating, intercultural and language awareness, autonomous learning, social media communication, etc.

Catalan Intermediate 2 

Delivered through small-group interactive seminars and tutorials and assuming successful completion of the corresponding Autumn semester unit for this level (i.e. Intermediate 1) or equivalent, this unit aims to consolidate the linguistic and cultural skills to start interacting and socializing in a fairly authentic and spontaneous way with native speakers in a range of advanced but usually predictable situations which would be encountered during, for instance, a short stay or placement abroad (CEF level B1+).

Catalan Proficient 2 

Assuming a one-year post-A-level study of the language possibly including an extended stay abroad, successful completion of the unit Catalan Proficient 1, or equivalent learning experience at level B2+ of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), this unit aims to consolidate the linguistic and cultural skills required to operate as a near-native speaker in the target country, whether for professional, academic or recreational purposes, and to develop strategies and techniques to become a fully autonomous, life-long learner of the language and culture. Upon successful completion of the course, students should be able to: perform at Level C1 of the CEFR understand television programmes and films without too much effort, and extended speech even when it is not clearly structured and when relationships are only implied and not signalled explicitly understand fairly long and complex factual or literary texts, including specialised articles, appreciating distinctions of style and genre express themselves fluently and spontaneously without much obvious searching for expressions, using language flexibly and effectively for social and professional purposes, formulating complex ideas and opinions with precision, and relating their contribution skilfully to those of other speakers write about fairly complex academic, professional or personal subjects in a letter, essay or report, expressing their points of view at some length within a logical structure and in a style appropriate to the reader in mind demonstrate a critical understanding of cultural and social trends and associated behaviours in areas where the language is spoken so as to engage efficiently with native speakers in most communicative situations, including academic or professional ones demonstrate a strategic ability to study the language by themselves for specific purposes, assessing their long-term language needs and cultural interests, setting themselves goals in relation to these, and using specialist tools as well as experimenting with a range of resources and techniques to achieve these goals with maximum efficiency demonstrate advanced competence in a number of transferable skills such as IT skills, researching, presenting and analysing information, defending an argument and negotiating, intercultural and language awareness, autonomous learning, social media communication, etc.