Why You Should Learn How to Speak Catalan

To have another language is to possess a second soul. Charlemagne

It is commonly believed that Catalan is merely another Spanish dialect. That is not the case. Catalan is one of the Romance languages, with its own unique vocabulary and grammar.

Catalan, with its 10 million speakers, is not only spoken in Catalonia. 73% of the Balearic Islands’ population speak Catalan, as do 40% of the Valencian community and 34% of those living in Andorra. Even 6% of the population of the Languedoc-Rousillon region of France speak it.

Would you be interested in Catalan language lessons?

Below are out top reasons to learn Catalan.

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Before you Visit a Catalan Country, Learn Catalan

Learning a new language is a very enriching experience which can totally change the way you see the world. It also has great value if you learn the language of a country which you intend to visit.

So, before you travel to a Catalan speaking country, why not enrol for Catalan language lessons to prepare for a planned visit?

Home to 65% of people who speak Catalan, Catalonia makes up the largest area of land where the language is spoken.

The region is so large that it stretches from the Mediterranean Sea all the way to the Pyrenees.

Some of Spain’s most visited sites are the cities of Barcelona, Lleida and Girona, which have loads of popular tourist attractions, including:

• Cap de Creus (Cadaqués)
• Delta de l'Ebre Natural Park
• Gaudi monuments (Barcelona)
• Monasteries at Montserrat and Sant Pere de Rodes.
• Park Güell and Casa Batllo
• The creeks and coves along the Costa Brava
• The historic city of Girona
• The Roman ruins in Tarragona

Even if your Catalan or Spanish is very limited, you can always learn on the go while you are there. The Catalan people will help you practise, as they’ll be chuffed that you’re making an attempt to learn their language.

Beyond Catalonia, the Catalan countries or regions stretch to include the Valencian Community, Rousillon in the French Pyrenees Region and the Balearic Islands.

You would really impress the Catalan people if you knew, at least, a few words of Catalan when you travel to Barcelona, Minorca, Majorca or Valencia.

Find out More About a Romance Language - Speak Catalan

Learn more about other Romance languages by learning to speak Catalan.

But is Catalan difficult to learn?

It will be easier for you to learn Catalan if, in the past, you have already been exposed to other Romance languages. This is because Catalan grew out of the Vulgar Latin of the Roman Empire.

The Latin language was brought into the region by Roman soldiers in 2BCE. Roman legions took control of the south of Gallia Narbonensis, now called Rousillon and the surrounding communities quickly Latinised.

Over a number of centuries, the Latin spoken in the “Land of the Goths” (Gotholonia) established itself as an independent language. You will notice plenty of similarities between Spanish and French, if you already speak one of these languages.

A number of Romance languages, including French, Italian, Portuguese, Romanian and Spanish, came about during the period of the Middle Ages.

Most languages spoken in Spain are also Romance languages. This excludes Basque which is a totally separate language.

If you wanted to learn Catalan, it would be advantageous if you spoke some French, Italian or Spanish.

Discover the Catalan Culture by Learning Catalan

Via your Catalan lessons, you will learn about a European culture which has a strong sense of identity, whilst not being a sovereign state.

Catalonia, which declared its independence from Spain in October 2017, has become known the world over, either because people have visited there or because it has been in the news.

Beyond the boundaries of Catalonia, the Catalan identity extends to include Alghero in Sardinia, Andorra, the Balearic Islands, the Valencian Community and the Vermillion Coast. A vibrant and rich culture such as this has very few rivals.

There are around 10 million Catalan-speakers in an area covering 65 000km², 13% of the Spanish territory.

Home to about 5 million souls, the Valencian Community is the 4^th largest self-ruling community in Spain, the second largest being Catalonia, following Andalusia – the largest, with a population of 7.32 million.

Speak a Second Language: Catalan

Why not learn Catalan as a second language?

This could be a very enriching experience. In the South African experience, many people study German, Chinese or Afrikaans at matric or varsity level. Why not Catalan?

Although Catalan is not utilised in a sovereign state, Catalan classes are taught at schools in Spain as well as in France. At these schools, students get to be taught Catalan as a first language.

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Learn the Language and Discover Catalan Art

The Catalan countries are located in some of the most stunning parts of the world and have been the inspiration for the work of many artists for a considerable period of time. Besides their natural splendour, these regions are also home to inspiring architecture, while art has done a great job of preserving the heritage of the people and their special places.

For example, in Tarragona, the Roman ruins are reminiscent of the Roman Peace (Pax Romana) and of Rome’s splendour under Augustus Caesar.

While Catalan art is steeped in centuries of history, more recent work, especially the Catalan modernism of the 19^th century, is regarded as exemplary of the art which can be encountered in the region.

Numerous artists, including Casa, Graner, Rusiñol and Riquer, have epitomised Catalan culture. Catalan modernism has been described by Joan Fuster, the influential Spanish writer, as the revolution from a “traditionalist regional culture to modern national culture”.

Discover Catalan History by Learning Catalan

When you learn a new language, you also learn so much about the place, its history, its people and its culture.

Do you know anything about the Catalan culture?

By the end of the 9^th century, Catalan had developed from Vulgar Latin to the point where it was a language in its own right.

Subsequent to the demise of the Roman Empire in 476, the Visigoths invaded the Iberian Peninsula. They did not impose their own language on the local population, but, rather, adopted the Vulgar Latin which was spoken in the region.

Latin grew into Catalan when the region was part of West Francia (Francia Occidentalis) and under Carolingian Empire rule. Then followed period where the Umayyad Dynasty colonised the Iberian Peninsula for several centuries.

Foreign rule, by the French, Romans, Visigoths, Arabs and Castilians, and repeated defeats forged a solid cultural identity among the Catalan people and fuelled a strong desire and drive for Catalan independence.

Learn Catalan, an Interesting Romance Language

Catalan can be very enjoyable to learn, especially if you are already fluent in Spanish or French. Knowledge of other Romance languages will give you a greater advantage when learning Catalan as opposed to when you’re learning a language like Chinese or Russian.

While Catalan is spoken in the southern French region of Pyrénées-Orientales, the problem arises that, if you speak Spanish or French, you may start confusing several words.

Catalan is Very Close to the Romance Languages Taught in Schools

As previously mentioned, speaking Spanish or French may help you. On the other hand, if you don’t speak either language, it may be helpful if you’ve studied them for a while at school. When reading, you would be able to gauge where particular Catalan words originated from.

To an untrained ear, Catalan may sound like a totally different language. However, it is 85% similar, lexically, to Spanish and French, having been influenced by Castilian, Frankish and Vulgar Latin.

You should also know that Catalan came about before Spanish and French and, with about half of English vocabulary emanating from Latin or French, you might be pleasantly surprised at the number of Catalan words that you will recognise.

Catalan is an Important Mediterranean Language

Catalan is a language born and bred, mainly, in the Iberian Peninsula. It, for instance, wasn’t brought back by the Spanish conquistadors from the Americas.

So, as stated earlier, you will encounter Catalan, not only on the streets of Barcelona, but also on the island of Sardinia and in the south of France in the Pyrénées-Orientales  region.

Therefore, if it is your plan to visit any of these regions, why not look up a Catalan tutor on the Superprof website. He or she will customise lessons to suit your needs, whether they be for the purpose of business or for leisure travel. All you need are a decent Internet connection and a device, like a cell-phone or webcam, and you’re good to go!

Most Superprof tutors offer the first lesson free of charge. So, you can even try out a couple before you decide which tutor to settle on. Be our guest and try your hand at Valencian - as it is known in some communities - today!