Catalan at QMUL

Queen Mary University of London is the only UK university where you can study Catalan and Catalan culture in each year of your degree.

 Catalan modules

Introductory Catalan

This module should be chosen by students wishing to take a full academic year of Introductory Catalan. Successful students will complete Level A2 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Language (CEFRL). Teaching materials are selected with a view to introducing students to Catalan culture and society. Students are expected to actively participate in and contribute to the learning process in the classroom.

Catalan II Intensive

This module is aimed at students who already have a basic knowledge of Catalan. Its focus is on developing oral fluency, improving aural and reading comprehension skills, learning new structures and vocabulary, and writing skills. Successful students will complete Level B2 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Language (CEFRL). Its primary aim is to prepare students for a year abroad: living and working or attending university in a Catalan-speaking territory, and writing the Year Abroad Assessment.

Catalan III

This module is for students who have completed Catalan II Intensive. The focus will be on fluency, expansion of vocabulary, grammatical accuracy, advanced oral and reading comprehension, and development of writing skills. Successful students will complete Level C1 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Language (CEFRL).

Catalan Culture: Art, Literature and Football

This module offers a general introduction to modern and contemporary Catalan culture from the nineteenth to the twenty-first century. Topics covered include: nationalism; the politics of language; the avant–garde art of Salvador Dalí and Miró; literature; football. There is no language requirement for this module; therefore it is suitable for students with no knowledge of Catalan and Spanish.

Catalan Literature: An Introduction

How did a language with so few speakers give rise to texts of world importance? Covering examples by well-known writers from the medieval period to the present, this module provides an overview of Catalan literature. Theatre, mystical prose, modern novels and postmodern short stories are analyzed and discussed on their own stylistic terms and in relation to historical and aesthetic developments. Love and war, as well as national and personal identity make for a potent literary mixture. All texts are available in English translation (and Spanish translation if required).

Avant-Garde Theatre in Europe

Why should characters behave illogically on stage or not exist at all? How can image rival plot? And what is the point of shocking audiences? This module introduces some fundamental styles and plays from European avant-garde theatre and sets them within an artistic and socio-political context. Futurism, Dada, Expressionism and the Theatre of the Absurd are included. Special attention is paid to Catalan drama. We will at all times try to see texts as excuses for performance and use other aspects of culture to understand the challenges of this new drama.

Year abroad in Catalan speaking territories

You will spend part of your third year studying in a Catalan-speaking region of Spain. This gives you an exceptional opportunity to develop your language skills through immersion and boost your intercultural competence.

Universities connected to QMUL

  • Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
  • Universitat Pompeu Fabra (Barcelona)
  • Universitat de València
  • Universitat Jaume I (Castelló de la Plana)