Learning Catalan – From classes to conversation

Expanding career opportunities, helping children with their homework, building friendships and relationships, and feeling at home in Catalonia – these are just some of the reasons Catalan learners give for learning the language. This episode of Filling the Sink explores what it's like to learn Catalan, and the challenges and opportunities facing the language today. Lorcan Doherty is joined by Jordi Ballart from the CPNL (Consorci per a la Normalització Lingüística) and Catalan learner Grace Ferris to discuss the current state of the language, the growing demand for Catalan classes, and the transition from the classroom to real-life conversation. Cillian Shields speaks with CPNL teacher Mafalda Palà and one of her students, Alejandro Merayo, who moved to Barcelona from Argentina and has embraced learning Catalan as part of settling into life in Catalonia. We also drop in on a Speak Catalan meetup, organised by Eloi Rodrígues and Arnau Torner, where learners and native speakers gather in cafés and other venues to practise Catalan through conversation in a fun, informal setting.