Intensive Catalan Courses
Get in touch with us about our Catalan courses
As you already know, in Barcelona we speak two Latin languages: Catalan and Spanish. These two languages coexist in perfect harmony and it could be said that the Catalans are completely bilingual people. From abroad, sometimes it is thought that Barcelona is not a good place to learn Spanish, or they are completely unaware of Catalan and do not know that this is the native language of Catalonia. Consider that Catalan is the ninth language in Europe (it has as many speakers as Swedish or Greek), the eighth on the Internet, and is an official language in Andorra and co-official with Spanish in 3 Spanish autonomous communities (Catalonia, Valencia, and the Balearic Islands).
At BCNLIP, we believe that the bilingual nature of Barcelona is part of its charm and its great cultural and linguistic wealth. The two languages are completely complementary. Barcelona is, at the same time, one of the great capitals of Spanish and the undisputed capital of Catalan.
Our school has extensive experience in teaching Catalan through a professional, native, and highly qualified team. We welcome students from all over the world with study visas who come to study Catalan for extended periods. We also offer Catalan courses for people living in Barcelona who want to take a course to expand their knowledge or integrate into the local culture.
Long-term Catalan courses (suitable for student visa)
The 20-hour weekly Catalan program must complete levels A1, A2, and B1 by the end of the 12-month course.
From levels A1 through B1, students have 10 weekly hours of general language course, 8 hours of workshops and 2 hours of immersion classes.
For students at the B2 levels, we will offer 3 types of courses:
1 – General 20-hour weekly courses: These will follow the same format as previous courses and will be conducted with a minimum of 5 students.
2 – Immersive B2 Catalan classes + Discover Barcelona program.
This program focuses on 3 fundamental objectives:
– Completing your B2 level of Catalan.
– Studying the complexity of Barcelona from various perspectives: urban planning, economy, infrastructure, culture, sports, food, art, history, its brand, and its future.
– Offering you the opportunity to create your own cultural routes.
The course consists of 20 weekly hours and is divided into 3 parts:
a. B2 Catalan classes and independent work.
b. History of Barcelona classes and route preparation.
c. Carrying out the routes with a teacher and your classmates.
3- B2 Catalan course focused on volunteer work:
It is an intensive-practical course of 20 hours a week and is organized by the BCNLIP Foundation. In this program, you will work on linguistic, professional, social, and psychological competencies with the goal of completing your B2 level while engaging in volunteer tasks. The program consists of 3 parts:
a. B2 Catalan classes and independent work.
b. Volunteer internships.
c. Tutorials for project completion.
Intensive Catalan courses
At Bcnlip, we offer intensive Catalan courses that will help you learn the language quickly and practically. With options ranging from 10 to 20 hours a week, our courses are designed to fully integrate you into the Catalan language and culture. Whether you are seeking rapid learning for professional or personal use, our intensive programs will provide you with the skills and confidence needed to master Catalan. Join us and experience an effective and dynamic way of learning!
Duration | Price |
1 month/10 hours per week | 210€ |
2 months/10 hours per week | 399€ |
3 months/10 hours per week | 599€ |
Sign-up fee + first book | 60€ |
Our teachers
Elisenda Torrell Cascallo
Biography
Bachelor’s degree in translation from Pompeu Fabra University in 2006. Certified in Pedagogical Aptitudes from the University of Barcelona in 2006. Postgraduate degree in Teaching Spanish as a Foreign Language from International House in 2007. Master in Teacher Training for Teaching Second Languages from the University of Barcelona in 2010. She has been working as an ELE teacher for 8 years and has been teaching Spanish and Catalan at BCN LIP since 2011.
Bachelor’s degree in translation from Pompeu Fabra University in 2006. Certified in Pedagogical Aptitudes from the University of Barcelona in 2006. Postgraduate degree in Teaching Spanish as a Foreign Language from International House in 2007. Master in Teacher Training for Teaching Second Languages from the University of Barcelona in 2010. She has been working as an ELE teacher for 8 years and has been teaching Spanish and Catalan at BCN LIP since 2011.
To teach a language is not only grammar, it’s to explain a culture, a way of understanding the world, and way to socialize, and I try to prepare my students so that they can integrate into our country with success.
Ferrán Martínez
Biography
Ferran Andreu, a native of Barcelona. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Public Relations, Marketing and Management from the Queen’s University of Belfast, United Kingdom and a Master’s degree in Teaching Spanish as a Foreign Language from the University of Barcelona. Throughout his 14 years of professional experience abroad as an ELE teacher, he has collaborated with countless centers, including the following: the Cervantes Institute in Budapest, where he was an intern, the Cervantes Institute in Vienna, the IMC FH Krems, Austrian university and the CEU University of Budapest. In all these years, in addition to professional experiences, he has taken a large number of specific courses to maintain and improve his professional level, today he continues to learn in order to teach better.
I dedicate myself to this by vocation, I love my work. Learning a foreign language is opening a window to a new culture. Every language has more or less its logic, my job is to explain it to my students, the bad thing is that there are exceptions …
Nerea Yera
Biography
She graduated in Spanish Language and Literature at the Autonomous University of Barcelona, where she also completed a master’s degree in Spanish Language, Hispanic Literature, and Spanish for Foreigners. Over the course of her master’s degree, she worked as an ELE teacher via an internship at the École Normale Supérieure de Lyon, where she discovered her vocation for teaching Spanish. Now a resident of Barcelona for 6 years and counting, she has worked as an ELE teacher in a summer camp and later in different Spanish academies in Barcelona. She is currently a teacher at BCNLIP and is pursuing her doctoral studies at the University of Girona, where she is researching colonial epic poetry in courtesan circles.
Teaching and learning a language is also about creating a bond between people, it is a bridge that unites you with different cultures, ideologies and different experiences, where teacher and student teach and learn at the same time. Being an ELE teacher is something exciting, it is an approach to a new world.
Lluís Pérez
Biography
Born in Barcelona, he graduated in history from the UB university, having already started his career in teaching second languages during his studies. Passionate about history, culture, and teaching, he pursued these aspects, researching and writing.
After two years residing in Madrid, during which he continued teaching foreign languages, he returned to Barcelona, beginning his career at BCNLIP, while completing his master’s degree ELE.
To learn and teach a language, we must have fun, be interested, and get excited. For this, we must use all the tools at our disposal, history, culture, humor … To undertake a journey beyond the classroom and textbooks.
Gagandeep Singh
Biography
Gagandeep Singh was born in Amritsar Sahib, in the Punjab. There he studied computer science and worked in the family business. He has lived in Barcelona for 12 years. He is an intercultural mediator and works for various entities such as Barcelona City Council and the Generalitat de Catalunya. He is also a spokesman for the Sikh Community of Catalonia. He has written a book entitled “Those of five rivers in Catalonia” which aims to facilitate the learning of Catalan. He likes languages and that is why he speaks seven languages. For Gagandeep, his philosophy of life is based on the three fundamental pillars of Sikhism: Meditation, work and sharing.
When you speak to someone in a language they understand, you get it inside their head. But when you speak to people in their mother tongue, you reach their heart. Language is the identification of the people. When I arrived in Catalonia, at work I was always spoken to in Catalan and that is why I learned it. It opened a lot of doors for me and I got to know a lot of people.
Xavier Escudé
Biography
Born in Barcelona in 1985, he graduated in English Philology from the University of Barcelona, lived in Germany for a while, and then moved to Madrid to study a degree in German Philology at the Complutense University of Madrid. He has the Pedagogical Aptitude Certification (CAP) and has spent many years teaching English, German, Spanish, Catalan, and literature in secondary and high school. He now works at Bcnlip as a teacher of Spanish as a Foreign Language (ELE) and Catalan. He has specific training in ELE (course from International House) and courses from the Instituto Cervantes. He is very fond of literature, which is why he continues to study a master’s degree in literature at the university. Letters and teaching are his great passion.
I believe in the power and beauty of words. Learning a language has invaluable worth. It means opening a door to the world to expand our view of reality.
Estefania Montero
Biography
Hello, my name is Fanny and I have returned to Barcelona, my city, after 13 years abroad working as a Spanish teacher for foreigners. I studied Hispanic Philology at the University of Barcelona. I have grown as a teacher in London, Greece, and Mallorca. I am an official examiner of the DELE B1-B2, and I can also highlight my latest certificate in Mediation, which has provided me with even more tools for life and teaching.
Yes, I learned Greek, it’s a language that I feel in my stomach, just like Italian which I carry more in my heart. My English is located in my ears because with it I realized the importance of music in language acquisition. Then it’s also important to learn by doing. It’s essential to create a synergy among people so that they set aside their shyness and give their best in trust. Generating a relaxed and respectful atmosphere is super important. That’s why I like my work at BcnLip because it promotes meeting, both in-person and remote, activities, and workshops to study a language that is not just a matter of grammar and structures but of empathy, experience, and solidarity.
Victor González
Biography
My name is Victor and I am from Sant Andreu, a neighborhood in Barcelona. I entered the world of teaching Spanish as a foreign language (ELE) in 2010 after living for a while in Ireland and seeing the interest people had in learning Spanish. I trained as a Spanish teacher for foreigners and, since then, I have worked in different schools helping people from all over the world to learn the language. For me, the most important thing is that the students have fun, learn without realizing it, and look forward to coming back to the next class.
Language is a tool for communication and as such, it should be used without fear of making mistakes, since mistakes help us to improve.
Levels (Common European Framework of Reference)
A1 — BEGINNER
A2 — ADVANCED BEGINNER / ELEMENTARY
B1 — INTERMEDIATE
B2 — UPPER INTERMEDIATE
C1 — ADVANCED
C2 — MASTERY