Learn Catalan
After several years of living in Catalonia, I found myself absorbing the Catalan language. One day I realised that I was following quite a bit of the Catalan conversation that I was listening to. So I decided to try to learn a little Catalan. That way I could take part in the Catalan conversations going on around me.
I originally came to Barcelona for one year in order to learn Spanish. Several years later I’m still living here and my Spanish has improved enormously – having spent many hours taking Spanish language lessons.
Learn Catalan in Barcelona
The Catalan language is a very important part of the Catalan culture. For people like me, who have decided to settle here, I think it’s worth making an effort to learn Catalan, at least the basics. It’s certainly very much appreciated by the Catalan people.
Here are some resources for learning Catalan in Barcelona:
Free online Catalan language lessons
The Catalan Government – Generalitat de Catalunya – offers Catalan courses with two methods of learning: self-managed learning which is free of charge and learning with a tutor which is charged for.
The self-learning course enables you to learn Catalan in your own time and at your own pace. The tutor-based learning lets you learn with the support of a teacher. You’re given classroom lessons, and the use of the online support community.
With both methods the student is given all the resources necessary to study. Course levels range from complete beginners to advanced. These government run courses are managed through the website parla.cat, and can be viewed in Catalan, Castellano, English, French and German.
A demonstration of the course is available, as well as an online test to determine your level.
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Learn Catalan online with HolaCatalà
HolaCatalà offers online courses to English speakers who want to learn Catalan. It contains 150 lessons, 85 conversation scenarios and A1 and A2 exam preparation. There’s no charge to get started – so you can check it out before you pay. It works on any phone or computer and there are no downloads – it’s all browser based. I found it well organised and easy to follow.
The courses are very economically priced, and if you pay for a year in advance you get an even better deal.
HolaCatalà are giving movingtobarcelona.com readers a discount of 50% off the first month and the discount is valid until the end of August 2026. To access the discount use the code: BARCELONA2026 when you register.
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Universitat de Barcelona
The Universitat de Barcelona (University of Barcelona) offer face-to-face courses from the beginner level of A1 through to an advanced level of C2. Exams are held on the last day of each course.
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Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
UAB offer both classroom and online lessons in Catalan. The on-site classes range from A1 to C2 level, and the live online classes are at the more advanced levels of C1 and C2.
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Learn Catalan at a language school
Dime
Catalan language courses for students who are already comfortable with speaking Spanish. The course introduces students to day-to-day Catalan:
www.dimebarcelona.com
Escuela Parla
This school offers a good range of Catalan courses of different levels, as well as private and summer classes for adults.
www.eparla.com
BNC Languages
Plenty of courses to learn Catalan here. There are courses throughout the day and even on Saturday mornings. Various levels with group or private lessons.
www.bcnlanguages.com
Escuela Mediterráneo
Catalan courses with six levels and four hours per week with flexibility on days.
www.escuelamediterraneo.com
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Learn Catalan online with preply.com
Preply is a great way to learn any language online. Choose your language, find a teacher who speaks your native language as well as the language you want to learn, then choose the timetable that best suits you. You can pay per class, or buy a pack of lessons.
preply.com
