18108 - Catalan Language

Learning outcomes

At the end of this module, students should be able to reach Level A2+ of the language proficiency levels described in the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.

Course contents

Communicative goals

• Communicate in the classroom;
• Recognize Catalan among other languages;
• Understand frequently used phrases and expressions relating to areas of immediate relevance;
• Communicate in simple and routine activities that require a simple exchange of information on familiar and common topics;
• Describe in simple terms aspects of your background and the environment around us;
• Express immediate needs;
• Understand simple oral and written texts;
• Express yourself orally and in particular: greet, talk on the phone, ask and give personal information, indicate the time, make requests, describe objects;
• Writing letters, emails and describing situations involving objects and people;
• Express your personal opinions and your tastes and preferences;
• Ask for clarifications and explanations;
• Describe the physical appearance, personality, studies done;
• Telling past events;
• Understand short and simple written texts, such as postcards, e-mails, cooking recipes; understand the purpose of a message; identify specific information in notices and simple informative texts;
• Understand simple oral monological texts spoken slowly.

Grammar

• The alphabet, punctuation and orthographic signs
• Personal pronouns
• Reflexive pronouns
• The definite and indefinite articles
• The questions: com qui, quants, quantes, quines, d’on, per què, de què, on, (a) quin, quanThe possessives
• The demonstratives
• Nationality adjectives: gender and number
• The quantifiers
• Pronouns of indirect object
• Time expressions
• The present tense
• Prepositions: a ... de, desde ... fins a, entre ... i, a, en, amb
• links: però, perquè, for això, doncs; a més, també
• The verbs "ser", "dir-se", "tenir", "parlar", "estudiar", "treballar", "fer" "haver-hi", "ser", "viure", "estar-se" , "Preferir", "agradar", "suportar", "encantar", "anar", "sortir", "llegir", "dur", "portar", "saber", "poder" in the present indicative
• The pronouns of direct object
• The numerals
• The mandatory periphrase in the present indicative: haver de + infinitiu
• Comparatives
• The expressions of place
• The impersonal forms: es pot, s’ha de + infinitiu
• The Past Tense
• Present perfect
• The participles

Vocabulary

• Useful phrases in the classroom
  
• Names of countries, nationalities and languages
  
• The trades and professions
  
• The physique and the character
  
• The seasons and the weather
  
• Food and drink
  
• Fashion and clothes
  
• Sports and recreational activities; The hobbies
  
• Parts of the body
  
• The means of dissemination
  
• The family
  
• The house, the furniture
  
• Life at the university
  
• The job's world
  
  Culture, Civilization and Language
  
• Delimitation and geography of the Catalan countries
  
• Linguistic variation. Morphology and lexicon of the main variants
  
• A brief history of the Romance languages
  
• Sociolinguistic situation

Readings/Bibliography

Reference manuals:

Vilagrasa, Albert (2018) A punt, 1. Curs de català. Llibre de l'alumne. Barcelona: Publicacions de l'Abadia de Montserrat.

Vilagrasa, Albert (2018) A punt, 1. Curs de català. Llibre d'exercicis. Barcelona: Publicacions de l'Abadia de Montserrat.

 

You can buy your student book:

http://www.pamsa.cat/pamsa/colleccions/A-punt/A-punt-1-Curs-de-catala-Llibre-de-lalumne.html

http://www.pamsa.cat/pamsa/colleccions/A-punt/A-Punt-1-Curs-de-catala-Llibre-dexercicis.html

 

We also recommend you to buy the following grammar:

Bastons, N; Bernadó, C; Camajoan, L. (2011). Gramàtica pràctica del català. Barcelona: Teide.

 

Useful online resources:

Diccionari de l’Institut d’Estudis Catalans: https://dlc.iec.cat/

Diccionari Català-Valencià-Balear: https://dcvb.iec.cat/

Diccionari Normatiu Valencià de l’Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua: https://www.avl.gva.es/lexicval

Optimot. Consultes lingüístiques: http://www.gencat.cat/optimot/

Diccionari de Dubtes del Català oral: http://www.llengua.info/ddcor/

Llibre d’Estil de la Corporació Catalana de Mitjans Audiovisuals: https://esadir.cat/

Gramàtica essencial de la Llengua Catalana de l’Institut d’Estudis Catalans [nova versió 2018]: https://geiec.iec.cat/

on paper:

Diccionari Italià-Català, Barcelona, Text-La Galera, 1992

Gramàtica de la Llengua Catalana, Barcelona, Institut d’Estudis Catalans, 2016

Teaching methods

The course has a highly practical and applied approach. It is a communicative type course developed to acquire optimal linguistic skills in Catalan in small groups, which allows for the acquisition of the language in a much more effective and personalized way.
The teaching methodology includes resources of all kinds, from the classic grammar manual with exercises to more contemporary resources, such as YouTube, webseries in Catalan (Drama, Mai neva a ciutat), self-learning web platforms (h5p.cat), social networks (Instagram), songs, etc.
Furthermore, academic and cultural meetings will be held throughout the semester in order to listen, produce oral texts and interact in real cultural situations.

Assessment methods

During the course, students will have to demonstrate their learning process and will participate in the constructive evaluation of their peers. Empathy and teamwork within the learning of a language is fundamental, therefore, during the semester and at the end of the course, there will be several activities to be carried out individually and in groups in order to activate and put into practice from the first moment their acquired knowledge.

During the semester, the student will have to carry out various tasks: compositions, reading a book in the language and activities and an oral presentation in groups on theoretical topics.

At the end of the course, the student will have to do a final written test (grammar, listening and written production) and two oral tests, including one on the grammatical and lexical contents of the exercises, and another on the theoretical contents.

• Writing (10%)
• Book reading + activities (10%)
• Oral presentation in groups on the contents of the theoretical module (20%)
• Final written exam on the contents of the exercises (40%)
• Final oral exam on the contents of the exercises (10%)
• Oral exam on the contents of the theoretical module (10%)

Teaching tools

Cultural and academic meetings will be organized to which participation is highly recommended and 30 hours of tutoring will be made available by a native speaker. In addition, there will be one virtual conversation meeting per month (APERITIVO LINGUISTICO IN CATALANO - inaugurated in November 2020) with students of the Ca 'Foscari University of Venice and the University for Foreigners of Siena, boys and girls from all over the world who they are learning Catalan, they did Erasmus, they went on trips, etc.

Links to further information

https://www.unibo.it/sitoweb/paula.marques2/

Office hours

See the website of Paula Marques Hernandez